As I write, the world is expressing its shock and sadness at the devastating fire that partially destroyed the French cathedral, Notre Dame, last night. The 850-year-old building’s roof and spire collapsed after flames engulfed and ravaged through the iconic landmark.

Already, several pledges to help restore this structure have been received including those from two French business magnates who have offered about €300m. French President Emmanuel Macron has also committed to rebuild the cathedral, and has promised an international fundraising effort to restore it to its previous state.

While the cause of the fire has not yet been identified, it is expected that there will be a lengthy and comprehensive investigation. Until firm evidence is found as to what caused the initial blaze, there will inevitably be theories emerging. One possible speculation may be related to the renovation work, and whether the materials or construction methods themselves had any direct impact on what caused the fire.

For our industry, any catastrophic incident, such as this, really highlights just how crucial it is to protect workers and buildings while on-site. It was only in last month’s issue that we discussed the fire risks associated with hot works, and again, this reiterates the importance of compliance to ensure utmost safety.

Our condolences are with the people of France, and we hope that efforts to restore this beloved cathedral are successful.

Meanwhile in this month’s issue of FC&A, Jitesh Patel, CEO of Peldon Rose, explores what exactly is the recipe for employee happiness, Visqueen lays down some ground rules for specifying successful waterproofing solutions and Schöck unveils how its products are involved in the rebuild of one of London’s most prestigious Grade 1 Listed buildings.

I hope you enjoy this edition. Don’t forget, you can also access all of the magazine’s features, product news and supplier information at your fingertips via FC&A’s state-of-the-art app. To download your version free of charge, simply search ‘fc&a’ on Google Play or the App store.