Disaster Diary: Kings Cross Fire
Posted on 18th November 2024 at 01:22
Our Disaster Diaries takes a look at some major events and examines the learning we have gained from them, and how they impact on health and safety management today. This month we are looking back at the Kings Cross Fire that happened on 18th November 1987.
The incident
On the evening of the 18th November 1987 a fire broke out in the Kings Cross St Pancras Underground station. The fire resulted in the death of 31 people, and more than 100 people were badly injured.
The fire was believed to have been started by a lit match or cigarette that fell into the machinery of an escalator. A the time smoking had been banned across the underground network for a couple of years, but passengers continued to smoke, mainly lighting up on the escalator as they prepared to leave the station.
At around 7:30pm members of the public reported see a fire on the Piccadilly line escalator. The fire was unable to be reached by a fire extinguisher. At 7:39pm the decision was made to evacuate the station.
The Fire Brigade were called at 7:34pm by a Police Officer who had to run to the surface to use a telephone as their radio's did not work underground. The Fire Brigade arrived in the ticket hall at 7:43pm when the fire was still at a modest size. The Fire Brigade were planning how to tackle the fire when, at 7:45pm, there was a flash-over event which resulted in a fierce fire erupting in the ticket hall. This killed or injured many people who were still in the ticket hall and trapped hundreds of people below ground.
Between the alarm first being raised at 7:30pm and the flash-over event at 7:45pm there had been no meaningful attempts to extinguish the fire, and as there were not automatic fire systems, there was nothing in place to restrain it.
Firefighting and evacuation of the station carried on after the flash-over event, and he fire was eventually fully extinguished by 1:46am the following morning.
Findings from the investigation
The investigation into the Kings Cross Fire was chaired by Mr Desmond Fennel QC, and the findings published in the Fennel Report in November 1988. The findings of the report were far reaching, but the main ones can be summarised as:
1. There was a lack of fire detection and suppression systems at the station, particularly given the level of combustible materials in the station including the wooden escalators.
2. Emergency preparedness was lacking, with London Underground staff inadequately trained in fire safety and emergency evacuation. Poor communication and coordination of an emergency response contributed to the incident.
3. The ban on smoking across the Underground network had not been thoroughly enforced
What changed after this incident?
The Kings Cross Fire lead to many safety improvements for London Underground and beyond. Some of the major improvements made include:
1. Installation of heat and smoke detectors across the underground, with sprinkler systems and fire suppression technology in high risk areas. And those wooden escalators? All replaced across the whole network.
2. Clear responsibilities and chains of command established for emergency situations, and emergency plans put in place and rehearsed regularly.
3. The smoking ban across the Underground was strictly enforced following the fire.
Lessons for today
While this disaster happened 37 years ago and technology and society have moved on, it is important to remember the key lessons, and consider if they have any impact on your workplace, large or small. Things to think about include:
A
B
C
Do we understand the fire risk at our workplace? Including the amount of combustible materials and the efficacy of fire protections systems. Is our workplace adequately protected?
How effective is our emergency preparedness? Do we know how to react in an emergency, and who takes what role to lead the emergency response?
Do we have any rules that we have put in place for good reason, but we are failing to enforce? Why are people not following the rules? What do we need to change to get people to behave how we need them to?
The loss of life from the Kings Cross Fire was devastating. However you don't need a disaster as big as this one for it to have a terrible effect on you, your co-workers, your friends and family and your business.
Any comments or questions.....? Let us know in the comments below.
Tagged as: Disaster Diary, Health & Safety
Share this post: