MANAGING FIRE RISKS IN METRO SYSTEMS

This article presents the author's perspective on managing risk in today's tunnels, as a result of his own involvement in metro safety projects. Modern metro systems can operate safely only because of our ability to manage their hazards. Very few of the millions travelling daily by metro ever experience any kind of fire incident. Eamination of statistical data shows that individual passenger fatality risk, due to fire, is between 1 in 1000M and 1 in 10,000M per year. The article includes a table outlining the most significant metro fires after 1970. The 1995 Baku fire had 289 fatalities and 265 injuries, the 1987 Kings Cross fire in London had 34 fatalities and 100 injuries, and the other 15 fires had 12 fatalities and 441 injuries. The article considers fire safety design in relation to external and internal train fires, and ventilation and intervention shafts. It is not efficient to reduce risk by providing only expensive and complex fire protection equipment and construction in tunnels and stations. It is more important to focus on fire safety objectives than adhere to prescriptive codes of practice. Effective metro system fire risk management needs to focus on real hazards, not on extremely unlikely high-consequence accidents. Safety design must be part of an overall risk management process.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/1463242X
• Corporate Authors:

  NEWNORTH PRINT LTD

  PO BOX 452
  KEMPSTON, BEDFORD,   United Kingdom  MK43 9PL
• Authors:
  • Scott, P
• Publication Date: 1999-4

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: References;
• Pagination: p. 29-31
• Serial:
  • TUNNEL MANAGEMENT INTERNATIONAL
  • Issue Number: 6
  • Publisher: ITC LTD
  • ISSN: 1463-242X

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Design; Fatalities; Fires; Hazards; Prevention; Probability; Railroad trains; Safety; Statistics; Subways; Tunnels; Ventilation systems
• ITRD Terms: 9011: Design (overall design); 1602: Fatality; 1624: Fire; 9149: Prevention; 6534: Probability; 9150: Risk; 1665: Safety; 6555: Statistics; 1268: Train; 3374: Tunnel; 1191: Underground railway; 3392: Ventilation
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Data and Information Technology; Design; Railroads; Safety and Human Factors; Security and Emergencies; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00767196
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport Research Laboratory
• Files: ITRD
• Created Date: Aug 6 1999 12:00AM