King’s Cross Underground Fire1987

ChBE 285 Chemical Engineering SafetyCase Study

[Group 3]

Abby Asher

Evan Davis

Timmy

Doonan

Carlton

Marshall

Overview

0 November 18, 19870 Large flashover fire on an

escalator0 Killed 31 people0 Injured more than sixty0 Result of many safety

hazards0 Aftermath of fire included

implementation of numerous safety regulations

Existing Hazards

0 Old wooden escalators0 Dirty running track (grease,

hair, paper, etc.)0 Toxic paint0 Smoking ban consistently

ignored0 46 similar small fires in

about 30 years0 32 result of careless smoking

0 No assigned safety personnel0 No safety procedures

Timeline

0 7:25 p.m. Fire started0 7:30 p.m. Fire reported0 7:39 p.m. Police began evacuating

passengers through escalators0 7:40 p.m. Trains ordered not to

stop at King’s Cross0 7:43 p.m. Fire engines arrived on

site0 7:45 p.m. Large flashover

occurred0 7:46 p.m. Full evacuation from

station ordered0 1:46 a.m. Fire extinguished

Root Causes

0 Several combustion points found on escalators

0 All on right hand side0 Several gaps in escalator

treads found0 Large build-up on track

analyzed0 Found to be easy to ignite0 Fires extinguished

themselves in 9 minutes0 No evidence of flash fire

Root Causes

0 Debated continued over the cause of the flash fire0 Ceiling paint?0 Piston effect?

0 Neither explanation was very good

Root Causes

0 Computer modeling done by a research establishment (Harwell)

0 Simplifications made0 Several configurations

considered0 Unexpected occurred:

0 Hot gas remained in the trench of the escalator

0 Flames burned parallel to 30º angle of the track

0 Thought to be impossible0 Model was suspected to be faulty

Root Causes

0 Scale replica of the escalator was built and lit

0 Flames performed as in simulation

0 Situated themselves parallel to the escalator

0 Heated wooden treads to 500-600ºC

0 Led to treads flashing0 New phenomena now

known as the “trench effect”

Ultimate Results

0 Buildup of grease and hair allowed fire to ignite and spread

0 Containment of escalator guided flames like a trench, causing overheating and flashover

0 Smoke was clean until reaching toxic ceiling paint

0 Particular combination of circumstances led to the trench effect

Ultimate Results

0 Why was this the first time a small fire flashed over?0 Complete lack of attempt to put out the fire0 Exact position of fire across width of escalator0 Found to be conducive to trench effect

Ultimate Results

0 Damage from fire fixed quickly

0 Ticket hall and platforms for most lines opened next day

0 Ticket halls for most affected lines opened in stages over next four weeks

0 Nobody was prosecuted for this disaster0 No justification for charges

Lessons Learned

0 26 recommendations made by DoT’s investigator0 Wooden escalators replaced with all-steel ones0 Smoking banned again0 Sale of smoking materials in station banned0 Installation of sprinklers and heat detectors in

escalators0 Non-executive director of safety0 Mandatory safety training for staff0 Public telephones, radios, and televisions put in place0 Paint restrictions

Lessons Learned

0 Only 8 out of 26 recommendations implemented four years later

0 Cigarette butts still found on floors ten years later

Lessons Learned

0 Most important lesson:0 Fluid flow phenomenon – Trench effect

0 Restrictions on escalator material help avoid repeating set up for this phenomenon

References

0 [1] Fennel, Desmond. Investigation into the King’s Cross Underground Fire. The Department of Transport, November 1988, London.

0 [2] “Kings Cross Fire 1987 News Footage” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sj21xNbNKBQ

0 [3] “King’s Cross fire” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King%27s_Cross_fire

0 [4] “Kings Cross Fire – London 2007 from the London Fire Journal” http://www.firetactics.com/KINGSCROSS.htm

0 [5] “Safety fears linger, decade after Kings Cross fire” http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/31723.stm

0 [6] “BBC On This Day – 1987: King’s Cross station fire ‘kills 27’” http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/november/18/newsid_2519000/2519675.stm

Questions?