Fire safety concerns for rail rapid transit systems

• Published in: Fire safety journal Vol. 8; no. 1; pp. 3 - 7
• Main Author: Burnett, Jim
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.01.1984; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Exact sciences and technology; Ground, air and sea transportation, marine construction; Railway transportation and traffic; Firefighting; Toxicity; Mobility; Traffic accident; Subways; Respiratory system; Public transportation; Passenger transportation; Regional transportation; Fire; Combustibility; Rail transportation; Communication; Fire safety; Tunnels
• ISSN: 0379-7112
• DOI: 10.1016/0379-7112(84)90048-1

A fire within an underground rail rapid transit system, particularly in a tunnel location, poses a highly hazardous condition to passengers, transit employees and emergency response personnel. Certain considerations in the improvement of fire safety are universal to all transit systems. A number of problems have been identified by the National Transportation Safety Board, an independent U.S. government accident investigation agency, as warranting immediate attention to minimize the threats posed. The Safety Board's concern was heightened by several accidents on rail rapid transit systems involving many passengers. The fact that during peak hours, a single rail rapid transit train could carry as many as 1500 to 2000 passengers was not overlooked. Specifically, the Safety Board reviewed the following topical areas which may complicate fire and life safety in confined rail rapid transit tunnel locations: - transit car materials: combustibility and toxicity; - emergency tunnel ventilation; - tunnel emergency evacuation considerations; - communications; - breathing equipment; - mobility. It is hoped that the lessons learned in our accident investigations involving fire and emergency evacuations will add to the collective knowledge of transit systems and emergency response personnel to further minimize the hazards.