[53], Six firemen received certificates of commendation for their actions at the fire, including Station Officer Townsley who was given the award posthumously. par | Juin 21, 2022 | she believes cup 2022 tv schedule | school sisters of st francis milwaukee obituaries | Juin 21, 2022 | she believes cup 2022 tv schedule | school sisters of st francis milwaukee obituaries [7] The LFB arrived a few minutes later, and several firemen went down to the escalator to assess the fire. Many passengers escaped using an alternative escalator and all trains had been instructed not to stop at the station, however, the ticket hall was still busy with the last of the evening's rush hour crowd when the fireball erupted from the stairwell. Hundreds of firefightersand members of the public paid tribute to fallen comrade Colin Townsley who died in the disaster. Officers of the British Transport Police (BTP) and station staff went to investigate and on confirming the fire one of the policemen went to the surface to radio for the London Fire Brigade (LFB),[4] which sent four fire appliances and a turntable ladder at 19:36. By 8pm, a fleet of 14 London ambulances is ferrying 100 injured survivors to local hospitals, principally University College. However, smokers often ignored this and lit cigarettes on the escalators on their way out. All appeals to potential relatives Fallon had four daughters failed. Nevertheless, his Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, was prepared to approach a little-known QC, Desmond Fennell, to ask him to chair the ensuing public inquiry, an inquiry enabled by the 1871 Railway Act. A test was conducted where lit matches were dropped on the escalator to see if ignition would occur. "The problem we faced was that the St Pancras entrance seemed to be directly fed up from the Piccadilly Line escalators," Mr Button said. Want to know more about your rights at work? Corporate manslaughter is a relatively new offence. Fuelled by a build-up of grease and dust inside the wooden escalator, the fire spread until smoke began to spew from under the steps and out into the main concourse. Martin Anderson and humanfactors101.com 2023. "A police officer was shouting: 'Get out, get out'. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. This clearly was not a one-off event. The fire was a tragedy and my thoughts are with the friends, families and loved ones of all those who lost their lives. There was no longer any need to show that a single senior individual was personally guilty of manslaughter. The previous prescriptive approach to health and safety was thought to have conditioned people to think of health and safety as a matter of compliance rather than of taking responsibility and assessing tasks on their merits. We Are EachOther: Our Strategy for 2021 And Beyond. The information, references, links and tools on humanfactors101.com provide general guidance. Minutes later, the fireball blasted up into the ticket hall - the precise time of 19:45 can be documented because the severe heat melted the wiring of the digital clock at the top of the escalators. The Inquiry concluded that better training of staff is the single most important recommendation. 1987 fire in King's Cross St Pancras tube station, London, England, A police car, three fire engines and an ambulance outside King's Cross. The heat from the fire was so intense that firefighters tackling the blaze had to use their hoses to spray the backs of colleagues in a bid to keep the temperature bearable for brief period. However, some organisations retained their immunity, including the Ministry of Defence and the Armed Forces. After much wrangling, Minta was grudgingly awarded 150,000, dwindling to 28,000 after he paid off his lawyers. Learn more. He made no fewer than 157 recommendations: everything from sprinklers and loud fire alarms to speedier evacuation procedures; from the installation of less flammable metal escalators to the appointment of safety officers charged specifically with fire prevention. [52], The fire also led to improvement in firefighters' equipment: yellow plastic leggings that melted in the heat and rubber gloves that limited movement were replaced with more effective clothing. Thirty years since the King's Cross fire claimed the lives of 31 people, BBC News talks to survivors of the tragedy. Could the artificial pumping of air through a full-sized tunnel work, researchers wondered? Director jailed. Companies could be prosecuted for a range of health and safety offences, and individuals within an organisation could be charged with the offence of gross negligence manslaughter. [36] When the wooden treads of the escalator flashed over, the size of the fire increased dramatically and a sustained jet of flame was discharged from the escalator tunnel into the model ticket hall. [8], At 19:42, the entire escalator was aflame, producing superheated gas that rose to the top of the shaft enclosing the escalator, where it was trapped against the tunnel ceiling, which was covered with about twenty layers of old paint from past repainting. Most senior managers didnt realise the seriousness of the incident until it was almost over. As the self-confessed "computer geek" waited for a Victoria Line train at King's Cross Tube station, he realised passengers were being evacuated. It was at about this point that firefighter Stewart Button and his colleagues arrived in the first fire engine to attend the scene. When did fire brigades begin and why? [39] Fires were described as "smouldering", and staff had little or no training to deal with fires or evacuation. [25], A public inquiry into the incident was initiated by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. The public inquiry Sir Desmond chaired triggered huge changes for both firefighting and London Underground's safety procedures. It seems that management were complacent, and had been lulled into a false sense of security, as no previous escalator fire had caused a death. I joined the UK health and safety Regulator (the UK HSE) in 1995. At least his panel didnt need to linger on the question of No Smoking. [37], London Underground was strongly criticised in the report for its attitude to fires underground, underestimating the hazard because no one had died in a fire on the Underground before. No single person was charged with overall responsibility for safety. It became law in 2008 when the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007 came into force. [31] The investigators found a build-up of lubricant grease under the tracks, which was believed to be difficult to ignite and slow to burn once it started, but it was noted that the grease was heavily impregnated with fibrous materials (fluff from clothes, tickets and other small litter, human hair, rat fur, etc). This system was not designed for occasional emergency use, but for regular nightly use, in order to wet the machinery, and dampen any of these regular smoulderings. The information provided may require tailoring to ensure that it is suitable and appropriate for application to your specific circumstances. VideoThe secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure, LGBT troops take love for Eurovision to front line, Why an Indian comedian is challenging fake news rules. Twenty years on, responsibility for death in the workplace is now being addressed by way of the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007, which came into force on April 6, 2008. Northern Irelands perios of unrest, known as the Troubles, was raging at the time but terrorism was ruled out too. Thirty years on from the Kings Cross disaster, Wrightstyles managing director, Tim Kemppster, remembers the tragedy and the redevelopment of the station. But on 18 November 1987 that would change, as a flashover - a sudden and rapid spread of fire caused by smoke or fumes igniting - claimed the lives of 31 people at King's Cross. [29] The police decided that the fire had not been started deliberately, as there was no evidence that an accelerant had been used and access to the site of the fire was difficult. It was also assumed that there would be sufficient time to evacuate. Energy Voice 2023. It was the busiest station on the network. In its 124-year history there had never been mass loss of life in a fire on the London Underground. While Fennell was sitting, the well-remunerated, not necessarily well-regarded Keith Bright was curiously tight-lipped, to the point where he left his director of planning to do much of the explaining. Communications with the general public were woefully inadequate throughout the incident the Public Address system was not used and many passengers were evacuated into the line of fire. [20] The three escalators for the Piccadilly line had to be completely replaced, the new ones being commissioned on 27 February 1989, more than 16months after the fire. The immediate cause of the fire was a discarded match falling onto wooden escalators with an accumulation of debris underneath and in the escalator tracks. Thirty-one men and women die in that fierce and fearsome flashover including the the firefighter in charge, station officer Colin J Townsley (who was awarded the George Medal posthumously). Is firefighting the right career for you? The first prosecution under the new Act took place in early 2011 when Cotswold Geotechnical was fined 385,000 after the death of a geologist. The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 is still the principal statute governing health and safety offshore, but is now supplemented by the offshore-specific regulations created post-Piper Alpha. Significant improvements have been made in the UK offshore industry since Piper Alpha. Within two minutes came the desired trench effect: a combination of circumstances that can rush a fire up an inclined surface. It was really turning panicky.". [48][49], Since then, major tube stations have been upgraded and expanded to increase capacity and improve safety. It was allowed to burn for nine minutes before being extinguished. Three fire engines and around 15 firefighters from Euston and Soho . Show this thread. [55], Soon after the fire a commemoration service was held at St Pancras Church. July 3, 2022 stonewood grill blue cheese chips recipe lucozade pricing strategy. Image: The fire began at about 7.30pm, near the end . A collapsible lattice gate often used in Tube stations, old style, "Safety fears linger, decade after Kings Cross fire", The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business, "Solved after 16 years the mystery of victim 115", "How the final King's Cross fire victim was identified", "A Report for Dr A. Buchanan Dept. Penelope Warne is head of energy at CMS Cameron McKenna LLP. Marking another step towards achieving their sustainability goals, Knauf has changed the pallet hoods used on its laminated boards to use 30% more recycled content. It is important to note that although the act creates a new offence, it does not impose any new obligations on employers. [16] The fire was declared out at 01:46 the following morning. [3], At approximately 19:30,[1] several passengers reported seeing a fire on a Piccadilly line escalator. Nobody was ever prosecuted after the disaster, not even for dereliction of duty. Since 2010, its also been possible to order companies to take out adverts publicising the fact they have been convicted. This led to large oil fires, the heat of which ruptured a gas riser, producing a further massive explosion and fireball that engulfed and destroyed the entire platform. A small part of a lift motor room was damaged by fire. Surprisingly, no organisational charts existed they had to be created for the investigation. Fire or smoke detection had never been installed. Of course you do! The new law removed Crown Immunity from many government organisations, meaning that they could be prosecuted for legal wrongs. Sign up for our newsletter and get the There was also little liaison between the Inspectorate and the London Fire Brigade. kings cross fire 1987 corporate manslaughter. A corporation, is simply a company or group of people who are authorised to act as a single entity, and are recognised as such in law. The Brigade was called at 2215 and the fire was under control by 2254. A duty holder will appoint an offshore installation manager (OIM), who will take responsibility for safety on his platform. [56], The Nick Lowe song "Who Was That Man?" Watch Thames News Footage ofthe funeral. Chartered Human Factors Professional By 2008 the new offence of corporate manslaughter had been created and brought into law. What is the Firesetters Intervention Scheme? More than 150 firefighters and 30 fire engines were called to a blaze at King's Cross station at on the evening of 18 November 1987. Why do children set fires and signs to watch out for. The fire seemed minor until it suddenly increased in intensity, and shot a violent, prolonged tongue of fire, and billowing smoke, up into the ticket hall. The King's Cross fire was a fire in 1987 at a London Underground station with 31 fatalities, after a fire under a wooden escalator suddenly spread into the underground ticket hall in a flashover. "There were a lot of people running about, and there was definitely commotion," he said. design faults, human errors and unsafe working conditions, a report on involuntary manslaughter in 1996, three firms were convicted of corporate manslaughter in one week in May 2017, 137 were killed at work and 621,000 were injured, A History Of HIV And Human Rights In The UK, Appeal Begins For People Fighting For The 20 Uplift In Universal Credit Payments. Section 1 of the Act sets out that an organisation is guilty of manslaughter, "if the way in which its activities are managed or organised causes a person's death.". All Rights Reserved. Read about our approach to external linking. Disasters like the Kings Cross Fire are foreseeable; complacency and assumptions can kill; you get the system that you design and staff have to be prepared to respond, should the worst happen. Recommendations from internal inquiries into accidents either did not reach the right people or were not acted on or seen through. In particular, the danger from smoke inhalation had been ignored. Explore in 3D: The dazzling crown that makes a king. A review of the Brigade's Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). By blue mist cocktail recipeblue mist cocktail recipe Kings Cross itself was a complex intersection of five Underground and three Intercity lines, across five levels below ground. There had been no thought into planning for the response to a major fire, there was no emergency response plan and no evacuation plan. from the 1990 album Party of One tells the story of the only unidentified victim of the King's Cross Fire, identified in 2004 as Alexander Fallon. Operators are facing increasing costs of production, ageing infrastructure and decommissioning liabilities, and most appreciate that a proactive attitude towards health and safety will actually mitigate costs in the long term. The creation of the offence of corporate manslaughter was a significant development and aimed to hold to account corporations which didnt care for the welfare of their staff and others. On that fateful day 31 lives were lost and 100 people were injured. They may also wish to arrange for a legal audit of their procedures so as to ensure compliance with health and safety legislation. Consequently, all wooden escalators were replaced, automatic sprinklers were installed and heat detectors in escalators, and all station staff are now required to take part in fire safety training twice a year. It was a small company and negligence was easily . There were many lost opportunities to exchange vital information between London Underground and the Fire Brigade; as well as between the fire, police and ambulance services. However, they were not referred to as fires, but were called smoulderings, partly so as not to alert or concern senior management. The inquiry determined that the fire had been started by a lit match being dropped onto the escalator. An escalator shaft led down to the Victoria line and another led down to the Piccadilly line, and from that to the Northern line. Compliance must be seen as essential and not as a hindrance to productivity. As well as the mainline railway stations above ground . Unfortunately that wasnt the case. On July 6, 1988, a . Finally, Id like to note that the Inquiry recognised the dedication of response teams, especially the London Fire Brigade: It is clear that a large number of members of the London Fire Brigade behaved with conspicuous courage and devotion to duty during the disaster in which they lost a very brave officer, Station Officer Townsley. The Volunteen program offers Brea teens, grades 9th - 11th, an opportunity to gain leadership skills & work experience while volunteering for various city departments. [35] The metal sides of the escalator served to contain the flames and direct the temperature ahead of the fire. 16:00 to 18:30 - About 100,000 people pass safely through King's Cross, one of the busiest stations in the capital, c.19:29 - First reports of a small fire and smoke on Escalator Four, 19:36 - London Fire Brigade despatches crews from three fire stations, c.19:39 - Police officers start evacuating passengers, c.19:42 - Police tell booking office staff to leave, which they do about a minute later - in the confusion no-one alerted those in the bureau de change or public lavatories, 19:42 - First firefighting crew arrives, led by station officer Colin Townsley, 19:43 - Mr Townsley goes to look at the fire before returning to the ticket hall, 19:45 - The flashover rips up the top of the escalator and through the ticket hall, 20:16 - London Ambulance Service declares major accident to alert hospitals, Source: Public inquiry into the King's Cross fire. ", 1987: King's Cross station fire 'kills 27', www.railwaysarchive.co.uk-documents-DoT_KX1987.pdf, 'I was pregnant when my partners heart stopped.