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Almost seems like a bad joke; people stuck on an escalator…..awaiting rescue.
Except 31 people died in the escalator fire at London England King's Cross Underground Station on 18th
November 1987. It was apparent to investigators that several fires had
previous started and then had gone out before the fatal incident. Root
cause appeared to be the grease, oils and accumulated detritus (dust,
fiber and debris) within the escalator, wide gaps between the steps and
shirts were excessive and would have allowed an igniter such as
matchsticks to enter the unit. Smoking had been banned years before but
was still a problem at the Underground stations.
This is not an isolated thing. There have been several escalator
fires in the U.S. Thankfully fatalities rare. But these should never
happen at all.
Escalator interiors are by nature a dirty environment with a daily
dose of debris as passengers enter and ride the unit. Then add the
accumulated drippings of applied lubrication to various chains and
gear-boxes and it doesn't take long for a hazard to develop. So code
authorities have long recognized this potential hazard and require
cleaning of the interior whenever needed. In the industry this cleaning
procedure is referred as a Clean-Down.
As the escalators are lubricated the excess oils drip unto the pan
under the truss. There is forms and builds throughout the unit.
Gearboxes leak and deposit gear oil on the pan. Add dust and debris and
we just need something to light it up, like a spark from a faulty motor
or coil.
Unfortunately these clean-downs seem to rarely happen, as it's an
expense that most service vendors wish not to put forth; safety be
damned.
Clean-downs are usually the responsibility of the service vendor unless otherwise excluded by contract terms.
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Re: Escalator Fires
