Fire evacuation in underground transportation systems: a review of accidents and research

A review of literature related to fire evacuation in underground transportation systems, e.g., tunnels and subway stations, was carried out with the objectives (1) to identify a theoretical framework that can help understand of human behaviour in the event of a fire in underground transportation systems, (2) to use the theoretical framework to analyse and to identify problems related to fire evacuation in underground transportation systems, and (3) to suggest areas on which future research should focus on in. The review included literature on past accidents in underground transportation systems, theories and models on human behaviour in fire, and empirical research. It was concluded that the adoption of a clear theoretical framework can aid the understanding of people’s behaviour in the event of a fire in underground transportation systems, and that a behaviour that seems irrational to an outside observer seldom is. The theoretical framework should include the behaviour sequence model, the affiliative model, social influence, and the theory of affordances. It was also concluded that one of the major issues related to fire evacuation in underground transportation systems is that people often are reluctant to initiate evacuation, which among other things is explained with a role keeping behaviour, lack of information, ambiguity of fire cues and the presence of others, i.e., social influence. Other factors that affect the actual movement of people in underground transportation systems were identified as problems with the door-opening mechanisms on trains, the vertical distance between train and tunnel floor, that people tend to evacuate through familiar exits, the lack of lighting, and uneven surfaces inside tunnels. The review demonstrated that there are room for improvements in the area of fire evacuation in underground transportation systems, and future research should among other things study the effects of a comprehensive evacuation system, the optimal design of active systems in underground transportation systems, and the possibility for people with disabilities to evacuate from these types of facilities. (Less)