Taking advantage of theories and models on human behaviour in the fire safety design of underground transportation systems

Fire accidents in underground transportation systems, e.g., tunnels and underground stations, can cause many fatalities. It is therefore important in fire safety design to give adequate consideration to all aspects related to evacuation. The paper provides a review of two previously reported fire accidents based on a theoretical framework, namely four accepted human behaviour theories. These theories provide qualitative guidance on human behaviour in the event of fire in underground transportation systems, and it is therefore argued that they need to be considered in the fire safety design of these facilities.