Norwegian research suggests tunnel rescue rooms forbidden by European Union is useful against tunnel fires : TunnelContact.com

Norwegian research suggests tunnel rescue rooms forbidden by European Union is useful against tunnel fires

By Paul K. Madsen 1365 days ago Replies (1)

Research performed by Norway's SINTEF (an independent research institute) suggests that the rescue rooms are important help to people in case of tunnel fire. This has been reported in an article titled 'We should establish rescue rooms in tunnels' (in Norwegian) by Christina Benjaminsen in Norwegian publication of Gemini.

Although the rescue rooms in tunnels are banned by an European Union directive. SINTEF research shows that building rescue rooms is one of the most important measures that can be taken for tunnel fire safety. To come into this conclusion, SINTEF has used Virtual Reality (VR) technology to simulate the real fire conditions.

In general, Norwegian tunnels have the highest standards of the tunnel safety worldwide. Unfortunately still it is impossible to eliminate the accidents and the fires in the tunnels. According to the article, there are around 50 single tube tunnels (hence one line in each direction in the same tube) longer than 3 km long in Norway. This leaves no room for escape in case of tunnel fires. Whereas in double tube tunnels, you can escape from the fire via the cross passageways to the parallel tube.

During the VR simulations, 44 people have participated in the simulated tunnel fire situation. In the laboratory where the simulation has been performed they have regulated the temperature and humidity. In the simulation, the participants were in a tunnel where a fire started in a lorry. Reportedly, participants have witnessed a very realistic simulation with honking cars, a lot of smoke, heat and chaos.

The SINTEF study showed that the participants could find the rescue rooms regardless of age, gender or cultural background even in thick smoke. Rescue rooms had communication equipment with the traffic control center, water, seats, first aid kit and a toilet. According to the study, people have felt safe in the rescue rooms for a longer period. Study says, there should be a rescue room at least at every 250 meters and during the study also the effectiveness of the visual and sound systems for directing the people to the rescue rooms has been tested.

In the article, it is mentioned that EU banned the rescue rooms (without an opening to open air) after a tunnel fire under Mont Blanc in 1999 where 18 lorries burned, 39 people died, 2 in the rescue rooms. Afterwards, a French commission decided that rescue rooms were not safe enough. In the article a SINTEF researcher is quoted as saying that in the same accident many survived also thanks to the rescue rooms...

https://gemini.no/2020/08/vi-bor-etablere-redningsrom-i-tunneler/

By Paul K. Madsen 1365 days ago
https://gemini.no/2020/08/vi-bor-etablere-redningsrom-i-tunneler/
– Vi bør etablere redningsrom i tunneler
gemini.no

I dag er redningsrom i tunneler forbudt på grunn av et EU-direktiv. Men forskning med VR-teknologi viser at å bygge redningsrom er et av de viktigste tiltakene vi kan gjøre for å øke sikkerheten under en tunnelbrann.

Norwegian research suggests tunnel rescue rooms forbidden by European Union is useful against tunnel fires

– Vi bør etablere redningsrom i tunneler

Safety and Environmental Sustainability in Underground Works