Uncontrolled copy from the catalogue dated August 2004

Railway Group Standard

GC/RT 5153
Issue One

Date November 1995

Subterranean Fires
- Managing the Risk

Submitted by

Synopsis
Sets out the requirements for

................................................................................................................ managing the risk to Railtrack

infrastructure from Subterranean

Peter Wigley
Fires.
Nominated Responsible Manager

Approved by This document is the property of

Railtrack PLC. It shall not be

reproduced in whole or in part

without the written permission of

the Controller, Safety Standards,

................................................................................................................ Railtrack PLC.

Tom Stevenson
Published by
Chairman, Civil Engineering Subject Committee
Safety & Standards Directorate
Authorised by Railtrack PLC
Floor 2, Fitzroy House
55 Euston Road
London NW1 3AG
 Copyright 1995 Railtrack PLC
................................................................................................................
John Mitchell

Controller, Safety Standards

Uncontrolled copy from the catalogue dated August 2004

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Railway Group Standard

GC/RT 5153
Issue One

Subterranean Fires - Managing the Risk Date November 1995

Page 1 of 9

Contents

Section Description Page

Part A Issue record 2

Responsibilities and distribution 2

Compliance 2

Health and Safety Responsibilities 2

Supply 2

Part B

1 Purpose 3

2 Scope 3

3 Definitions 3

4 Principle 3

5 Competency 3

6 Requirements 4

7 Records 5

Appendices

A Guidance in Identifying Locations where there is a potential for 6

Subterranean Fires to Occur

B Guidance in Identifying Symptoms which might be caused by a 7

Subterranean Fire
C Guidance on Methods of Investigating and Controlling Subterranean Fires8

References 9

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Railway Group Standard

GC/RT 5153
Issue One

Date November 1995 Subterranean Fires - Managing the Risk

Page 2 of 9

Part A

Issue record This standard will be updated when necessary by distribution of a complete
replacement.

Amended or additional parts of revised pages will be marked by a vertical

black line in the adjacent margin.

Issue Date Comments

1 Nov 95 Original document

Responsibilities and This standard shall be complied with by all persons who are responsible
distribution for managing land and infrastructure owned by Railtrack.

Compliance The provisions of this Railway Group Standard are mandatory and the plan
required by section 6 must be in place by 5 April 1997.

Health and
Safety Responsibilities
In authorising this Standard, Railtrack PLC makes no warranties, express
or implied, that compliance with all or any of Railway Group Standards is
sufficient on its own to ensure safe systems of work or operation. Each
user is reminded of its own responsibilities to ensure health and safety at
work and its individual duties under health and safety legislation.

Supply Controlled and uncontrolled copies of this standard must be obtained from
The Catalogue Secretary, Safety and Standards Directorate, Railtrack PLC,
Floor 2, Fitzroy House, 355 Euston Road, London NW1 3AG.

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Railway Group Standard

GC/RT 5153
Issue One

Subterranean Fires - Managing the Risk Date November 1995

Page 3 of 9

Part B

1 Purpose This Railway Group Standard defines the minimum requirements for the
management of risk to Railtrack arising from Subterranean Fires. This
standard supplements the requirements of Railway Group Standard
GH/RT 3360 “Fire Safety”.
2 Scope This Railway Group Standard applies to all persons responsible for
managing land and infrastructure owned by Railtrack.

3 Definitions Railtrack Director's Nominee (RDN)

means the Railtrack manager having appropriate qualification and/or

experience with delegated responsibility for all or part of the infrastructure
within a defined area or discipline.

Subterranean Fire

means any fire beneath the surface of land, including fires in old shallow
mineworkings but excluding fires in structures such as basements, cellars,
sewerage/drainage systems or underground railways or sub-surface
railways.

Railtrack

means Railtrack PLC which is incorporated as a registered company in

England and Wales as No. 2904587.

4 Principle Railtrack identifies those locations where there is a known potential for
Subterranean Fires to occur, and takes appropriate action to:
• minimise the risk of Subterranean Fires being started;
• limit the damage to Railtrack infrastructure from Subterranean Fires.

5 Competency The appropriate Director within Railtrack must ensure that the
responsibilities of those persons involved in managing the risk to Railtrack
from Subterranean Fires are clearly defined in writing and understood by
them.

The Railtrack Director's Nominee (RDN) must ensure that persons

undertaking duties in accordance with this Standard possess the necessary
skills, expertise and training to carry out those duties to an appropriate
level of competency.

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Date November 1995 Subterranean Fires - Managing the Risk

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6 Requirements 6.1 Identification of areas where there is a known potential for

Subterranean Fires to occur

The RDN must ensure that a plan is prepared and implemented to

produce and maintain the following records:
• locations where a Subterranean Fire is known to have occurred;
• locations where there is a known potential for Subterranean Fires to
occur.

When preparing the plan, consideration must be given to the need to

consult historical records to determine the use of land, areas of landfill, and
the materials used for fill including the creation of embankments.

Appendix A provides guidance in identifying areas where there is a

potential for Subterranean Fires to occur.

6.2 Planning work at locations where there is a potential for

Subterranean Fires to occur

The RDN must ensure that:

• an assessment is made of the risk of Subterranean Fires occurring as a
result of work activities;
• all persons involved are made aware of the risks and of measures to
minimise the likelihood of accidental ignition of combustible material.

6.3 Subterranean Fires in land owned by Railtrack

6.3.1 Reporting Requirements

The appropriate Director within Railtrack must ensure that procedures

are in place for the prompt reporting to Railtrack of all incidents of
Subterranean Fires and all incidents where Subterranean Fires are
suspected in land owned by Railtrack.

Appendix B gives guidance in identifying the symptoms which might indicate

the presence of a Subterranean Fire.

6.3.2 Action following report of a Subterranean Fire

Where a Subterranean Fire is suspected the RDN must take appropriate

action to confirm its presence.

When a Subterranean Fire is confirmed the RDN must assess the risk to
Railtrack, taking into consideration:
• the type and nature of Railtrack’s infrastructure likely to be affected
(including possible settlement of the infrastructure into voids created
by the Subterranean Fire);
• the nature of the materials underlying Railtrack’s infrastructure;
• the presence of services likely to be affected (including pipelines and
services buried beneath the infrastructure);
• the nature and extent of the fire (so far as is reasonably practicable);
• production of toxic gases.

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Subterranean Fires - Managing the Risk Date November 1995

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In addition, the RDN must:

• ensure that all persons and neighbours with interests or equipment in
the locality of the fire are notified of the hazard;
• prioritise action to minimise the risk by controlling/extinguishing the
fire.

Appendix C provides guidance on methods of investigating and controlling

Subterranean Fires.

6.4 Fires in Neighbouring Land

6.4.1

When a report is received of a Subterranean Fire in land adjacent to

Railtrack, the RDN must assess the risk to Railtrack as outlined in
Section 6.3.2 of this Standard.

6.4.2

When a Subterranean Fire in neighbouring land is assessed as presenting a

risk to Railtrack, the RDN must:
• advise all Railtrack departments and occupiers who may be affected;
• co-ordinate action to minimise the potential for damage to Railtrack.

7 Records The RDN must arrange for the following records to be kept:
• locations where there is a known potential for Subterranean Fires to
occur on Railtrack’s infrastructure;
• locations where Subterranean Fires have occurred;
• all decisions and their justification relating to the assessment of risk
from Subterranean Fires;
• all decisions and actions taken to control and/or extinguish
Subterranean Fires.

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Date November 1995 Subterranean Fires - Managing the Risk

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Appendix A

This Appendix gives guidance in identifying locations where there is a

potential for Subterranean Fires to occur.

A.1.

Areas of embankment or fill comprised primarily of material with a high

combustible content which may include:
• coal and colliery waste;
• waste from the shale oil extraction industry;
• steam boiler ash (locomotive ash).

A.2.

Areas where the formation of the railway is underlain by peat.

A.3.

Sites of former waste landfill operations.

A.4.

Areas where coal seams outcrop at the surface, and locations where coal
seams have been worked at very shallow depths below the surface.

A.5.

Chemical waste tips.

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Subterranean Fires - Managing the Risk Date November 1995

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Appendix B

This Appendix gives guidance in identifying symptoms which might indicate

the presence of a Subterranean Fire.

Symptoms

• elevated ground surface temperatures;

• steam or smoke emanating from fissures;
• acrid sulphurous smell;
• subsidence of ground;
• vegetation dying.

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Issue One

Date November 1995 Subterranean Fires - Managing the Risk

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Appendix C

This Appendix gives guidance on methods of investigating and controlling

Subterranean Fires.

C.1. Investigation

• temperature probes;
• infra-red monitoring techniques.

C.2. Control

The following procedures, whilst not an exhaustive list, are typical

methodologies for treating Subterranean Fires.

• Dousing with water

This can be effective with shallow fires in areas of previous waste

landfill. However, water dousing may lead to hydrogen production and
consequent exacerbation of the problem when used on fires in colliery
waste.
Note: Water dousing must not be used in areas of overhead or third
rail electrification due to the potential hazard from arcing current.

• Surface Excavation

Excavation of burning material and extinguishment at the surface may

be successful but this method could introduce more air (and thus
oxygen) into the fire and drive it deeper or increase its lateral extent.

• Surface Blanketing

Blanketing with limestone dust which generates carbon dioxide when

heated. This gas, being heavier than air, cuts off the oxygen supply to
the fire.

• Fire Break Trenches

Isolation of the fire by the excavation of fire break trenches filled with
inert material e.g. limestone dust, sand, PFA (Pulverised Fuel Ash) or
concrete around the affected area. This method may be carried out in
association with the excavation of the burning material.

• Capping

Sealing of the surface with a cohesive material to cut off the supply of
air/oxygen to the fire.

• Perimeter Grouting

Provision of an inert "curtain" around the fire, or properties at risk, by

drilling and grouting operations.

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Issue One

Subterranean Fires - Managing the Risk Date November 1995

Page 9 of 9

References
Other Related Railway GH/RT 3360 Fire Safety
Group Standards

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