50283 Faulty fire alarm at Hull Paragon station

February 2012 in Train Operations

Equipment Work environment Station and platform North East

Concern has been expressed that the fire alarm system at Hull Paragon station has several faults and design issues. 

According to the reporter, these issues stem from a legacy system which has been modified over time creating more than one system at the station.  In addition, staff do not have a full set of drawings showing them where every call point is situated in the station. 

The issues include the following:

• Not all of the call point devices provide a delay block when the alarm goes off.  A delay block is an intermittent alarm that goes off for six minutes, to give staff enough time to investigate the issue before sending the system into evacuation mode.  The lack of a delay block is resulting in some of the devices sending the system straight into evacuation mode.  This is causing staff to become complacent - when the alarm goes off staff do not evacuate the station as they expect it to be a false alarm.
• There is a cable fault between the panel in the control room and the panel in the waiting room at the station.  This shows up as several faults and errors on the panel.
• The panel in the control room is too small and is only connected to the building it is installed, which means that the staff cannot see some of the devices have been activated elsewhere.  The panel constantly shows faults, which again is creating complacency amongst staff as they expect to see lights flashing on the panel.  The reporter does not feel that the system is fit for purpose.
• Several parts of the staff accommodation on platform two are not covered by the current fire alarm system.
• Some of the retail units at the station are also not covered by the fire system even though they have fridges and electrical appliances.  The concern for the reporter is that if there was a fire, it would be alight for some time before anyone realised or raised the alarm.
• The hotel next to the station has a fire alarm system that is linked into the station.  It is currently not being monitored because the panel is located in a station office which is rarely staffed.

A fire risk assessment has been carried out which made several recommendations to be undertaken within three months. The reporter states that these have not been implemented.

Could Network Rail and First TransPennine Express:

• Investigate the faults raised, with the possibility of updating the alarm system so there is only one which does not send the station straight into evacuation mode?
•  Provide staff with a complete plan of the station that shows clearly how all the systems link together and where all the call points are?
• Ensure that all parts of the station are covered by a single fire alarm system? 

Response from First TransPennine Express

First TransPennine Express would like to thank the reporter for raising this issue. We are currently working together with CHUBB and Network Rail to resolve these issues and upgrade the system.

The station has a legacy system which is in need of an upgrade. There are a number of independent systems in place at the station which have been introduced due to refurbishment work at different times. Currently there are two older conventional systems and two addressable systems.

Problems have arisen because the two operate independently. Work is planned to upgrade the system in a series of stages in conjunction with CHUBB and Network Rail. This will involve integrating the legacy panels and running them from an addressable panel. 

We are currently compliant with theRegulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005and the alarm system will continue to be tested to ensure that it is fully operational.

With regards to supplying a complete plan of the station showing call points, we are currently in the process of obtaining historical records in order to redraft our current plans. If this information is not available, FTPE will source new plans and make these known to staff.  

Awaiting response from Network Rail