Woolworths fire

electricaldave · Post by **electricaldave** » Wed 14 Jan, 2009 7:50 pm

Quote: Hi Dave,I am searching for that particular video, I remember I've seen it on the discovery channel or National Geographic. Especially the part about the behaviour of people during a disaster about to happen. Can you tell me whats the name of that video?greets,Jeroen, the Netherlands The one I use is a compilation of several other videos, I don't have the original.However, I spotted this on EBAY,http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Woolworths-traini ... r28401I'll bet you pounds to pence there is some mention of it on there, along with a few other Woolies stores that went up,you could try this from a fire safety message boardThe publications generally used areGMCFS. 1979 Fire Investigation Report F. W. Woolworth & Co… GMCFS, Swinton.JFPC of CFBAC, 1980 Report of the Planning / Legislation sub-committee Home Office Fire Department, LondonFire Service College library has them, but due to staffing and funding cuts (again!) the easiest way to get them from there (unless you bribe Carole!) is to use a local library 'inter-library loan', will cost you about £2, give them the reference and tell them that FSC library has the documents, should be sorted in a couple of days.

Loiner in Cyprus · Post by **Loiner in Cyprus** » Wed 14 Jan, 2009 8:37 pm

chameleon wrote: But still not trully verified Blakey, I think I'd want more evidence, there's precious little if anything found documented which is strange for such an event. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I vaguely remember the fire. The mention of a cooking range causing the fire (in an recent post) also rings bells. But my biggest flash back is the scaffolding in the arcade next to Woolies.

flying dutchman · Post by **flying dutchman** » Wed 14 Jan, 2009 8:51 pm

electricaldave wrote: Quote: Hi Dave,I am searching for that particular video, I remember I've seen it on the discovery channel or National Geographic. Especially the part about the behaviour of people during a disaster about to happen. Can you tell me whats the name of that video?greets,Jeroen, the Netherlands The one I use is a compilation of several other videos, I don't have the original.However, I spotted this on EBAY,http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Woolworths-traini ... r28401I'll bet you pounds to pence there is some mention of it on there, along with a few other Woolies stores that went up,you could try this from a fire safety message boardThe publications generally used areGMCFS. 1979 Fire Investigation Report F. W. Woolworth & Co… GMCFS, Swinton.JFPC of CFBAC, 1980 Report of the Planning / Legislation sub-committee Home Office Fire Department, LondonFire Service College library has them, but due to staffing and funding cuts (again!) the easiest way to get them from there (unless you bribe Carole!) is to use a local library 'inter-library loan', will cost you about £2, give them the reference and tell them that FSC library has the documents, should be sorted in a couple of days. Thanks Dave!I don't think they have it over here in Holland. I might buy the video, although it is not the one I am searching.I remember an episode on NGC or the discovery channel about this fire. (that's what started my quest..). After this devistating fire the rules concerning regulation and evacuation changed. What interested me the most was the part about 'script thinking'; bodies where found 20 feet from the emergency exit, while they were going for the regular exit instead.. People, when in panic, just don't seem to think anymore and try to get out, the way they got in.Thanks anyway!

eddie666 · Post by **eddie666** » Sat 17 Jan, 2009 7:00 pm

The old woolies is now House of Fraser, I used to work the a few years back and remember seeing old woolies decor in some of the fire exits and stairwells in the back rooms. No-one ever mentioned a fire. Although there was a rumour that the building was haunted by the ghost of a worker that fell from the top floor to the bottom when the escalators were being installed.

MrLovely · Post by **MrLovely** » Wed 11 Mar, 2009 12:29 am

Hello everyone, been reading this place for months now, top stuff. Just to let you know, the woolworths fire in Manchester is mentioned in the episode of Horizon that was screened tonight on BBC2 called "How to Survive a Disaster." You can view it on iplayer at >> http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0 ... _Disaster/ goto about 7 mins in if you want to skip to it

BLAKEY · Post by **BLAKEY** » Wed 11 Mar, 2009 10:51 pm

MrLovely wrote: Hello everyone, been reading this place for months now, top stuff. Just to let you know, the woolworths fire in Manchester is mentioned in the episode of Horizon that was screened tonight on BBC2 called "How to Survive a Disaster." You can view it on iplayer at >> http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0 ... _Disaster/ goto about 7 mins in if you want to skip to it Thanks indeed for this tip MrLovely - a most interesting and very informative programme. Like the chap staying in the hotel I ALWAYS myself suss out the escape route (often totally inadequate) wherever I stay, and before even unpacking my bag. Recently went on a rail tour and stopped in Berlin in a 36 storey, plus casino on top, glass monstrosity - I was allocated a room on the 34 th floor. I went up to examine the circumstances and returned pronto to the reception where they were very obliging and moved me to the 7 th floor. No way would I have stayed any higher if it had meant sleeping on a park bench under a newspaper !! The fire staircase was at one distant end of a badly signposted corridor, and when I opened the door to have a look a howling gale was blowing UP the stairwell and being fed with fresh air by open slats in the windows. I reckon the place would go up like a Roman candle if there was a fire. And to think, the New York twin towers were nearly three times as high.

Post by **chameleon** » Wed 11 Mar, 2009 11:03 pm

Wonder if anyone has ever thought about how they would get out of one of the higher, let alone high, buildings in Leeds if disaster struck Blakey.Looking into such things some years ago for work, I was quite alarmed to find the highest external rescue possible by the Fire & Rescue Service was a mere 110 feet - a little short of the 30+ storeys we have around

BLAKEY · Post by **BLAKEY** » Thu 12 Mar, 2009 12:26 am

chameleon wrote: Wonder if anyone has ever thought about how they would get out of one of the higher, let alone high, buildings in Leeds if disaster struck Blakey.Looking into such things some years ago for work, I was quite alarmed to find the highest external rescue possible by the Fire & Rescue Service was a mere 110 feet - a little short of the 30+ storeys we have around Yes, when I lived in Grayson Heights at Kirkstall the Fire Brigade came to do a "practice rescue" and their power ladder reaches, if I remember rightly, about the ninth storey. However it was "wafting about" so much with the play in the structure that I think they would have had a real job to locate the platform and keep it steady long enough for the rescue from a window. Such a resue, although of course very welcome, would have been a harrowing experience in itself. That particular design of flats have scarcely adequate escape means - there are six flats per floor and only one staircase which is in the middle of the landings. Towards the end of my stay there I actually became really frightened that an escape would be dodgy. Some flats of that design in Leeds are even higher - sixteen storeys at Little London. The flats where I am now are of a far better and pleasanter design - only four per floor, a staicase at each sde of the building, and a balcony on each kitchen so, if its not tempting fate to say so, I think you would be very unliucky to be trapped in these if there was a fire - hopefully anyway, and I never give it a thought these days.

Brandy · Post by **Brandy** » Thu 12 Mar, 2009 12:30 am

BLAKEY wrote: chameleon wrote: Wonder if anyone has ever thought about how they would get out of one of the higher, let alone high, buildings in Leeds if disaster struck Blakey.Looking into such things some years ago for work, I was quite alarmed to find the highest external rescue possible by the Fire & Rescue Service was a mere 110 feet - a little short of the 30+ storeys we have around Yes, when I lived in Grayson Heights at Kirkstall the Fire Brigade came to do a "practice rescue" and their power ladder reaches, if I remember rightly, about the ninth storey. However it was "wafting about" so much with the play in the structure that I think they would have had a real job to locate the platform and keep it steady long enough for the rescue from a window. Such a resue, although of course very welcome, would have been a harrowing experience in itself. That particular design of flats have scarcely adequate escape means - there are six flats per floor and only one staircase which is in the middle of the landings. Towards the end of my stay there I actually became really frightened that an escape would be dodgy. Some flats of that design in Leeds are even higher - sixteen storeys at Little London. The flats where I am now are of a far better and pleasanter design - only four per floor, a staicase at each sde of the building, and a balcony on each kitchen so, if its not tempting fate to say so, I think you would be very unliucky to be trapped in these if there was a fire - hopefully anyway, and I never give it a thought these days. Never mind BLAKEY there's always base jumping lol

BLAKEY · Post by **BLAKEY** » Thu 12 Mar, 2009 8:50 am

"Base jumping" Brandy ?? - sounds interesting, but pardon me whatever is that ??