Report on fire in a snow shed near Vegårshei at Sørlandsbanen line on 26 September 2021
Railway report 2023/01
In connection with Bane NOR SF’s rail grinding near Vegårshei station on 26 September 2021, a 50-metre snow shed caught fire and burnt to the ground. The Sørlandsbanen line was closed to traffic for a day and a half for immediate repairs. The NSIA's investigation has shown that the fire was probably caused by sparks or molten slag from the grinding train. When the fire was detected, it was impossible to get to it with the emergency response train's water tank wagon in order to put it out.
It is a well-known fact that such work entails a risk of fire, and snow sheds have caught fire in the past when hot work was carried out in their immediate vicinity. Bane NOR SF therefore stipulates a number of requirements for fire prevention measures, but these requirements were not complied with. The snow sheds on the section in question had not been identified as objects at risk of fire when the work was planned, and consequently no special measures were planned.
The investigation has shown that personnel who carry out rail grinding can find it demanding to comply with the fire prevention requirements, and that this could affect the progress of the work. The time windows available for maintenance work are limited, and there is a wish to use as much as possible of the available time for effective work. Although the service provider Speno International SA carries out the same work, regardless of where in Norway it takes place, it nevertheless varies how the fire prevention requirements are observed in practice. Despite the fact that there was a clear requirement in place for wooden structures to be sprayed with water in advance, the division of responsibilities between the parties appears unclear when it comes to deciding whether to implement preventive spraying.
The NSIA points out that Bane NOR SF does not conduct systematic checks of compliance with its fire prevention requirements. This represents a challenge that Bane NOR SF should prioritise in order to ensure uniformity of understanding and practice.
This is not the first fire of its kind. In 2018, a large snow shed on the Ofotbanen line burnt down following maintenance work. The NSIA therefore submits a safety recommendation to Bane NOR SF concerning dissemination of organisational learning following incidents and accidents to prevent recurrence.
The snow shed after the fire. Photo: Østre Agder fire brigade
Published 03.03.2023
Safety recommendation
Safety recommendation Rail no 2023/01T
In the early hours of 26 September 2021, a wooden snow shed burnt down near Vegårshei on the Sørlandsbanen line. Bane NOR SF was carrying out track maintenance using a rail grinding train, and the fire was probably caused by hot particles from the grinding. No fire prevention measures had been implemented in the snow shed. The risk associated with hot work near wooden structures is known from previous fires, but the organisational learning process has been ineffective.
The Norwegian Safety Investigation Authority recommends that the Norwegian Railway Authority request Bane NOR SF to ensure that the process for disseminating lessons learnt from incidents and accidents functions so that it can help to prevent recurrence.
Facts
| Location | Between Vegårshei and Selåsvatn |
| Occurrence date | 26.09.2021 |
| Type of occurrence | Fire and smoke development |