Re: I remember when the pier used to catch fire daily...

Weston's Grand Pier - the fire and the future

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24/03/2009, 7:47 PM

SnowMan is not online. Last active: 09/09/2009 23:56:11 SnowMan

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I remember when the pier used to catch fire daily...

Yes i worked on the Grand Pier for 5 years and during some of the very long hot summer months we had to mount patrols of people constantly walking around the Pier armed with fire extinguishers putting out flash fires. What was happening was general paper rubbish that got dropped on the floor would get jammed in between the wooden floor boards, this would then dry out very rapidly. Then any time between 12noon and 5pm all it would take is someone putting out a cigarette on the floor (or maybe just by heat alone) to start a line of fire racing up the length on the floorboard.
Maybe this is something that should be considered when choosing a new design for the Pier.

Id rather a full bottle in front of me than a full frontal lobotomy.

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25/03/2009, 9:41 AM

the uncle is not online. Last active: 29/08/2009 06:43:02 the uncle

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Re: I remember when the pier used to catch fire daily...

Maybe smoking should be banned outside on the pier too in addition to inside the new pavilion which it would be anyway.

It wouldn`t stop the sun reflecting off of tin foil and such like but it would certainly go a long way to resolving the issue.

It`s interesting what you say SnowMan I have never thought of that happening daily before nor seen any of the "fire patrols".

I did work in a place once though years ago that did allow smoking but not for the last halfhour to allow for any possible fires to be noticed before we all went home.

An outright smoking ban on the pier is the way to go I think....I cant stand the smell too, even outside, so would welcome it from that point aswell, but I expect a ban would upset some.

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25/03/2009, 12:35 PM

SnowMan is not online. Last active: 09/09/2009 23:56:11 SnowMan

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Re: I remember when the pier used to catch fire daily...

It didn't happen often but im sure there's others out there that can confirm the problem.

It would be unfair to blame it on smoking alone and i doubt very much if banning smoking alone would solve the problem. The problem is the flammable wooden decking shrinking due to the constant bombardment of salt water, rain,frost and sun which then allows litter to become jammed in between the floorboards. For a while i used to have to sweep the causeway every day and (with a broom .. groan) and it didn't make any difference how clean you had it before the place opened it would be all jammed up with litter by the next morning.

I realize that the majority of people would like to see a traditional wooden decked pier and i'm sure it would be the cheapest option to go with but as history has shown twice now its also potentially the most dangerous to the members of the public. I would suggest that the whole concept of a Pier type structure just to house a bunch children's mini rides and slot machines is a major accident just waiting to happen. A fire at the front pavilion at low tide would be disastrous. due to 4ft of mud surrounding the entire area that would need to be evacuated. Safely removing anyone injured and quickly would be almost impossible. Like i said i realize this will be a unpopular opinion among the pro-victorians but we have to put the safety of the cash paying public first when looking at a replacement.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/october/7/newsid_3151000/3151625.stm

Id rather a full bottle in front of me than a full frontal lobotomy.

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26/03/2009, 6:12 AM

Sean Miller is not online. Last active: 24/02/2010 05:50:48 Sean Miller

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Re: I remember when the pier used to catch fire daily...

but as history has shown twice now its also potentially the most dangerous to the members of the public

Not quite sure that it was the decking at fault last summer, was it? Had the flooring been solid would it have really made any difference? Surely the pavilion would still have burned?

but we have to put the safety of the cash paying public first when looking at a replacement

I think it's all moved beyond "looking at a replacement" - the designs have been finalised, the tendering process for the building has begun etc. etc.

Sprinklers, or lack thereof, were certainly partly responsible for what happened.

As for litter getting jammed in between boards, perhaps that should be attacked from the other direction -- why does there need to be so much litter? Perhaps they should evaluate just how food and drink sold on the pier is packaged, ensure that there are gratuitous numbers of bins and reserve the right to evict people from the pier if seen dropping litter.

Sean

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26/03/2009, 1:16 PM

the uncle is not online. Last active: 29/08/2009 06:43:02 the uncle

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Re: I remember when the pier used to catch fire daily...

The pier decking probably did play no part in the fire,but I think the point is that "once bitten twice shy".All possible fire prevention methods must now be taken into account.And that`s why I (after SnowMan pointed out other possible dangers) think a complete smoking ban should now apply on the pier.Smoking afterall is a major fire hazard anywhere ,but on a place that`s just burnt down there`s no point in asking for trouble.

I`d be surprised too if the new presumably much higher insurance allowed smoking anywhere on the pier anyway.

As for litter, yes by all means have more bins and maybe less packaging on fast food ,but some people unfortunately couldn`t care less and just chuck things down willy nilly. Not just kids either, which makes it worse,as adults should be setting an example.

The other thing is all those extra bins are a potential fire risk by equally irresponsible people tossing still burning cigarette ends into them. I put out a smouldering burning bin last summer in Salisbury with a half drunk coke can,so it does happen.

I know all the smokers will cry civil liberties and all that,but surely people can refrain from having a puff for just the short time while visiting the pier.

I use to smoke many years ago and I think I would have been happy then to not smoke while visiting a place that had recently burnt down if they had new rules in place and would have seen the sense of them too.

PS

I have since thought about what pier workers who smoke would do in the event of a complete ban and think they would most certainly have legally recognised breaks so could pop off for a fix during those times.It shouldn`t take long to hitch a free ride on the pier train to the sea front just outside the entrance and for the ones who work at the landward end even quicker.

Where I work people can only smoke during their breaks,but I know at some places smokers skive off for a crafty puff in work time.That couldn`t be done on the pier obviously as they would be gone too long.

There is another alternative of course for them and a pier smoking ban could provide just the incentive....A lot healthier too!

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