Ocado automated/robotic warehouse fire (UK) 8

[tygerdawg]

I caught the slightest whiff of information about this on another discussion forum.

The comments from the other forum indicated this facility is a highly automated warehouse distribution center with autonomous robots. A fire started, spread quickly with robots moving at rapid speed, and the facility made for robots and not necessarily humans. Apparently despite being heavily sprinklered, the place burned to the ground.

Details I have found are sketchy:

https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-47160448

https://www.ifsecglobal.com/fire-ne...new-fire-protection-complexities-says-expert/

Would any of our colleagues from Across The Pond care to provide enlightenment?

TygerDawg
Blue Technik LLC
Virtuoso Robotics Engineering

http://www.bluetechnik.com

 

[thebard3]

I hope there are some security videos yet to be released, showing robots delivering stuff on fire all over the place.

Brad Waybright

It's all okay as long as it's okay.

 

[KoachCSR]

I wouldn't be surprised if this incident drives a new standard or series of standards from NFPA regarding facilities or occupancies designed exclusively for robots. Living in the future is fascinating.

 

[RVAmeche]

That's an interesting problem. Assuming the sprinkler system worked as intended (as indicated in the articles), I'll be curious to see what the cause of fire was and why it spread so quickly/wasn't suppressed. I wonder if the individual robots have a smoke sensor to detect fire and shutdown to avoid rapidly spreading the fire.

 

[JAE]

Names of deceased robots are being withheld pending notification of next of kin.

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[dgallup]

All gave some, some gave all. RIP robots.

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[thebard3]

Since there was obviously a fire detection system, it would seem prudent that all robots in a fire zone would stop motion. I believe that should have been obvious to the designers.

Brad Waybright

It's all okay as long as it's okay.

 

[JAE]

Fortunately nobody was hurt.

Except the robots.

"One of the pitfalls of a robot-only workplace: they can't smell the smoke when said workplace is on fire," wrote one commenter.

Apparently this warehouse didn't use union robots, who have been fitted with robotic noses...

https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/nze7ek/robots-can-smell-now

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[JAE]

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[1gibson]

I guess you might not think to tell a robot it shouldn't deliver a package that's on fire...

 

[stevenal]

We need to go back to the three laws of robotics.

 

[epoxybot]

Too many eggs in one basket?

Think about all those polyethylene bins melting and burning like diesel fuel and the batteries for the robots. Unless the sprinkler system is using a special extinguishing agent, it isn't likely to do much. The high stack nature of the combustibles would make it difficult to get extinguishing media where it is needed.

700 people lost their jobs & cars aparently. Luckily for Ocado, they opened an even larger 200,000 order facility in the 3rd quarter of last year.

 

[SnTMan]

Oh! The machinery...

The problem with sloppy work is that the supply FAR EXCEEDS the demand

 

[Comcokid]

I think the investigation will find there were insufficient exits with the burned robots jam-packed at the few that were available.

 

[itsmoked]

You guys crack me up.

It really would be spectacular to see the video of that evolving disaster.
I wonder if the robots started moving faster in an ant-like frenzy to complete their tasks.

Keith Cress
kcress -

http://www.flaminsystems.com

 

[Pud]

There's a video on the BBC youtube channel. I assume it's not regional specific. Search for 'Ocado fire Andover'.

www.tynevalleyplastics.co.uk

Politicians like to panic, they need activity. It is their substitute for achievement.

 

[itsmoked]

Thanks PUD! It was fascinating/mesmerizing watching the swarm.

Keith Cress
kcress -

http://www.flaminsystems.com

 

[EdStainless]

I worked in a large warehouse once, and the stock and retrieve were all automated.
We built fire resistant partitions in the building so that any incident could be contained.
And our fire suppression was closer to deluge than sprinkler, we handled a lot of flammable stuff.
And our system was tied into the fire detection/suppression system.
If the heat or smoke sensors tripped the machines in that zone simply stopped where they were, and machines in other zones all went 'home'.
This was 40 years ago .....


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P.E. Metallurgy, Plymouth Tube

 

[miningman]

Well as someone told me a good few years ago, there hasnt been a system yet , built by man , that hasn't or couldn't fail. Chernoble, Fukishima ,
the Space shuttle should be enough to convince anyone of that idea.

I suspect that with todays technology there probably exists an attitude of " that was then , today we know so much more and our computers say.....",


I suspect there was a complete absence of risk analysis in the design of this plant. and I suspect there wasnt anybody old enough to even ask " What if such and such event occurred?

Old lessons have to be relearned by every generation

 

[JohnRBaker]

As someone who has experienced first hand what it's like to be standing in a warehouse, under a sprinkler head when it goes off, and this was in Connecticut in the Winter so the water was ice cold, I can feel for what it must have been like for the robots ;-)

For details as to the circumstances of this event, go to:

https://www.eng-tips.com/viewthread.cfm?qid=427490

John R. Baker, P.E. (ret)
EX-Product 'Evangelist'
Irvine, CA
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