Health & Safety Laboratory
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The Health and Safety Laboratory (HSL). Is Britain's leading industrial health and safety facility with over 30 years of research experience across all sectors.
Operating as an agency of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). HSL support their mission to protect people's health and safety by ensuring risks in the changing workplace are properly controlled.
HSL employs over 400 people. Some of which include; Scientists, engineers, psychologists, social scientists, health professionals and technical specialists.
Their facilities include the biggest impact track in Europe. One of the largest open air test ranges in the country. Two large tunnels for studies of explosions and fires. A purpose-built jet fire facility. Drop weight facility. A temporary structures rig and wire rope fatigue testing equipment.
HSL occupies the former RAF Harpur Hill, (Once the biggest ammunitions dump in europe) in Buxton. Spanning virtually all of the 550 acre site.
There is also a mock up of Kings Cross Tube Station on the site which is used to simulate Tube disasters and fires.
We have made a few trips to Harpur Hill over the past year or so exploring different sections of the site. Our first visit was to explore the still visible WWII ammunitions magazines which still litter the site.
Our second visit was to explore the simulation tunnels over on the main HSL site. Where we came across a Chieftan Armoured Tank named "Avril" which was built at the Royal Ordnance Factory at Leeds.
Our final visit was to explore the London Tube Trains that were hidden away deep in the heart of the 550 acre site.
Finding them proved no problem and it made for and interesting hour of exploring these steel beasts. There are two trains, both from the London Jubilee Line laid up on purpose built sets of tracks.
The trains are covered in Grafitti but this really does add to there character. There used by the HSL for various tests and simulations for the London Underground.
The HSL site really is and interesting one and has many things to see .From Tube trains to a Tank, to WWII ammo magazines to tunnels and a fuel dump. There is also evidence bags from disasters in certain sections of the site including the Corus Steel explosion of blast furnace 5 from 2001.
