The Clapham Train Accident: Causes, Context and the Corporate Memory Challenge

The Clapham Train Accident was a pivotal point in British railway history, leading to safety improvements and a cautionary tale for safety practitioners. It considers the causes and effects of the accident, including external factors and the lessons learned over thirty years ago.

Format: Hardback
Length: 256 pages
Publication date: 03 October 2023
Publisher: Pen & Sword Books Ltd

Clapham was a pivotal point in British railway history, with a significant amount of technology invented and applied to accident prevention by 1988. However, much more was to come. The Clapham Train Accident takes a broader perspective, examining Clapham in its wider context by using official reports and expert interviews to describe the causes and devastating effects of the tragedy. It goes beyond the railway to consider the external factors affecting British Rail and the government of the time, examining the safety improvements that resulted. The book also brings the story up to date, exploring why the lessons learned over thirty years ago still need to be retained in an industry where safety can be easily overlooked during reorganization, rebranding, and after the departure of those who lived through darker days. The concatenation of events, errors, reorganizations, financial constraints, and other factors that led to Clapham could have happened to any business in any industry. On the morning of 12 December 1988, these factors occurred in the railway industry. The Clapham Train Accident serves as a cautionary tale for safety practitioners of all ages and industries, not just in rail but also in other safety-critical sectors. It helps readers consider the consequences of their actions and make safer decisions, particularly when changing systems, technology, or methods of work.

Weight: 638g
Dimension: 181 x 253 x 29 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781399073028