CN Tower - Safety Features

Safety Features

In August 2000, a fire broke out at the Ostankino Tower in Moscow. It killed three people and caused extensive damage. The fire was blamed on poor maintenance and outdated equipment. The failure of the fire-suppression systems and the lack of proper equipment for firefighters allowed the fire to destroy most of the interior and spark fears the tower might even collapse.

The Ostankino Tower was completed nine years before the CN Tower, and is only 13 metres (44 ft) shorter. The parallels between the towers led to some concern that the CN Tower could be at risk of a similar tragedy. However, Canadian officials subsequently stated that it is "highly unlikely" that a similar disaster could occur at the CN Tower, as it has important safeguards that were not present in the Ostankino Tower. Specifically, officials cited:

• the fireproof building materials used in the tower's construction,
• frequent and stringent safety inspections,
• an extensive sprinkler system,
• a 24-hour emergency monitoring operation,
• two 68,160-litre (15,000-imperial gallon) water reservoirs at the top, which are automatically replenished,
• a fire hose at the base of the structure capable of sending 2725 litres (600 imperial gallons) a minute to any location in the tower,
• a ban on natural gas appliances anywhere in the tower (including the restaurant in the main pod),
• an elevator that can be used during a fire as it runs up the outside of the building and can be powered by three emergency generators at the base of the structure (unlike the elevator at the Ostankino tower, which malfunctioned).

Officials also noted that the CN Tower has an excellent safety record and that there has never been an accidental fire in the tower since it was opened in 1976. Moreover, other supertall structures built between 1967 and 1976 – such as the Willis Tower (formerly the Sears Tower), the World Trade Center (until its destruction on September 11, 2001), the Fernsehturm Berlin, the Aon Center, the John Hancock Center, and First Canadian Place – also have excellent safety records, which suggests that the Ostankino Tower accident was a rare safety failure, and that the likelihood of similar events occurring at other supertall structures is extremely low.