Disaster Series 1 (6 Episodes)

Synopsis

The first series examines six of the world’s most dramatic technological disasters, using original BBC footage, recreations and interviews with key decision-makers. Their powerful and detailed approach provides an effective health & safety training resource.

Language

English

Country

Great Britain

Year of production

1997

Notes

Broadcast on BBC2 from 9/1/97.

Subjects

Engineering; Environmental science; Health & safety

Keywords

accident investigation; air crashes; environmental disasters; oil platforms; organophosphates; radioactivity; sheep; shipwrecks; submarines

Credits

Producer

Bryn Higgins

Cast

John Nettles

Distribution Formats

Type

DVD

Price

£195 each or £750 series

Availability

Sale

Duration/Size

6 x 30

Year

2007

Type

VHS

Price

£195 each or £750 series

Availability

Sale

Duration/Size

6 x 30 minutes

Year

2007

Sections

Title

Spiral to disaster

Synopsis

1: Events surrounding the explosion of the oil rig 'Piper Alpha' on the night of 6 July 1988, with 167 men killed. Uses archive footage, interviews with safety experts and re-enactments to examine events during one crucial hour and demonstrates that there

Title

Unflyable plane, The

Synopsis

2: The crash of a United Airlines DC-10 in the USA in July 1989 with 296 people on board, in which the tail engine blew apart at 37,000 feet. Reconstructs the pilots' struggle to control the plane using transcripts of cockpit recordings and archive footag

Title

Goiana incident, The

Synopsis

3: Contamination resulting from a theft from a disused clinic in Goiana, Brazil in September 1987. The stolen X-ray unit contained highly radioactive caesium-137 crystals.

Title

Atlantic

Synopsis

4: The mental and physical pressures on a couple sailing in the Atlantic from Bermuda to New York in July 1989 after their boat sank in a storm.

Title

Chemical scythe, The

Synopsis

5: Looks at the link between organophosphate chemicals commonly used for sheep dipping and nerve gas. Features animal health inspector Peter Tyrer, who has been unable to work since 1994 and is investigating the chemicals.

Title

October fire

Synopsis

6: Events following the explosion in October 1986 of the Soviet nuclear submarine K219 in the Atlantic off the USA coast. Classified documents are used in the reconstruction of the three-day struggle by its crew to prevent a nuclear disaster.

Production Company

Name

BBC Television

Distributor

Name

BBC Active Video for Learning - now BBC Learning

Contact

Carolina Fernandez Jeremy Wilcox (CF - for educational enquiries JW - channel sales manager)

Email

BBCStudiosLearning@bbc.com

Web

https://www.bbcstudioslearning.com/ External site opens in new window

Phone

+44 (0) 20 8433 1009

Address

BBC Studios Limited
Television Centre
101 Wood Lane
London
W12 7FA
UK

Notes

The BBC Active company has now been absorbed within BBC Learning, a division of BBC Studios. It was originally a joint venture between BBC Worldwide and Pearson Education. Formerly known as ‘BBC Worldwide Learning Studies’ and before that as ‘Videos for Education & Training’