Leeds Beckett University - City Campus,
Woodhouse Lane,
LS1 3HE
Centre for Culture and the Arts
‘Forged by Fire: Burns Injury and Identity in Britain, c.1800-2000’ is a four-year AHRC-funded project, which started in September 2016, bringing together urban and medical historians to research the relationship between fire, burns injuries and social identity in Britain.
What are the effects of burns and scalds on individual and collective identity in a variety of arenas, including the home, workplace and outside, and on various social groups, ranging from young children to the elderly?
The Approach
Our three case study cities are Birmingham, Glasgow and London. We are investigating iconic fatal fires as well as smaller, everyday burning incidents. The project examines the history of burns and fire prevention and protection, which involves researching emergency services and burns treatment, as well as historic prevention campaigns.
The Impact
Through our partnerships with burns charities and fire and rescue services, the team have raised historical awareness of burns injuries in a variety of domains, notably the home.
Through school workshops we have received pledges from students to test their smoke alarms at home and identify escape routes in the event of a domestic fire. Through our policy talks and papers, we have convinced civil servants and senior fire advisers of the merits of taking a historical approach towards addressing the urgent fire problems of today, including high-rise fire safety and the use of sprinklers.
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