Diploma in Ventilation, Safety and Emergencies in Tunnels
Online postgraduate diploma of 800 hours in tunnel ventilation, safety and emergencies, structured in 8 modules covering tunnel safety regulation under Directive 2004/54/EC, normal ventilation, tunnel fires, safety installations, evacuation and self-rescue, control centre operation and quantitative risk analysis, with an assigned technical tutor.
Take the controls.
Run a real engineering trade-off from this field. Move the sliders, watch the model react in real time and beat the challenge.
What you will be able to do
Apply European and Spanish tunnel safety regulations.
Size normal and emergency ventilation systems.
Analyse fire development and smoke movement.
Design the safety installations of a tunnel.
Plan user evacuation and self-rescue.
Organise operation and emergency response.
Carry out quantitative risk analyses of tunnels.
Who it's for
- Tunnel safety engineers.
- Ventilation engineers.
- Tunnel safety officers.
- Control centre operators.
- Fire protection consultants.
- Building services and installations engineers.
- Engineering or science graduates looking to move into road infrastructure.
What you'll work with
- Directive 2004/54/EC (minimum safety requirements for tunnels in the trans-European road network)
- Royal Decree 635/2006 (Spanish minimum safety requirements for State road tunnels)
- Regulation (EU) 1303/2014 (TSI on safety in railway tunnels)
- NFPA 502 (standard for road tunnels, bridges and other limited access highways)
- EN 12101-3 (smoke and heat control systems — powered smoke and heat exhaust ventilators)
- EN 1363-1 (fire resistance tests — general requirements)
- Royal Decree 393/2007 (Spanish basic self-protection standard)
- PIARC technical reports on tunnel ventilation and safety (World Road Association guidance)
- FDS (Fire Dynamics Simulator)
- PyroSim
- Pathfinder
- IDA Tunnel
- Ansys Fluent
8 modules
1.1Reference accidents in European tunnels1.2Directive 2004/54/EC on road tunnels1.3Royal Decree 635/2006 in Spain1.4TSI on safety in railway tunnels1.5Quantitative risk analysis1.6Classification of tunnels by risk1.7Human factors in emergencies1.8Tunnel safety organisation1.9Duties of the safety officer1.10Workshop: analysis of a historical incident
2.1Pollutants: carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and opacity2.2PIARC technical recommendations2.3Natural ventilation and the chimney effect2.4Longitudinal ventilation with jet fans2.5Transverse and semi-transverse ventilation2.6Air flow rate calculation2.7Pressure losses in the tunnel2.8Automatic ventilation control2.9Energy efficiency of ventilation2.10Practical exercise: longitudinal ventilation calculation
3.1Fire dynamics in confined spaces3.2Heat release rate curves3.3Smoke stratification3.4Critical velocity and backlayering3.5Smoke extraction3.6Fire resistance of the structure3.7RWS and hydrocarbon fire curves3.8Passive protection of the lining3.9Fixed fire-fighting systems3.10Lab: fire simulation with FDS
4.1Normal and emergency lighting4.2Fire detection4.3SOS stations and communications4.4Radio communication and public address4.5Automatic video incident detection4.6Fire water main4.7Safety signage4.8Power supply and uninterruptible systems4.9Closure barriers and traffic lights4.10Case study: equipment for a 2 km tunnel
5.1Emergency exits and cross-passages5.2Refuges and safe areas5.3Distance between exits5.4Evacuation models5.5Human behaviour in fires5.6Evacuation times5.7Persons with reduced mobility5.8Information for users5.9Evacuation in railway tunnels5.10Practical exercise: evacuation simulation with Pathfinder
6.1Tunnel SCADA system6.2Incident response plans6.3Emergency scenarios6.4Coordination with emergency services6.5Traffic management in the tunnel6.6Maintenance of installations6.7Periodic drills with external services6.8Operator training6.9Availability indicators6.10Workshop: script for an emergency drill
7.1Qualitative and quantitative methods7.2OECD/PIARC DG-QRAM model7.3Dangerous goods in tunnels7.4Event trees7.5Risk acceptability criteria7.6Compensatory safety measures7.7Upgrading existing tunnels7.8Independent safety assessment7.9Periodic safety inspections7.10Case study: risk analysis of an urban tunnel
8.1Description of the tunnel under study8.2Applicable regulatory requirements8.3Ventilation system design8.4Design fire scenarios8.5Safety installations8.6Evacuation strategy8.7Risk analysis8.8Self-protection plan8.9Report and presentation8.10Final project: final review with the tutor
How you'll learn
Training is 100% online on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. There are no fixed timetables: you progress at your own pace within the intake, so it can be combined with work.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is FDS (Fire Dynamics Simulator), PyroSim, Pathfinder, IDA Tunnel and Ansys Fluent, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Practical work is based on real procedures: fire and smoke simulations in tunnels, longitudinal ventilation calculations and emergency drills with external services. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final project.
Standards covered: Directive 2004/54/EC, Royal Decree 635/2006, Regulation (EU) 1303/2014, NFPA 502, EN 12101-3, EN 1363-1, Royal Decree 393/2007, PIARC technical reports on tunnel ventilation and safety
Build it end to end
Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.
Where this takes you
Requirements
- Prior technical training or professional experience in the sector. No university degree is required.
- An internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme software.
- English sufficient to read technical standards.
Ready to start?
Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.
Frequently asked questions
The programme totals 800 hours over 6–8 months. You set your own pace within each intake, and your tutor helps you plan the workload around your job.
You work with FDS (Fire Dynamics Simulator), PyroSim, Pathfinder, IDA Tunnel and Ansys Fluent, using free, academic or evaluation versions. Your tutor indicates the free alternative wherever one exists.
A SEIUM Institute diploma, awarded on passing the continuous assessment and the final project. It is SEIUM's own qualification, not an official state degree; its recognition depends on the programme completed and the regulations of each country.
Yes. Modules passed are recognised in a higher programme in the same area (postgraduate diploma or master's). Ask about the recognition policy when you enrol.
Prior technical training or professional experience in the sector (no university degree required), a computer able to run the software and English sufficient to read technical standards.
Start dates are set by SEIUM's faculty for each intake. Our admissions team will confirm the next available date when you apply.
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