In June 2014 a set of draft guidelines for fire prevention at waste sites was presented for
consultation. The consultation period was a mere 28 days, giving most trade publication no time to
publicise the news, and therefore limit comment from the trade on the Draft Guidelines.
Now, fires are a serious threat to the waste sector, and waste fires can burn for days, even weeks. The emissions from waste fires are uncontrolled, and the run-off from fire fighting can contaminate groundwater supplies. This is particularly the case with tyre fires, which some say are amongst the most difficult to combat. Anyone who has been to a tyre retreader or a tyre recycler and looked at the nature of the operation can clearly see the fire risks, one would imagine. Heat build up in buffing and shredding equipment, dust accumulation, textile dust in the air, electric motors, sparks from equipment and loading machinery, all this around a product that is largely oil and carbon in its make-up. So, one might expect fires in that scenario.
Read the rest of the article – Issue 2014-3 Page 14 – Click Here
