Following a spate of serious blazes at sites across the country, it has become vitally important that recycling and waste management firms review the precautions they have in place to prevent serious incidents from taking place.
According to the Chief Fire Officers Association (CFOA), there were more than 300 incidents involving recycling sites during 2012. This trend appears to have continued in 2013, with a number of large-scale incidents at recycling plants and waste sites across the UK.
It has become a key priority for all companies in the industry to re-assess their fire prevention systems and to take a closer look at their on-site emergency training to help prevent similar incidents.
The Environment Agency has re-issued guidance urging waste site operators to step up fire prevention measures. It has also warned that any failure to show evidence that measures have been implemented in written procedures could affect annual subsistence fees.
Sites that meet the agencys standards could see a five per cent reduction in these fees. However, poorly-managed sites, with huge stockpiles of materials and no fire breaks, could see them rise by up to 300%.
In addition to the potential loss of materials, machinery and property, an incident of fire can also have a major impact in terms cost, lost profit, ineffective use of management time, loss of productivity and possible damage to reputation.
So what can be done to prevent incidents of fire? While I am not suggesting that the industry isnt already working in these areas, here are some of the things that can be considered practically by site operators.
Risk
As is common in all high-risk industries, there is an acceptance that from time to time incidents, in this case involving fire, will occur. Having trained personnel on site to deal with an incident in its early stages is often invaluable.
There was a time when many hazardous sites would have their own in-house trained fire fighters, fire engine and equipment, but efficiencies and improvements in processes have allowed this practice to be cut back in all but a few industries.
Recycling firms need to be able to show that they understand the specific risks of the materials stored on site, and the emergency response that would be required to effectively deal with that risk.
While the emergency services are excellent at what they do, many recycling fires require specialist equipment to combat the blaze due to the nature of the materials involved. Having this specialist capability on hand can be crucial in reducing the time a fire has to develop.
Effective maintenance of equipment and organisation of materials is also key to reducing risk. Machinery should be kept clear of any obstructions, with particular care paid to combustible materials and any metal obstructions that could result in hot spots being created.
Storage
Care should be taken to minimise the risk of stored materials catching light, and the potential for any fire that does start to spread. Products should be stored in an environment that does not promote combustion, and effective segregation of products should be implemented to contain a potential outbreak of fire.
The once prohibitive cost of retro-fitting sprinklers has been steadily decreasing, and they are reaching a point where they can prove a more cost effective method of fire prevention when compared with other options. Whilst sprinklers are not there to extinguish a fire, they fulfil the crucial role of preventing it developing, meaning that the emergency services arrive to a small, contained incident rather than a well-established fire.
Finally, have a fire safety specialist support the production of an effective Fire Risk Assessment. Putting an effective Fire Risk Assessment together will ensure that businesses are on the right track from the start.
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