WASTE RECYCLING
Fire prevention in waste transfer stations – ensuring compliance
By James Mountain, Director of Fire Shield Systems Ltd
WASTE transfer stations carry a particularly high fire risk, due to the readily combustible matter and vast range of materials often stored within them.
The UK fire services are called to around 300 fires in waste sites per year. As a result, it’s vital more rigorous controls are put in place to prevent fires and – in the event a fire does break out – to mitigate downtime and the impact on employee and environmental health. With over two thirds of waste operators affected by fires in some way, its essential waste transfer stations have clear fire prevention measures in place.
The evident risk of fires facing waste transfer stations has drawn the attention of The Environment Agency (EA), resulting in more stringent regulations, to ensure greater fire prevention on these sites. Waste transfer stations with limited fire protection procedures in place may be subject to fines and inflationary insurance premiums due to a lapse in regulation compliance. To ensure compliance, waste operators must obtain an environmental permit by submitting a fire prevention plan (FPP) to the EA for approval.
Requirements of an FPP An FPP must detail all activities carried out on site, the risks they bring and any other possible causes of fire within the site. It must also contain explicit details of the site plan, including a map.
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What can waste transfer stations do to ensure compliance? In addition to submitting an FPP and securing a permit, there are other, practical steps that can be taken to ensure compliance, avoiding prosecution or financial sanctions from the EA or insurance bodies:
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Managing the common causes of fire
Common causes of fire, such as electrical faults, lithium batteries or even arson, can be controlled to mitigate the risk of fire. Waste transfer stations should carry out regular risk assessments and carry out the recommendations from these to reduce the risks they face.
Preventing self-combustion Waste heats naturally overtime,
meaning long periods of storage can result in self-combustion. Storage time should be controlled to reduce the temperature of waste piles rising and temperatures should be continuously monitored to reduce the risk of overheating.
Managing waste piles Waste piles must be managed to
reduce the possibility of fire spreading across a site. This includes ensuring they don’t exceed the maximum legal size – 20 metres by four meters and a distance of at least six metres is present between combustible waste piles. If this distance isn’t possible, fire walls and bays should
be used to prevent the spreading of fire between waste piles.
Fire detection, alarm and suppression systems should be included within a fire risk assessment and detailed in a site’s FPP. Your fire detection and suppression system should be tailored to your site’s individual needs to ensure protection is effective and fit for purpose.
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Waste transfer stations must ensure they are compliant with the standards outlined by the EA to avoid prosecution and mitigate the risk of inflationary insurance premiums. Appropriate fire protection measures not only reduce the risk of prosecution, they also protect assets, human life and the environment.
For more information on ensuring compliance with the EA’s standards or to book your free site survey today, visit
www.fireshieldsystemsltd.co.uk
Fire detection and suppression systems
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