COMPANY PROFILE
Used in its simplest format, it is already an effective fire prevention tool. But users can go further and opt for customised alarms which kick in at linked locations – such as the local fire station - whenever a probe encounters an area of concern.
That has the potential to avert disaster, says Longmuir. “Yet sometimes smaller companies don’t think about this kind of system until they are forced to by the authorities or they have a fire.
“During one presentation of the system I gave, I asked the people present if they would consider going on a plane that had no instruments, so the pilot was flying without having all the information they needed,” he adds.
“Of course, they all said 'no'. Yet without this kind of equipment, they were flying their businesses blind. If their place went up in smoke, that’s the business gone for at least six months - maybe more.”
There’s no requirement to send alerts outside the organisation, but the idea appealed to Kent-based Countrystyle Recycling.
The business, recently voted “Best Wood Recycling Business 2019” at the LetsRecycle Awards for Excellence and Recycling, adopted Freeland Scientific’s Wireless Temperature Monitoring System combined with temperature sensing cables for their wood recycling facility in Ridham, Sittingbourne Kent.
The system tracked temperatures straight to the core of stockpiles, sending a first alert to site operators if it encountered dangerous hot spots, which triggers additional monitoring procedures.
If temperatures continue to rise, a second
The system, adds Longmuir, could
hardly be more cost-effective, simple or reliable, which means those regular news headlines of more waste business fires all the more frustrating.
alert is sent to senior management, the Kent Fire and Rescue Service and the Environment Agency. That alarm also acts as a prompt to rotate or dismantle the affected stockpile.
The comprehensive alert system doesn’t just protect, it helps underline Countrystyle’s commitment to the safety and transparency of its procedures – a key aspect of its recent award.
Countrystyle Compliance Director Stuart Butler-Gallie, said: “I am delighted that Countrystyle is leading the way in adopting systems and processes which encompass the Environment Agency’s requirements. I consider Freeland Scientific’s system to be one of the factors which helped ensure that our Fire Prevention Plan (FPP) was approved.”
The tiered alert system also attracted Atlantic Recycling Limited, a large recycling and waste management company based in Cardiff, Wales, and part of Dauson Environmental Group. The business previously relied upon thermal imaging to monitor temperatures at its large materials recycling facility (MRF) and transfer station at their Eco Park facility, which
processes approximately 150,000 tons of waste per year across a 140-acre site. It switched to using Freeland Scientific’s Wireless Temperature Probes after finding the thermal imaging system couldn’t penetrate to the core of waste piles or bales.
Phil Ridley, the Business and development Director, said: “We wanted a temperature monitoring solution that was robust, simple to use, cost-effective and, most importantly, was a solution that provided the protection we required.
“Our Wireless Temperature Probes are able to monitor temperature variations from the centre of our waste piles, therefore providing accurate reliable data. We are quickly alerted to any temperature fluctuations, giving us the ability to act quickly to sudden changes in temperatures.”
The system’s Temperature Dashboard, which illustrates temperatures using a simple colour coded dial system, is installed on his office PC and an operations room monitor, so it can be constantly checked by site staff and security teams.
Annual calibration of the probes – vital to ensure accuracy – is simple thanks to a unique design which connects the temperature sensor to the ‘black box’ using magnets. A spare can be used while the unit is sent back for calibration, meaning there’s no gap in service.
Meanwhile, innovation is continuing with plans for a smartphone app which will enable managers to access the Temperature Dashboard instantly while on the move.
The system, adds Longmuir, could hardly be more cost-effective, simple or reliable, which means those regular news headlines of more waste business fires all the more frustrating.
“It’s a no-brainer,” he adds. “The insurance man doesn’t pay out because you weren’t recording information properly under the terms of your Fire Prevention Plan. You have millions of pounds of problems, your business can’t trade, the authorities step in and say ‘you need to do this and that if you want to continue trading’ and the business goes bust.
“But, if you only had this in place, you wouldn’t have a problem.”
Find out more about Freeland Scientific and smarTprobe at
www.freelandscientific.com
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