Fire service measures
measures are put in place to significantly reduce the risk of falling victim to what can prove to be a devastating and potentially business destroying incident. Common causes of fires and fire spread at waste sites include obvious sources such as discarded smoking materials, hot works, electrical faults, leaks and spillages of oils and fuels, and on occasion, deliberate ignition. However, one of the main causes of waste
fires is self combustion, which can occur frequently under certain conditions. A series of scientific tests took place in October 2017, coordinated by the NFCC Waste Fires Group and International Fire Consultants (IFC), into waste fires and their causes (you can read more about this in ‘Testing a theory’, starting on p24). Mark Andrews, assistant chief fire officer of East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service, and chair of the NFCC Waste Fires Group, explains: ‘What we found from the scientific research and testing is that when you have a large pile of material – as is common at waste and recycling plants – and it is left for a period of time, certain reactions begin to take place. ‘The material self-heats and begins to
generate heat at a faster rate than it can be lost to the environment. The insulation effect of bulk storage enables temperatures deep within the waste pile to rise dramatically over time. Sooner or later, unless the waste pile is effectively managed, this is going to self-ignite and result in a serious fire.
‘There are two types of reaction that occur within rubbish piles – biological and chemical – but ultimately it will turn into a chemical reaction, and that’s when you get much higher temperatures in excess of 1,000°C. The difficulty we have in dealing with such fires is that the pile forms a mantle core that protects itself with a crust. This means that you cannot simply pour water onto the rubbish pile as it doesn’t penetrate the core, and therefore is ineffective in tackling the fire.’
Permits and plans
MFRS has worked closely with companies across Merseyside to provide them with the information and advice they need for the practical application of improved fire safety measures. This helps ensure that waste and recycling companies can themselves prevent, protect and, in the case of a fire, reduce its impact on the wider environment. All of this works well with responsible site
operators; however, those in the industry who are less willing to adhere to fire safety regulation are at the forefront of our risk based inspection regime, under which fire officers work with other regulators to hold those responsible to account and, where appropriate, they will not hesitate to take enforcement action. Naturally, as lead regulator for the waste
industry, the EA has had a large part to play in this. As part of the requirements for an environmental permit, the EA requires operators
FOCUS
www.frmjournal.com NOVEMBER 2018
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