Reducing the risk of Uncontrollable Fires and Toxic Smoke in Waste and Recycling Facilities

摘要

Fires in landfills, transfer stations or recycling facilities can be incredibly hazardous for both the on site operators and the environment. Fires are invariably resource intensive, long duration jobs with the potential to create significant interference and detriment to normal community activity, including public health issues. Together with external ignition sources, self-combustion, (heat development due to pressure) and spontaneous chemical reactions between the disposals and methane gas-building are all potential fire creators and concerns at these plants. In May 2015 a major fire started at the Wingfield Recycling Depot in South Australia, the fifth fire at this facility in 18 months. John Fetter, SA Waste Industry Network secretary told the ABC "This has happened one too many times and we're concerned about the health and wellbeing of our employees who work around the site and the local residents as well, and it's just got to stop." The cause of the fire from 18 months ago is still being investigated and the measures implemented so far have not prevented the most recent fire, which was still burning 2 days after it started.