On Tuesday 28 November 2023 East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service worked with Veolia South Downs to test emergency procedures and collaborative working between the two organisations in the setting of a real working environment.
Newhaven Energy Recovery Facility processes about half the household waste in the South Downs area.
During the mock training scenario, the Energy Recovery Facility staged a blockage of unburnt products and materials in one of its ash discharger machines, with temperatures reaching as high as 600°C. The fire was contained within the unit, with site personnel following procedures.
The incident assumed that the fans and ventilation system, which normally remove dangerous gases away from the area, had failed. Carbon Monoxide alarms activated and sounded, resulting in the site conducting a full evacuation. To increase the challenge of the scenario, two staff members were reported missing.
Newhaven Firefighter Rickie Botwright, who organised the training event with Veolia, said: “We were really pleased to work with Veolia for this exercise. We wanted to ensure we fully understood the challenges we might face if there was a real fire. It has been a really good example of collaborative working and testing our resilience and preparedness in dealing with an emergency.”
Simon Larbey, General Manager Veolia South Downs said: ‘’Whilst fires caused by items such as batteries and canisters in waste are prevalent in the industry, thankfully this type of incident is very rare which is why the mock training exercise provided an invaluable opportunity to test our preparedness and resilience for a potential emergency at facilities like Newhaven.’’
How you can help
Research shows there have been over 700 fires in recycling or waste lorries and recycling centres over the last year (2022/23), caused by binned batteries across the UK. *
These can be loose batteries or ones hidden in electricals.
Batteries can cause fires if you throw them in your normal recycling or general waste bin – so it is really important to recycle them properly.
Find out more here: https://www.esfrs.org/battery-disposal
Advice and guidance for businesses
Did you know East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service can provide advice and guidance to local businesses? You can find out more about fire safety law and your responsibilities as a business owner or a responsible person at https://www.esfrs.org/workplaces
*Figures obtained from Material Focus (recycleyourelectricals.org.uk)