Page 25 - Hub-4 Magazine issue 68

Mentor Training
Controlling the Risk of Fires on Waste Recycling Facilities
Across many waste recycling facilities in the UK, we see an increasing risk of fires occurring due to the amount of unknown dangerous and harmful substances found amongst everyday waste materials.
These fires can be difficult to extinguish as waste not only contains combustible and flammable items but also chemicals, batteries, diesel, and other harmful substances. Waste fires cause significant environmental harm and direct harm to site staff, the responders, and local communities - an issue we must be continually aiming to reduce.
A recent report has found that lithium-ion batteries are the root cause of approximately 200 waste fires each year. Batteries are contained in everyday items which make it extremely difficult to separate when mixed with general waste materials. These batteries are prone to ignite with no warning – often setting the surrounding combustible material alight resulting in a large site fire.
The Environmental Agency has issued Fire Prevention Plan guidance which applies to operators that accept any amount of combustible waste on their site. This guidance is based around the site meeting three clear objectives:
• Minimising the likelihood of a fire happening
• Aiming for a fire to be extinguished within four hours
• Minimising the spread of the fire within the site and to neighbouring sites
Along with this guidance, WISH (Waste Industry Safety and Health Forum) has also detailed fire risk advice which expands on how this can then be implemented on discussing issues such as the following:
• Main causes of waste fires in the UK • Reducing the risk of fires on site
• Non-compliance with fire guidance • Insurance
• Impact for you and your business
Following the guidance and prevent plans, we can begin to reduce the number of site fires found on waste recycling facilities and provide a safer working environment.
For more information on the training services that we can provide including Fire Safety awareness, contact us on 01246 386900.
Permanent or Electro Overband Magnet selection
The popular Overband Magnet separates ferrous metals from conveyed materials with a magnetic field generated by either permanent magnets or an electromagnetic coil. The two designs suit different applications.
Magnet, which is preferably electromagnetic. The recovery of steel and ferrous metal for recycling is less critical, leading to a permanent Overband Magnet.
Also, long ferrous metal rods and steel beverage cans are easier to separate than small ferrous nuts, etc leading to the use of a permanent Overband Magnet. Electro Overband Magnets are preferable for smaller ferrous metal separation.
Deep burdens of conveyed material mean suspension heights are high, thus needing the strong and deep magnetic forces of an electro Overband Magnet. Permanent Overband Magnet designs producing deep magnetic fields are exceptionally large and heavy, making installation costly and difficult.
For many installations, such as mobile plant, weight is a critical factor and permanent Overband Magnets are generally lighter. The lighter and compact range of ElectroMax Overband Magnets bridge the gap between the permanent and electro Overband Magnets, featuring a stronger magnetic field for enhanced ferrous metals separation.
Permanent Overband Magnets only need power to drive the self-cleaning belt electric or hydraulic motor, compared with an Electro Overband Magnets requiring kilowatts of electrical power to generate the magnetic field.
For applications where the Overband Magnet requires switching off, the only option is the Electro Overband Magnet.
For further information, please contact us on press@buntingeurope.com or visit our website:
Permanent Overband Magnet in a waste recycling plant
Bunting is one of the world’s leading designers and manufacturers of magnetic separators for the recycling and waste industries.
Overband Magnet selection is always application specific and related to the installation as well as the ferrous metal separation objective.
Separating ferrous metal to protect crushers, shredders, and granulators is critical and requires the strongest Overband
www.hub-4.com May-June 21 - Issue 68
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