Waste and recycling sites can present significant fire risks because of the large quantities of combustible materials stored and processed on site. Fires can spread rapidly, burn for prolonged periods, and result in disruption to business operations, environmental damage, and financial loss.
Lithium-ion batteries are an increasing cause of fires within the waste and recycling sector. These batteries are found in everyday items such as mobile phones, electric toothbrushes, power banks, e-bikes, e-scooters, and disposable vapes. If damaged during collection, storage or processing, they can generate intense heat and ignite surrounding waste materials.
Organic waste can also present a fire risk. Heat produced during decomposition may build up within stockpiles, potentially leading to self-heating and combustion if not properly managed.
Waste and recycling sites are generally workplaces and will normally be subject to the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. The Responsible Person must carry out and regularly review a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment and put appropriate general fire precautions in place. Other regulatory requirements, including environmental permitting and health and safety legislation, may also apply.
Reducing the Risk of Fire
Waste site operators should take proactive steps to minimise the risk of fire, including:
- Ensuring your fire risk assessment is up to date, suitable and sufficient.
- Having effective waste acceptance procedures to help identify and manage batteries, hot materials and other potential ignition sources entering the site.
- Limiting waste stockpile sizes.
- Maintaining appropriate separation distances between waste piles.
- Managing how long waste is stored and rotating stock regularly to help prevent heat build-up and self-heating.
- Keeping ignition sources away from combustible materials.
- Inspecting plant, equipment and waste storage areas routinely.
- Using thermal imaging or temperature monitoring where appropriate.
- Having an effective end-of-day close-down procedure, including checking processing and storage areas for signs of heat, smoke or smouldering material and carrying out a fire watch where appropriate.
- Maintaining good housekeeping standards, including removing waste, dust and debris from around plant and equipment.
- Ensuring access routes remain available for emergency vehicles.
- Providing staff with appropriate fire safety training.
Additional Safety Measures
Depending on the nature, risk profile and size of the site, operators should also consider additional measures, including:
Battery Management
- Separating battery-containing waste streams from other combustible materials.
- Providing dedicated battery collection points.
- Ensuring staff can identify and safely manage damaged batteries.
- Displaying clear information for customers on the safe disposal of batteries and electrical items.
Fire Detection
- Thermal imaging cameras.
- Automatic heat and flame detection systems.
- Monitoring of high-risk storage areas.
Fire Suppression
- Fixed fire suppression systems.
- Water cannons or deluge systems where appropriate.
- Assessing the availability and suitability of water for firefighting as part of site emergency planning.
- Providing a suitable quarantine area, where appropriate, so that affected waste can be safely separated from other combustible materials.
Environmental Protection and Firewater
- Considering how firefighting water and contaminated run-off could be contained and prevented from entering drains, watercourses or the wider environment.
- Identifying nearby people, businesses, infrastructure and environmental receptors that could be affected by fire, smoke or contaminated run-off.
- Ensuring relevant drainage, isolation and pollution-control arrangements are incorporated into site emergency planning where appropriate.
Emergency Planning
- Developing and maintaining a suitable emergency plan.
- Ensuring key information about the site, including access routes, waste storage areas, firefighting water supplies and relevant drainage or pollution-control features, is readily available in an emergency.
- Liaising with the Fire and Rescue Service where appropriate, particularly where site-specific risks may affect an emergency response.
- Regularly testing emergency procedures through drills and exercises.