A video has been released online by Bristol Waste to show the dangers of incorrectly disposing of batteries. It shows an "explosive" fire that broke out at the Albert Road depot in summer.
In the footage, a worker can be seen just feet away from the teal-coloured waste baler as flames suddenly appear. The camera capturing the footage appears to shake from the force of the explosion as the fire begins to spread and debris shoots up and falls back onto the floor.
Craig Powell, contract manager in processing for Bristol Waste, was on site when the fire broke out. He said: “We heard the explosion, which is when you see the debris fly in the air, within seconds there were flames.
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"We we’re lucky with this one, the fire systems we have in place ensured it was controlled before it became too big. However, these types of fires, if we were on a residential street, could cause untold damage.
"People think because they are empty or flat, canisters and batteries are safe, but they act like little bombs, which are surrounded by dry flammable recycling – it’s really dangerous. But keeping us all safe is simple, just separate your batteries and places them in a clear, untied bag in your black recycling box, and take cannisters to the recycling centre.”
Bristol Waste says that back-up was called - arriving in 90 seconds - as smoke is seen starting to drift across the screen in the footage. As inspections are taking place, a second explosion happens which looks to be somewhat larger than the previous one.
A far larger fire can then be seen, but thankfully the 'fire suppression system' (which works either by cooling, smothering, starving or by interrupting the combustion process to extinguish the fire) acts quickly to effectively reduce it.
However it doesn't stop there; the fire continues - albeit smaller - as the bales continue to be fed through.
According to Bristol Waste, the fire was "caused by a gas canister that was incorrectly disposed of amongst the household recycling". Bristol Waste says it has seen a rise in instances of fires, seven in 2022, all caused from flammable items being wrongly put in the recycling.
Steve Quinton, Risk Reduction Area Manager at Avon Fire & Rescue Service, said: “Lithium-ion batteries are found in many of our everyday household items, such as phones, laptops and even e-cigarettes. While these batteries are not dangerous when used properly, they can present a significant risk if they are not disposed of correctly.
“We’d encourage you to follow the advice from Bristol Waste and dispose of your batteries safely, to keep yourselves and those working at our recycling centres safe from fire. Remember, in an emergency, always call 999.”
Correct disposal
According to Bristol Waste, batteries and gas cannisters should never be put in the wheelie bin but should instead be placed in a clear bag and put in the black recycling box. It is also asking for people to check for ‘hidden batteries’ inside small electrical items such as disposable e-cigarettes, toothbrushes, shavers, chargers and toys.
It advises: "Batteries in these items need to be removed, or if not possible, place the items in a separate, clear, untied bag and place with the black recycling box for collection as a small electrical item (sometimes referred to as WEEE; waste electrical and electronic equipment)."
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