Wykes Engineering specialises in the design, manufacture and servicing of specialist equipment for use in waste management, rendering and food processing industries. The company also processes meat waste products that are unfit for human consumption. The meat and bone meal is safely burned off and the energy created is used to power the factory and any excess is sold to the National Grid.
Meat and bone meal products have a tendency to self-heat when stored and fires can be a risk. To complicate matters, such fires respond badly to being treated with water and any run-off could contaminate the water course with contaminants.
So when the company wanted to erect a large new warehouse, more than 200 metres long, to store waste products before processing, they asked Rolton Fire to develop a fire strategy.
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The strategy looked at the risks involved and Associate Director Peter Wilkinson investigated examples of fires in the industry and how fire brigades had dealt with them.
The strategy specified the creation of a large concrete compound where any burning material could be left to cool of of its own accord. He also looked at the likely fire loads and demonstrated that although escape distances in the warehouse were excessive, the escape times were safe and appropriate.
The strategy showed that fire hazards, precautions and management procedures represented a low residual risk from fire or explosion.
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