Tyre industry specific Fire Prevention Plans launched

Following four years of consultation, the Tyre Recovery Association (TRA) has published its tyre industry specific Fire Prevention Plan (FPP). Having worked alongside the Environment Agency (EA) to address the need to store a diverse range of materials in various grades, each with differing combustibility, burn rates and fire risk, across widely differing sites, the TRA’s FPP will meet the objectives of the Environment Agency Fire Prevention Plan Guidance Version 3. Specifically, this means: Preventing a fire; Extinguishing of a fire; and minimising the impact of a fire. The industry-specific Fire Prevention Plan was launched by Peter Buckley, senior fire advisor, Environment Agency.

To achieve those objectives, applicant’s specific circumstances must be detailed. For example, the site’s location and its proximity to other buildings, the type of tyre waste being handled and the fire suppression systems in place. Equally, seasonality of waste volume must be taken into consideration and the duration the waste will be stored.

However, there is some flexibility under exceptional circumstances. Should an applicant want to rely on alternative measures to meet the objectives of the FPP guidance, for example departing from the stack sizes set out in the guidance (which have been stipulated at a maximum four metres high and 20 metres wide by the EA), the measures proposed, and their effectiveness, need to be justified and evidenced. Other solutions such as fire walls and/or high-tech infra-red could help recovery business comply with the guidance in a different way.

Firefighting water requirements are another example of how creative thinking can result in alternative compliance arrangements. The guidance stipulates 2000 l/min for 3 hours, which is a lot, but again are there any other creative and/or technological solutions?

Where an applicant proposes to change one of the measures set out in the guidance, the applicant will also need to explain how this might impact on other measures, and whether that impact means that other measures also need to be adjusted in order to meet the objectives.

It should also be pointed out that FPPs are site-specific and the very tightest level of detail might be different in north and south, for example, owing to different locations and amenities.

Peter Taylor OBE, Secretary General of the TRA, said: “It is with great delight that we are able to confirm an EA-approved FPP for the tyre recovery industry, which takes into account the specific requirements and circumstances we face. The result is a viable solution suitable for the real-world business of tyre recovery while meeting the requirements of achieving the EA’s objectives in preventing and mitigating waste fires. It is another key step forward for the sector in England and one which the TRA is proud to have taken on behalf of the industry.”

An approved Fire Prevention Plan (FPP) is one of the key elements required of those operating a waste tyre facility.