Fire Hazards from self-heating at Composting and Waste Processing Sites

Fires involving materials being stored or processed in bulk can have severe impacts on the local communities and the environment. It is important that site managers at municipal recycling facilities (MRFs) are aware of all the potential fire hazards that exist on their sites in order for them to produce a comprehensive fire safety plan and an effective risk assessment. This article is intended to highlight the potential fire hazards that exist on sites that handle large quantities of combustible waste, focussing particularly on the hazards arising from selfheating leading to spontaneous combustion. It does not cover hazardous waste disposal facilities. The focus of this article is to outline common fire problems in material stockpiles. A future article will discuss fire risks from waste processing at MRFs.