Science & Technology
Published: January 9, 2025 | Updated: 9th January 2025
Waste management operators are at risk of having insurance cover withdrawn if they don’t embrace fire suppression technology solutions, a recent summit in Portsmouth heard.
The costly impact of fires caused by exploding lithium-ion batteries, and what to do about the problem, led the agenda at a special open-discussion event.
It was hosted by Portsmouth waste management service provider TJ Group alongside engineering solutions firm Barnbrook Systems and its collaborator Flair, a tech innovator.
TJ has been championing the cause since a major blaze at its Tipner site – where work is currently underway to rebuild the £1.5 million materials recovery facility – was linked to a lithium-ion battery explosion.
Together, the three businesses invited operatives in the UK’s waste and recycling sectors to hear in person what lessons could be drawn from the fire, which had broken out in the early hours.
Andrew Barnett, managing director of Fareham-based Barnbrook Systems, said: “What became clear in today’s on-site meeting is that it can only be a matter of time before fire insurance cover is withdrawn if operators cannot prove they’re deploying containment systems for used batteries in transportation and storage.
“It’s all about improving risk management with batteries, with thought-provoking discussions on the use of cannons, fire and heat detection, nanotechnology and wetting agents to suppress fires before they endanger the lives of workers and emergency responders and cause costly property damage.”
TJ’s managing director John Gosling chaired the meeting, held outside the new waste transfer facility – due to open in early January.
“While fire detection systems worked at the Tipner site, it was too late because thermal runaway had already taken place from a lithium-ion battery buried in tons of waste, which in turn caught the roof material alight,” he said.
“In line with latest best practice, we’re installing a new range of measures, including thermal imaging technology and flame sensors, and will be trialling the E:BAG, which is an innovative product by Barnbrook Systems in conjunction with Flair.
“It’s very much the hope of today’s attendees that regulators and industry can tackle the pressing issue of discarded batteries and how to transport and store them.
“To give scale to this problem, there are reportedly 360 million single-use vapes sold every year in the UK, and many of them are being not disposed of safely even though they are electrical waste because of the lithium-ion batteries inside.”
The E:BAG, as well as the larger E:BIN and E:CRATE, allows batteries or their parent devices – such as vapes, mobile phones and laptops – to be safely isolated and dealt with if overheating, smoking or on fire.
This week the device featured on BBC’s The One Show, which draws nearly three million viewers every night.