A Coyle Group consultant spots a dangerous fire hazard and works quickly to stop it becoming a serious incident.
On returning to the site compound after conducting a site walk, the Coyle Group safety officer could smell burning. On investigating the smell, he discovered that it was coming from a smouldering pile of wood ash in the neighbouring yard.
The site compound for the project is attached to a large yard used by various companies. One of the neighbouring companies had created a stockpile of wood ash which with the weather conditions at the time started to re-ignite. The heat generated reached such a temperature that it caused an adjacent pile of pallets to char.
This was seen as a real threat by our safety officer who was concerned about the affect that the heat, smoke, and fumes may have on people, as such he took immediate action.
The owners of the neighbouring yard were contacted out of hours, informed of the issue, and asked to take immediate action. They tackled the pile with a loading shovel with a view to spreading the ash to allow it to cool. As soon as the pile was disturbed, oxygen entered the mix and flames shot from the ash. A water tanker was brought in, and the loader continued to spread the pile to allow the heat to disperse. The ash was kept damp for a few days before the smouldering stopped.
The owners of the neighbouring yard committed to keeping the ash under more strict control and in a safe area away from our compound.
“A positive safety culture is strived for in all our work. Our Safety Officer in this instance acted as soon as he noticed the issue therefore preventing the possibility of human injury and collateral damage” said Thomas Cooper, Coyle Group.
This ash could have created a fire that would have put people’s health at risk and could have caused significant damage to the Wind Farm compound itself. Thanks to Coyle Group’s commitment to health and safety, Douglas West Wind Farm has avoided danger and damage to their site and equipment.