Literature review and hazard identification relating to fire safety in commercial plastic recycling facilities

Abstract

The fire risks associated with the plastic recycling process has received limited focus to date. The purpose of this article is to investigate available literature on fire incidents, detail the plastic recycling process, identify fire hazards in the plastic recycling process and consider strategies found in literature that have been adopted from research on waste and general recycling facilities. Calculated fire loads may be as high as 20 GJ/m2. Codes and standards in the literature addressing some of these hazards are discussed along with the shortfalls of the guidelines and recommendations. The primary shortfall identified is the impracticality from both a business process and financial perspective. The article concludes by recommending further work in which the hazards identified can be studied and simulated to design against destructive fires in a way that is both practical and financially feasible.