TRA announces tyre industry specific Fire Prevention Plans

After nearly 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 (hereafter referred to as the Guidance)

• Preventing a fire
• Extinguishing of a fire
• Minimising the impact of a fire

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.

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.

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.