Blown foam argument rears its head again.
The controversy over the processing and disposal of “blown foam” which we first covered back in
October of last year continues to rage on as the subject makes the news in the Sunday Herald. It appears that this is one problem that just won’t go away.
Following our recent decision to use Twitter to spread the word about the latest news here on Demolition News, we’re delighted to announce that our number of followers is growing slowly but surely.
The latest to join us is Richard Dolman, subject of an article in our first magazine and newly-elected to the board of the National Demolition Training Group.
Welcome all.
What is Anthrax
Anthrax is primarily a disease of herbivores (plant eating animals). Humans contract it as a result of contact with infected animals or animal products, or from materials infected with Bacillus anthracis spores (the causing organism).
In humans, the disease takes one of three forms, depending on the route of infection. Cutaneous anthrax, which accounts for more than 95% of cases world-wide, results from infection through breaks in the skin; intestinal anthrax results from ingestion of spores, usually in infected meat; and pulmonary anthrax results from inhalation of spores.
Cutaneous Anthrax Explained
Cutaneous anthrax usually occurs through contamination of a cut or abrasion, although in some countries biting flies may also transmit the disease. The first sign of an athrax infection is a small painless inflamed swelling like a pimple or boil.
Intestinal Anthrax Explained
Intestinal anthrax is similar to cutaneous anthrax but occurs on the surface lining of the intestines where the cells absorb nutrients. As in cutaneous anthrax, the organisms probably invade the lining through a pre-existing cut. Generally disease develops when the organisms spread from the lining lesion to the lymphatic system. This form of the disease is extremely rare Britain.
Pulmonary Anthrax Explained
In pulmonary anthrax, inhaled spores multiply to cause disease that affects the entire body instead of a specific organ. This is an occupational disease encountered in industries in which the workers are exposed to high levels of spores in dust, particularly in the leather and woollen industries.
Gastrointestinal and pulmonary anthrax, although exceedingly rare, are both more dangerous than the cutaneous form because they are usually identified too late for treatment to be effective.
Anthrax in construction and demolition
Animal hair has been used as an ingredient in internal plasters for centuries. The best hair was obtained fresh from the tanners yard. Controls for the prevention of anthrax have existed since 1919; however, there is no guarantee that hair in plaster used before 1900 was not contaminated in the construction industry.
In reality, the risk of developing an anthrax relating infection is low so long as suitable and sufficient risk assessments and management plans are adhered to. A risk assessment is required under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH regulations) and should include but not be limited to:
• Cover cuts and abrasions
• Keep hands clean
• Wear suitable personal protective equipment (e.g. disposable gloves, overalls and dust masks)
• Prohibit smoking and consumption of food and drink
• Ensure plaster is handled and disposed of in accordance with local and statutory controls and dust generation is minimised
• Personnel informed of the risk and the risk management system.
Riverside can recommend a range of procedures designed to effectively reduce the risk of anthrax related infections. For free advice, guidance and to arrange testing of plaster please contact us on 0870 950 0161 or email info@riversideenvironmental.co.uk.
And so it continues. The recession that has claimed countless jobs at manufacturers including Caterpillar and JCB has now bitten a chunk out of Volvo Construction Equipment’s workforce, as UK trade magazine Contract Journal reports.
6 March 2009 is set to be one of the most important dates in the recent history of the National Federation of Demolition Contractors.
The Federation’s Annual General Meeting will take place in London and will herald the inauguration of the NFDC’s new President. The event will also mark the award of the Demolition Operative of the Year award, the Sidney Hunt Snr apprenticeship award, and the Contribution to the Demolition Industry award, as well as the official launch of a new NFDC-backed venture designed to help its unemployed workers find alternative employment within the industry.
Furthermore, the event will feature rugby superstar and man-mountain Martin Bayfield as its guest speaker. The former Rugby Football Player of the Year made his England debut in 1991 and played for the first team until 1998 when he was forced to retire from the game as a result of a serious neck injury. However, during that time, he gained a creditable 31 international caps, playing in the 1992 and 1995 Grand Slam sides. He was also selected for the 1995 World Cup Squad to play against South Africa and was selected for five out of six tests.
To book your place at the NFDC’s all-important AGM, please use the booking form attached.
agm-booking-form-2009
In an unprecedented move, the organisers of the Hillhead 2009 exhibition has announced that it has been postponed by 12 months. The quarrying and recycling show, which takes place in Buxton, Derbyshire every other year, is the latest victim of the “adverse economic climate”.
Full details here.
A nice time lapse video showing the demolition and reinstatement of a toll booth in the US. Interesting to note that they managed to keep the traffic flowing, despite the works:
Train services through the Channel Tunnel linking Britain and France, where scheduled to be fully restored in February 2009 following several months of repairs after a major fire in the tunnel on 11 September 2008.
A lorry caught fire on a Shuttle train carrying heavy goods vehicles bound for France through the 50 km long northern tunnel. The fire, which spread to other vehicles, raged for about 16 hours. The extreme temperatures of up to 1000ºC caused extensive damage to about 600 metres of the 7.6 metre diameter tunnel’s concrete lining, approximately 11 km from the French entrance.
The Channel Tunnel operator Eurotunnel awarded the repair contract, estimated to be between €50-60M, to a consortium of Freyssinet, Eurovia Travaux Ferroviaires and Vinci Energies. Freyssinet was appointed to look after the civil engineering works, while ETF would be responsible for track and overhead wire restoration and Vinci Energies responsible for other equipment. The technique of hydrodemolition, which uses high-pressure water jets to remove concrete from various structures, was specified as the method to remove the fire damaged concrete. Freyssinet subcontracted the concrete removal to the specialist hydrodemolition and industrial cleaning contractor Philip Lasserat.
For the hydrodemolition part of the repair Philippe Lassarat hired four Conjet hydrodemolition Robots and pumps, together with a team of experienced operators and a project manager, from Rotterdam based Doornbos Equipment, a specialist in the rental of ultra high-pressure water jetting and vacuum equipment. To meet the tight schedule Doornbos had to work three shifts round the clock and opted to use two Conjet 364s and two Conjet 322s. Conjet supplied specially modified banana shaped feedbeams, which carry the jetting nozzle, to match the curvature of the tunnel wall.
“We had to remove the damaged C45 concrete just from the walls and roof to a depth of 30 mm and managed this at an average of 650 m2/day,” says Doornbos project manager Uwe Clausen. “The total area was about 9,500 m2 over an approximate 600 m length of tunnel, including about 350 m2 directly above the fire where the damage was most severe. We removed all the fire damaged concrete in 14 working days using four Robots. We had to work non-stop round the clock in three 10 hours shifts, which included an hour in and an hour out at shift change to get through all the security.” The Robots were supported by 350 kW and 400 kW pumps operating at pressures up to 1000bar and flow of up to 240 litres/min.
After the removal of the damaged concrete Philippe Lassarat followed on repairing and replacing any fire damaged reinforcing prior to spraying on the new concrete lining. The various services and utilities were then replaced before handing the tunnel back to Eurotunnel to restart a full service of the Shuttle trains on 10 February. Eurostar, the company that operates the passenger trains running through the tunnel, anticipated services would be fully restored on 23 February.
At a time when cross-border unity and environmental concerns have been set aside and replaced by an “every man for himself” attitude to stave off the worst effects of the global credit crunch, the US’ National Demolition Association has announced that it is to postpone its long-awaited and much-heralded global waste symposium.
According to a news report by leading trade magazine D&Ri, the symposium has been put back by a year because “current adverse economic conditions had resulted in many US state governments issuing out-of-state travel restrictions on their employees, thus preventing the NDA from being able to attract one of the major interest groups to the event.”
Full details of the postponement can be found here.
Premier Waste, the first waste management contractor to sign up to the WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme) Halving Waste To Landfill agreement has said that for them, diverting 100% of construction, demolition and excavation waste from landfill is an achievable and realistic target.
Read the full story here.
