Sell and Parker has been receiving and processing scrap metal at various Australian sites since 1966. On April 24, 2017, a massive metal fire broke out at one of their sites. This took 100 fighters and 20 tenders the best part of a day to tame. Reports are emerging that a battery fire could be to blame.
Why the Owners Think a Battery Fire Was the Cause
The Sell and Parker business is huge by any accounts. For example, the premises of one site cover over half a million square feet.
Moreover, another site has the biggest metal-cutting shear in Australia. Hence it seems almost inevitable that a battery could slip through despite best efforts.
When we add the fact that CCTV footage has failed to disclose an alternative, we too suspect a battery fire was indeed the cause.
Company Suspects It Was a Rechargeable Battery
We understand that Sell and Parker previously had a battery catch fire after falling off a truck. From past incidents, we believe this could have possibly been a nickel-cadmium, or lithium-battery. Fortunately, the smoke from the April 2017 fire proved to be no more than an inconvenience to the community. It is however a sober reminder of our duty as consumers to exercise care.
Sell and Parker have warned that small, rechargeable batteries are “an extreme fire hazard.” The problem seems to be worst in throwaway items without trade-in-value, like hover boards and drones, .
We, all of us must be constantly vigilant. And aware of what is in the box we put out for collection, or indeed in the trunk of the auto we sell as scrap.
The law, and common sense say all batteries must be recycled responsibly. We could throw a few exceptions in the trashcan. Perhaps for safety’s sake we should put all our batteries in the recycle box instead, to be extra sure of not causing a battery fire.
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Preview Image: ‘When Lithium Batteries Go in the Fire’
