Quick action that averted a larger-scale fire incident in the Yarra Ranges recently has prompted a reminder to dispose of batteries properly.
A battery-powered board game caused the contents of a garbage truck to catch alight.
Upwey Fire Brigade was called out to the garbage truck load fire on Wednesday 21 July.
The driver had noticed smoke emitting from the load and, as is standard procedure, dumped the load on the roadside.
This is done to prevent the truck from catching fire as well and avoid the consequences of a much more dangerous situation.
On arrival at the scene, the CFA crew worked quickly to extinguish the fire and found the cause was a battery-powered board game that short-circuited when the load was compacted.
CFA from Upwey posted the incident to Facebook and said that this event serves as a timely reminder for all to never dispose of any type of battery, especially lithium Ion batteries, in the household waste bin.
“All batteries must be removed from the item being placed in the waste bin,” the post read.
In the Yarra Ranges Batteries, electronic waste is no longer permitted to be disposed of in household bins.
Electrical waste or ‘e-waste’ is any item with a plug, battery or power cord that is no longer working or wanted. Plugs, chargers and cords are also considered E-waste.
In 2019, it became illegal to dispose of E-waste in your household bins in Victoria. These items contain harmful chemicals, as well as precious metals that can be recycled.
E-waste can be placed out in Hard Rubbish collections for appropriate disposal. Collect small items can be collected together in a box clearly marked ‘E-waste’.
E-waste can be taken to waste transfer stations for disposal. This may incur a small fee.
Some electronics and office supply stores provide free drop-off for computer and TV recycling. Contact the store or their website for more information.
Examples of items that are considered e-waste include:
Children’s battery-powered toys – e.g. talking dolls, remote control cars, walking/moving/light-up toys
Kitchen items – digital kitchen scales, blender, toaster, kettle, electric frying pan
Office supplies – desk lamp, calculator, computers, tablets, portable drives, radio/CD player, camera
Other household items – portable heater, bathroom scales, hairdryer, alarm clock, massage gun, blood pressure monitor, baby monitors
Garage/outdoor items – bug lamp, outdoor/work light, electric tools, stud finder, torch, portable jump start pack, electric scooter/bikes.
Victorian fire services respond to nearly one lithium-ion battery fire per day in Victoria and many battery-related fires start in household bins, garbage trucks and waste facilities.
Lithium-ion batteries release toxic and flammable gases when they short circuit, which may lead to them catching fire.
CFA recommends that people should not throw lithium-ion batteries in regular waste or recycling collection bins.
They advise, where safe to do so, to place leaking or damaged batteries in a clear plastic bag and take them to a reputable place for disposal.
CFA has a range of safety tips and recommended locations to dispose of batteries safely on its dedicated website page.
https://www.cfa.vic.gov.au/plan-prepare/fires-in-the-home/charging-and-battery-safety
