Lithium Battery Fire in Major Warehouse

A lithium battery for a forklift truck was on an ultra-fast charging point, which caught fire in the main warehouse while charging. Due to the warehouse build and active production environment, this caused soot contamination throughout the building, extending into the chiller, ambient, and freezer warehouse sections. The contamination affected the building structure, racks, and all surfaces.

Challenges

Following the fire, Polygon was engaged to manage the complex decontamination project. Working with a 24-hour, 7 days a week client, we had to develop a scope of work that suited both their operational needs and the insurers' requirements.

The primary objective was to avoid any loss of income due to business closure or a reduction in workforce operations. To add to this pressure, the client had just secured two major contracts worth over £40 million, setting a strict deadline of the 5th of May.

The environmental conditions added further challenges. The main warehouse and chiller operated at around 3 degrees Celsius, which created a cold but manageable environment. However, the greatest challenge was the freezer area, which spanned 1,632 sqm and operated at -28 degrees. This extreme temperature made the work highly demanding for both our operatives and the machinery required to access the building and its structures.

Solution

Our original plan was an 8-week programme scheduled Monday to Friday on a single shift. However, after a pre-start meeting and learning of the new contracts and the May 5th deadline, we revised the programme. A dual-shift pattern, day and night, was implemented, running continuously for 4 weeks across weekends and bank holidays to ensure timely completion.

Due to the site being fully operational, close coordination was critical. The Project Manager worked in tandem with the site supervisor and the client to allow production to continue uninterrupted in the warehouse, while ensuring progress stayed on schedule.

Addressing the challenge of working in -28 degrees, we prioritised the safety and well-being of our team. Operatives worked in Arctic suits and thermals, and were given a 15-minute break every hour to comply with health and safety standards and to maintain machinery performance in sub-zero conditions.

Outcome

The job was completed on time and within budget, with zero impact on the client’s business continuity or earnings. As a result, they retained both of their major contracts and reoccupied the premises on the 6th of May.

This was a well-executed project, led by a dedicated Project Manager who ensured deadlines were met, safety was upheld, and costs remained controlled. Most importantly, the success of the job was made possible by the determination and hard work of the supervisor and technicians who carried out labour-intensive tasks under extremely challenging conditions.

Client Feedback

Interesting Facts

• Duration of the job - 4 weeks, night and day shift, with a week on days before the change in work patterns.

• Number of technicians involved - this changed, but on average we had 20- 1x project manager, 2x supervisors and 17x technicians/ agency

• Processes or equipment used - mix of mewps - scissor and boom lifts with scaffold towers. Decontamination with an alkaline cleaning solution to all areas, apart from the use of IPA in the freezer, as this wouldn’t freeze. Works completed on the control panels and air conditioning units, which included more detailed decontamination.

• Size of the area cleaned -

           Ambient section- 26m X 43 m = 1,118 sqm

           Meat chiller- 31m X 10 m = 310 sqm

           Main warehouse- 68m x 69 m = 4692 sqm

           Freezer- 34m X 48 m = 1,632 sqm

           Total Sqm= 7,752