Polygon decontaminates fire-hit Italian farm building

Situated on the stunning Italian countryside is the broken structure of a fire damaged poultry farmhouse, that due to a blaze this summer burnt down. The building was severely damaged and polluting organic materials and exposed asbestos meant the site required professional decontamination. Polygon stepped in to help.

The farming complex consisted of three identical buildings, all used by an egg production business. Unfortunately, when the fire broke out in the affected structure, over 20,000 hens were inside, which resulted in a significant volume of fire-contaminated organic materials. These materials are always considered unstable and polluting and require specific handling equipment. Thankfully, Polygon Italy is well-equipped for this type of work.

The farm structure was built in the 1960s and 1970s, so it was no surprise that the foundation was constructed partly with asbestos cement. As a result of the fire, asbestos fibres were spread around the premises, causing the whole area to become toxic – another issue for Polygon to resolve.

Curating a strategic work plan

Alessandro Cresta, the Lead Manager in this case, shares how he planned to tackle this substantial project: "The ethics and environmental awareness that distinguish Polygon within the damage management market leads us to work with the utmost respect for nature." 

He explains, "We aimed to eliminate all contaminated material and limit costs for our customer."

Furthermore, navigating through the many bureaucratic layers of a project like this requires careful safety planning. First, samples are collected during the inspection to analyse the toxicity of the materials. Then the significant job of clearing out such massive amounts of waste in the vicinity can begin.

Restoring rather than replacing

In the spirit of sustainability and salvaging what can be saved, the plan also involved the recovery of perfectly usable iron beams. The beams would need to be decontaminated from asbestos and fire damage. By doing this, the cost of demolition is lowered, and the iron can be reused in a climate-intelligent manner.

Alessandro continues to explain how the process of handling toxic materials works. "We needed to use water nebulizers to prevent any asbestos fibres from dispersing into the environment. However, this equipment creates a working environment where our technicians feel as if they are constantly being rained on. Before we can handle any material contaminated by asbestos, it must be encapsulated. The encapsulation process works by sprinkling the contaminated surfaces with a clinging liquid, which breaks down the dispersion capacity of the fibres. Finally, the material must be packaged in a watertight manner, labelled as dangerous goods, and disposed of according to precise regulations."

This is indeed an extensive and complex project. But for Polygon, safely resolving the situation is about rising to the challenge, demonstrating our professional capabilities, and fulfilling our promise of being 'Always By Your Side.'