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On 16 November, one of BINGO’s Commercial & Industrial rear lift trucks was completing its route in Blacktown with a full load onboard, when the driver noticed a fire in the back end of the truck.
At the time, the truck was travelling along a main arterial road in Blacktown in Greater Western Sydney.
In accordance with BINGO’s safety procedure and under the instruction of the fire brigade, the driver had to dump the truck load in a safe spot with enough clearance, to ensure the safety of himself and those around him at the time. This meant that approximately four tonnes of waste was dumped in a safe place, off the busy road.
The fire brigade was at the scene promptly to put out the fire, and the police attended to traffic management to ensure the safety of the public.
Luckily, no one was injured as a result of the driver’s quick actions, experience and safety awareness, and the truck only sustained superficial damage.
What caused the fire?
The fire was caused by a lithium rechargeable battery – similar to those used in cordless drills and other power tools - which had been wrongly placed in the bin at a customer site.
Hazardous waste is not allowed in commercial bins as it can cause fires like this one, and poses a serious safety hazard to our employees, the surrounding community in this instance and the environment.
There are services for specialist products and hazardous goods like gas cylinders, tanks, batteries and chemicals, and they should never be placed in regular commercial bins.
At BINGO, we are committed to keeping our people, our communities and the environment safe from harm. So if you have any questions about commercial waste disposal, please call our friendly customer care team on 1300 424 646 or see our guide on commercial waste streams down below.
