Industrial Asbestos Removal, Orphaned Pulp Mill - Case Study
PROJECT OVERVIEW
Value - Approximately $9,000,000
Enviro-Vac have safely completed the remediation, decontamination and asbestos abatement in dozens of occupied and orphaned pulp and paper mills in Canada. One such mill was located in a remote part of BC that was accessible only by sea or air and required soil remediation, classification and removal/disposal of various chemicals including abatement of a variety of asbestos containing materials in a number of buildings, power house and structures in preparation for decommissioning. The asbestos was located throughout the mill property on various systems and included thermal insulation on and in recovery boilers, tanks, vessels and pipes, asbestos cement panel walls & roofing that required engineering to make safe for worker entry. All work was conducted in strict accordance with regulatory requirements.
PROJECT CHALLENGES
The project required a variety of safe-work methods be developed including detailed risk-assessments & job-safety analysis tasks. Much of the abatement was risk-assessed to be conducted within high-risk, engineered air-tight, negative pressure enclosures constructed of fire-rated shrink-wrap supported by engineered scaffolding. These negative pressure environments were to be created using negative air units equipped with HEPA filters designed and tested to ensure that no particles were released into the surrounding environment.
Enviro-Vac technicians were required to follow rigorously enforced safety standards including installation of industrial mobile decontamination trailers consisting of a climate controlled clean room, mask room, shower room, and equipment/dirty room attached to the negative pressure enclosure. Asbestos abatement technicians would egress the work zone by first entering the dirty area removing their hazardous materials protective suits while keeping their respirators on and then advance to the shower room to doff their PPE where they thoroughly wash their face, hair and respirators. Finally, they would enter the controlled locker room or clean area to put on street clothes.
To comply with regulatory requirements and further ensure worker & environment safety, a third-party air monitoring firm was hired to ensure maximum worker and ambient environment protection protocol was followed.
The Enviro-Vac Solution
Boiler cladding to access asbestos was removed using high-risk abatement procedures utilizing plasma torches and hydraulic lift equipment. Asbestos cement panels were removed intact from the structures roof and walls & placed into labeled polyethylene bags or wrapped in plastic sheeting then placed into large disposal containers for eventual disposal at an approved landfill. As a general procedure, Enviro-Vac crews worked from at height downward utilizing a variety of high-reach equipment and scaffolding, completing all asbestos removal work within each active area before the enclosure was tested and confirmed clean for dismantlement. The decontaminated areas were then turned over to crews for final decommissioning. Pipe insulation was removed using a combination of high-risk abatement methods and glove bag method. All work was completed safely, on time and on budget to the satisfaction of the client.
SUMMARY
Successful delivery of this and every project undertaken by Enviro-Vac originate from a unique four-decade framework of regulatory compliance, our corporate commitment to health & safety and innovative technical work-plans and strategies are central to everything we do, starting with pre-job planning and continuing through to job execution and debriefing. Enviro-Vac's strict company requirements demands we always strive for the highest performance results and continuous improvement.
Regularly scheduled project meetings were conducted with the clients’ consultants, health and safety department personnel and other stakeholders to communicate safe work procedures, scope changes and progress updates.
Every project undertaken is subject to a detailed risk-assessment and methodology statement containing detailed, safe work procedures that are submitted to regulators through a Notice of Project (NOP) process before work commencement and includes rigorous onsite audits.
