Overview
The client was running a 750hp diesel dewatering pump to support sewer flows at a sewage treatment plant in NSW. The pump sat around 1km underground in a space with no natural ventilation.
Exhaust from the pump was building up in the work area. Workers were suffering nausea and began refusing to work in the immediate and surrounding areas.
The Risk
Diesel exhaust in an enclosed underground space is a serious health risk. Ongoing exposure can lead to hospitalisation and in severe cases death.
Work refusals were also slowing the job. Delays cost money, and continued exposure left the project open to legal action and bad press.
Solution
Exhaust was leaving the pump at around 400°C. At that temperature the filters in a standard air scrubber would burn, so the exhaust had to be cooled before it could be filtered.
Control Hire engineered a system using four fans and four air scrubbers. It was designed to bring the exhaust down to a temperature the scrubber filters could handle, then filter it before the air returned to the work area.
To confirm the controls were working, Control Hire installed gas monitoring in the immediate and surrounding areas. The readings confirmed air quality met WorkSafe exposure standards.
Result
- Exhaust cooled to a safe temperature for filtration
- Air in the work area validated against WorkSafe exposure standards
- Workers able to return to the immediate and surrounding areas
Gear
- Industrial Axial Fans (x4)
- Air Scrubbers (x4)
- Multi Gas Area Monitors
- Engineering, Installation & Project Support
Dealing with diesel exhaust or fumes underground?
Control Hire designs ventilation, filtration and monitoring solutions for tunnels, basements, plant rooms and other enclosed spaces with no natural airflow.
Contact Control Hire to discuss a tailored fume control solution for your project.