Risk assessment for recycled resource materials, etc.

With increasing concern over global warming and other environmental issues, active efforts are being made to reuse garbage, sewage sludge, and other waste as fuel, with the goal of transitioning to a recycling-oriented society. Wood pellets are also being increasingly used as biomass fuel in the industrial field and in home stoves and the like. Storing these recycled resource materials in large quantities for a long time can result in self-heating, spontaneous ignition, explosion, and other dangers. There have even been cases of large-scale accidents. For this reason, the National Research Institute of Fire and Disaster has investigated the risk posed by recycled resource materials, and has released the “Investigation and Examination Report on Ensuring Safety of Recycled Resource Materials.” In response, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism has called for each prefecture in Japan to refer to the “Sewage Sludge Solid Fuel Calorific Property Evaluation Testing Manual (issued by Japan Sewage Works Agency)” and make sure that safety is managed.
The Sewage Sludge Solid Fuel Calorific Property Evaluation Testing Manual recommends the following risk assessment tests. Special care is required when using manufacturing methods and raw materials for which there are few examples of use and little knowledge.

Risk assessment test items and test methods