Must have been a power failure if the computer system had reverted to the battery back up.
Quote from the ABC article:
"Fire and Rescue NSW said says the smoke was caused by an overheating computer backup battery system and spread through the air conditioning"
Strange that the air conditioning would have recirculated air from the battery room and into the rest of the control tower, that was the claim in the article, generally that air should be exhausted outside because it could contain gases and acid fumes.
T1 Terry
denmonkey said
04:03 PM Mar 29, 2019
T1 Terry wrote:
Strange that the air conditioning would have recirculated air from the battery room and into the rest of the control tower, that was the claim in the article, generally that air should be exhausted outside because it could contain gases and acid fumes.
T1 Terry
Ours here are work isn't.
We had an incident in that room a little while ago and it turned out to be a light fitting but the return air cycled it through the whole building.
it would make sense to isolate it but seems common enough for it no to be.
T1 Terry said
05:17 PM Mar 29, 2019
You would think it would be an OH&S problem and mandatory requirement. I wonder if Worksafe will investigate and require the system to be modified to stop the fumes circulating through the work area.
I worked for a company called Favco Favelle and they built site cranes. The common practice was to drag a fan over to the work area to stop from cooking under the heat from the tin roof in the Liverpool summer sun. Workcover jumped on them after an inspection regarding issues with fire safety. They had to install forced roof exhaust ventilation to remove the welding fumes and separate forced full flow ventilation with filters for the painting section.
The company had changed owners and rebirth a number of times over many yrs but until the Fire Dept put Worksafe onto them they had been getting away with very poor practices regarding worker air quality. Believe it or not, when they were spraying equipment outside and the wind was blowing the wrong way, they begrudgingly supplied car covers after a number of employees complained about paint on their cars in the car park. Not every time mind you, one car cover per person and if you lost it in the wind, tuff luck.
T1 Terry
KFT said
05:52 PM Mar 29, 2019
I find it very strange that a fire/smoke alarm did not shut the A/C down. It does in health service buildings and closes fire rated dampers in the ducting to isolate critical areas.
Frank
Whenarewethere said
06:03 PM Mar 29, 2019
Now it is a failed bearing in an air conditioning unit.
Baz421 said
06:07 PM Mar 29, 2019
I'm ex RAAF ATC,,, don't be surprised what gets into aircon systems,,,,,
Darwin Works and Jerks (Fed Dept of Works) cleaned the filters with Turco in mid 80's,,, we sweltered in shorts and nothing else for hours,,, sent females out as they couldn't undress as we could,,
Aircon turned on and tower filled with Turco fumes,,, all out.
just sayin
denmonkey said
04:15 PM Apr 2, 2019
We just had a fire review for an upcoming DA. So long as there is a fire break installed, that's all that mattered to them.
Plus some silly tags that they want to charge an arm and a leg for.
Point is, I don't think such things are high on their priority lists.
In another 10 years, who knows. Everything may change
Sydney airport shuts down from smoke from backup batteries over heating. My guess is old batteries are the problem, probably trying to save money.
https://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2019-03-29/sydney-airport-fire-alarm-emergency-all-flights-diverted/10952890
More said on the radio.
Quote from the ABC article:
"Fire and Rescue NSW said says the smoke was caused by an overheating computer backup battery system and spread through the air conditioning"
Strange that the air conditioning would have recirculated air from the battery room and into the rest of the control tower, that was the claim in the article, generally that air should be exhausted outside because it could contain gases and acid fumes.
T1 Terry
Ours here are work isn't.
We had an incident in that room a little while ago and it turned out to be a light fitting but the return air cycled it through the whole building.
it would make sense to isolate it but seems common enough for it no to be.
I worked for a company called Favco Favelle and they built site cranes. The common practice was to drag a fan over to the work area to stop from cooking under the heat from the tin roof in the Liverpool summer sun. Workcover jumped on them after an inspection regarding issues with fire safety. They had to install forced roof exhaust ventilation to remove the welding fumes and separate forced full flow ventilation with filters for the painting section.
The company had changed owners and rebirth a number of times over many yrs but until the Fire Dept put Worksafe onto them they had been getting away with very poor practices regarding worker air quality. Believe it or not, when they were spraying equipment outside and the wind was blowing the wrong way, they begrudgingly supplied car covers after a number of employees complained about paint on their cars in the car park. Not every time mind you, one car cover per person and if you lost it in the wind, tuff luck.
T1 Terry
Frank
Now it is a failed bearing in an air conditioning unit.
I'm ex RAAF ATC,,, don't be surprised what gets into aircon systems,,,,,
Darwin Works and Jerks (Fed Dept of Works) cleaned the filters with Turco in mid 80's,,, we sweltered in shorts and nothing else for hours,,, sent females out as they couldn't undress as we could,,
Aircon turned on and tower filled with Turco fumes,,, all out.
just sayin
Plus some silly tags that they want to charge an arm and a leg for.
Point is, I don't think such things are high on their priority lists.
In another 10 years, who knows. Everything may change