As one of Australia’s largest and most modern sawmills, OneFortyOne’s Jubilee Sawmill in Mount Gambier is a business that requires a reliable and effective dangerous goods solution.
“OneFortyOne is a sawmilling and forestry business,” explains Belinda Williamson, Environmental Engineer at OneFortyOne. “We are one of the largest private employers in the Green Triangle region of South Australia, and also operate Nelson, Tasman and Marlborough regions of New Zealand.”
OneFortyOne manages over 80,000ha of sustainable pine plantations in Australia, and plants millions of seedlings every year, renewably replacing the trees they harvest. The timber processed at OneFortyOne sawmills is primarily structural timber used in house framing, as well as products such as fence posts used in a range of agricultural and viticultural settings.
The challenges for safe chemical storage at the OneFortyOne Jubilee Sawmill are diverse, with the site spanning 54 hectares, different processing areas, and various hazardous chemicals and dangerous goods. However, the need to reduce risk with the many aerosol cans used across the site was a key concern.
OneFortyOne uses a range of aerosol cans for various applications, including aerosol spray paints to markup timber for processing.
Safety with Aerosols
While aerosols may be common at worksites, the risks associated with aerosol cans should never be ignored. As a mix of substances, stored under pressure within a metal canister, aerosols present a range of hazards to the workplace.
Aerosol cans may contain flammable or combustible substances, as well as a propellant. If the can is damaged, subjected to fire or heat, the can may create a fire or explosion hazard due to the expansion of the substance and rapid release of its contents.
Some common aerosol hazards may include:
- Ruptured or punctured cans resulting in explosions and human harm
- Cans exposed to heat may exploding or becoming dangerous projectiles
- The release of hazardous substances, such as the harmful chemicals in solvents, paints or cleaners
- Flammable chemicals accidentally released near an ignition source may create a fire
Aerosol cans require a storage solution that can mitigate the hazards posed by the stored substance, as well as the metal canister.
Aersol Storage Solution
To create a safer working environment, Storemasta suggested the installation of various aerosol cages across the site.
OneFortyOne has implemented various aerosol storage cages for dedicated aerosol storage — from our smallest 18-can model to our largest 625-can cage.
As a long-term customer of Storemasta, OneFortyOne has ordered over 15 aerosol cages throughout the years, each cage being delivered within the same week as being ordered.
Storemasta aerosol cages offer a range of benefits, including:
- Ample natural ventilation to allow for the dispersion of aerosol gases
- Weather protection to allow for outdoor storage of these gases
- Projectile projection with heavy duty steel construction
- Cage door with bolt locks which should be padlocked to prevent unauthorised entry
Aerosols and Segregation
OneFortyOne has previously sourced a range of products for chemical storage and safety, including Class 3 Flammable Liquids cabinets, poly drum bunds and PPE cabinets.
“Going back years, we have had dealings with Storemasta with flammable liquids cabinets,” says Belinda.
“In the last year or two we have been going through the segregation of liquids and aerosols. The information about aerosols is a bit vague in the Standards, so we have gone back and forth with Storemasta to ensure our dangerous goods are properly segregated.”
With multiple classes of dangerous goods at their site, OneFortyOne have prioritised safety by installing a range of solutions to suit the various types of goods required at their site.
When working with a range of dangerous goods classes, such as the variety of chemicals required by the OneFortyOne Jubilee Sawmill, there is always the need to properly store and segregate these chemicals due to potential incompatibilities between classes.
By using compliant storage that’s manufactured to meet the stringent requirements of the relevant Australian Standard, you can control a range of hazards, such as gas leaks, chemical spills and vapour emissions.
DG Storage Advice
One of the benefits of being a Storemasta customer is the free guidance and chemical safety advice that the Dangerous Goods Storage Consultants offer.
Belinda has been in touch with the team to clarify a range of chemical safety matters over the years. Whether it’s determining the correct product for a work area or querying the requirements for aerosol storage, she says that she’s been able to get clarification quickly when dealing with the team – whether that’s over-the-phone or online.
OneFortyOne is one of the largest private employers in the Green Triangle region of South Australia, employing over 300 people directly, and another 1000 people indirectly as contractors.
The company is a major forest grower and part of a thriving regional forestry and timber industry. OneFortyOne is dedicated to safety, looking after their people, the environment, and their community.
