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Decontamination Works Following Site Closure

Lufthansa Technik Airmotive Ireland specialised in the maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) of Pratt & Whitney, International Aero Engines and CFM International engines, their parts and accessories.

Client Issue

Site Contaminated with Hazardous Chemicals

Lufthansa Technik Airmotive Ireland needed full site decontamination works following the closure of their Irish site. The site had to be free of any hazardous chemicals or contaminants including tanks, plant and equipment contaminants.

We delivered on our commitment to have the decontamination works completed within a 6 week time frame, utilising our multiple vehicle fleet in an efficient and co-ordinated manner.

Enva Approach

Thorough, detailed decontamination process

Dye Penetrant Baths Pre-Cleaning

The decontamination works included the removal of all hazardous wastes offsite and the provision of all manpower, plant & equipment required to deliver the works. Method statements and risk assessments were drafted for each specific task, drawing from a skilled team of operators who have experience in the pumping, handling and cleaning of such wastes. Decontamination works included:

Storage baths and tanks decontamination

• Confined space qualified crews were deployed to pump out all chemicals into UN rated IBC’s using ADR spec. Rubber Lined Vacuum Tankers and the individual baths were then rinsed clean.
• Tank entry was undertaken to wash down all side walls and floors.
• pH tests were carried out on the final washings taken from every bath and cleaning process ensuring the washings were neutralized.
• The cyanide baths were decontaminated by using an oxidizing agent to oxidize the Cyanides to the more stable Cyanate state to aid the decontamination process.

Dry and wet spray booths

• Dry and wet spray booths were cleaned down onsite and all wastes generated were removed.
• Some booths were in ATEX zoned areas so the dusts were vacuumed into drums for disposal using ATEX rated Hoovers.

Engine Test Cell Area

• The Engine Test Cell area was power washed and cleaned down. This test cell facility included an Augmentor and Exhaust stack which was heavily contaminated with Carbon compounds as a result of exhaust fumes during the running of the Jet engines.
• Mobile scaffold platforms were deployed inside and outside the Test Cell area and erected portable lighting to facilitate the crew in these works.
• The Engine Test Cell Fuel Farm tanks were also cleaned. This comprised 2 x 50,000L storage tanks for holding Aviation Fuel. We removed the fuel from site and cleaned and decontaminated the tanks and associated lines.

Floors, drains and interceptors

• All floors, drains and interceptors were power hosed until clean and the contents removed to our licenced facilities.
• All lines leading from tanks and baths to the onsite waste treatment plant were washed also.

CCTV Survey

• A full site CCTV drain survey was undertaken to ensure that the drains and lines were free of contaminants. The CCTV survey also included examination of ducting pipework, surface and storm lines etc.

Waste Management

• Every item of waste that was removed from site was itemised and classified, including EWC code generation for every stream.
• All wastes were transferred in the correct packaging type as per ADR regulations to our EPA licensed facilities with the appropriate Waste Transfer Forms.
• We physico-chemically treated the vast quantity of liquid chemical waste that was removed offsite which offered significant savings.
• Any solid waste and some wastes such as the cyanides were exported under TFS from our facilities to licensed sites in Germany for final processing.
• We compiled and provided all necessary Certificates of Treatment/Disposal.

Dye Penetrant Baths Post-Cleaning

Results

Safe, clean, compliant decontamination site

We delivered on our commitment to have the decontamination works completed within a 6 week time frame, utilising our multiple vehicle fleet in an efficient and co-ordinated manner. This included ADR Vacuum Tankers, Jet Vac Tankers, CCTV Survey Vehicles and an experienced, professional and trusted crew

We delivered a facility that was safe and free from any chemical hazardous waste back to Lufthansa Technik Airmotive Ireland