Sorting plants and landfills share one dominant problem: fires starting inside waste piles, often from lithium-ion batteries. A point detector in a high-volume hall or an open yard reacts too late, because the smoke has to reach it first.
Typical risks in this sector
Ignition inside piles and bays
Self-ignition in a mass of waste develops over hours before open flame appears. Caught early it is a job for one person with an extinguisher; caught late it is a job for the fire brigade.
Lithium-ion batteries in the waste stream
Damaged cells ignite violently, often already in the loader cab or on the sorting belt.
Heavy equipment moving among people
Loaders and compactors work in the same spaces as sorting staff, with limited visibility and high noise levels.
Entry into machine working zones
Clearing jams on the belt and in the shredder is a routine task, sometimes performed without fully stopping the line.
What the system detects
- smoke and ignition in a pile, bay or on the belt
- temperature rise in the observed area when a thermal camera is used
- a pedestrian approaching a loader or compactor
- a person entering the working zone of a shredder or belt
- missing protective clothing in the sorting area
Why vision detection beats a point detector here
A camera watches the whole pile at once and reacts to smoke anywhere in it, without waiting for smoke to reach a measurement point under the roof or outside the hall.
For outdoor storage a point detector is effectively unusable, while a camera covers the yard entirely. This is one of the few applications where vision detection is not a complement to another method but the primary method.
What to expect during tuning
Dust during transfer, vapour on cold mornings and combustion engine exhaust all look similar to smoke in an image. Recognising these takes the first weeks of operation.
An observation period should be expected, in which reports go for verification before being wired to signalling. Cutting that stage short ends in operators losing trust.
Solutions used here
- SafeView Spot - AI camera detection of safety hazards and fire
- SafeView Motion - forklift safety with AI
- SafeView Core - AI vision system for industry
- See descriptions of completed deployments
Frequently asked questions
Does this replace a fire alarm system?
No. It is an early warning layer operating below the threshold of the primary system, where that system is required by regulation.
Is a thermal camera needed?
Not for smoke detection. Thermal imaging helps detect an overheating pile before visible smoke appears, so on landfills it is often justified.
Does it work in an open yard?
Yes. Obtaining a stable background is harder, so tuning takes longer than indoors.