Don’t burn sleepers

By Kath Gannaway
POSSIBLE asbestos contamination is just one of several reasons Yarra Ranges residents shouldn’t burn old railway sleepers, according to Yarra Ranges Council.
Yarra Ranges mayor Cr Terry Avery warned residents last week to source their firewood carefully this winter, and avoid sleepers.
Cr Avery said there had been reports of old sleepers being used for firewood following recent upgrades of rail tracks in Victoria. He warned they could contain asbestos and were likely to be contaminated with herbicides, heavy metals, grease and oil.
“When used railway sleepers are burnt, these substances are vaporised, releasing odours and potentially harmful fumes,” Cr Avery said.
“These fumes will be absorbed by any food cooked with the wood, for example in pizza ovens and barbecues.”
Small stones from track ballast embedded in sleepers also presented a threat.
“When heated in a fire these small stones can explode, creating a hazard in an open fire or cracking the glass of a slow combustion heater,” Cr Avery said.
Cr Avery also warned against burning treated pine products, which also were toxic.
The Firewood Association of Australia had banned the sale of old railway sleepers by its members because of the health risks.