23 December 2013

French overdo their shredding

| johnboy
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ACT Fire & Rescue has extinguished a small fire in a paper shredder at the French Embassy, Perth Avenue, Yarralumla.

Firefighters worked quickly to extinguish the fire from paper in the industrial shredder on the ground floor and are now conducting ventilation operations at the Embassy.

Approximately 50 people have been evacuated as a precaution.

ACT Ambulance Service intensive care paramedics are treating seven patients for mild smoke inhalation.

The Embassy received minor smoke damage to the two storey building with minimal fire damage.

Time of Emergency Triple Zero (000) call 11.19am.

Three fire pumpers on scene with the specialist Hazardous Materials Unit, the Breathing Apparatus Van, the Bronto Skylift Hydraulic Platform and two Commander officers.

12:04 PM

[Courtesy ESA]

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HiddenDragon10:11 am 24 Dec 13

Bonfire of the banalités?

caf said :

dungfungus said :

It would be interesting to know what the brand and model of the shredder is.
There are hundreds of large shredders that were imported from the EU that are mainly being used in government agencies (most in Canberra) that required 15AMP electrical supply and power cord as per the manufacturer’s certificate of conformity.
This would have made them impossible to sell in Australia but the problem was solved by substituting standard 10AMP power cords.
I am glad none of my family and friends work in the public service where they may be exposed to these illegal appliances.

Why on earth didn’t they just get an Australian standard 15A outlet installed?

The shredders I am referring to which may or may not be the same as the one that caught fire were exported to Australia with an Australian 15A fitted as per the manufacturer’s certificate of compliance. The Australian 15A plug has an oversize earth prong which prevents the plug being inserted in an Australian 10A socket. The Australian distributors realized that if the shredders were to be sold with the required 15A plug the purchasers would have to supply an additional 15A circuit enable the shredder/s to be used. The expense that would be involved usually exceeded the cost of the shredder making them unsaleable so the distributor replaced the factory fitted 15A plugs with non-compliant 10A ones and deleted all references to requirement for a 15A power circuit in the instruction manual as well as falsifying the manufacturer’s information sticker relating to current draw on the reverse of the shredder cabinet to bypass the test and tag procedures. If the shredders are used continuously operated to maximum throughput capacity with the undersize power cord and supporting 15A circuitry there is a risk that an electrical fire will result.
Why on “earth” indeed you ask.

dungfungus said :

It would be interesting to know what the brand and model of the shredder is.
There are hundreds of large shredders that were imported from the EU that are mainly being used in government agencies (most in Canberra) that required 15AMP electrical supply and power cord as per the manufacturer’s certificate of conformity.
This would have made them impossible to sell in Australia but the problem was solved by substituting standard 10AMP power cords.
I am glad none of my family and friends work in the public service where they may be exposed to these illegal appliances.

Why on earth didn’t they just get an Australian standard 15A outlet installed?

Masquara said :

At risk of nationality stereotyping here – gawd – six specialist teams? Intensive care paramedics?

Some nations are more needy than others.
Sounds like a bit of oui oui might have doused the flames on this occasion…

At risk of nationality stereotyping here – gawd – six specialist teams? Intensive care paramedics?

It would be interesting to know what the brand and model of the shredder is.
There are hundreds of large shredders that were imported from the EU that are mainly being used in government agencies (most in Canberra) that required 15AMP electrical supply and power cord as per the manufacturer’s certificate of conformity.
This would have made them impossible to sell in Australia but the problem was solved by substituting standard 10AMP power cords.
I am glad none of my family and friends work in the public service where they may be exposed to these illegal appliances.

So did the firies take all the half shredded half burnt paperwork and drop it at ASIO to be glued back together?

French toasted Mouli?

MERC600 said :

Interesting… Traditionaly embassies used to burn their papers before fleeing the country. Are they peeved cos Kevy bugged their phones as well.

Perhaps the Salvation Army knocked on their door and they panicked!

Interesting… Traditionaly embassies used to burn their papers before fleeing the country. Are they peeved cos Kevy bugged their phones as well.

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