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Nothing can compare with the flavour of food cooked with wood.
Caveman TV!
Nothing on the tube? Enjoy watching a wood fire instead. It's interactive as well.
Wood heating stacks up
Buy your winter heat energy in advance. Avoid getting a nasty shock when you open your next electricity or gas bill
Wood Fires
The key to human evolution
HEALTH ALERT!
DO NOT BURN OLD RAIL SLEEPERS AS FIREWOOD
Due to the recent upgrading of rail tracks throughout NSW, South Australia and Victoria a large quantity of old timber rail sleepers have been replaced by concrete sleepers. Regrettably, some of these old sleepers are being cut into 300 mm lengths and offered for sale as firewood.
The Firewood Association has long since banned the sale of old rail sleepers by its members for the following reasons:
- Used railway sleepers may contain asbestos. Even though asbestos train brake linings were phased out in the mid 1980’s, some old sleepers may pre-date this time. Fibres from the asbestos brake linings can become trapped in cracks in the sleepers. As long as they are not disturbed they are safe, but they will be released when the sleepers are burnt. These fibres will collect and concentrate in the ash in the bottom of a fireplace, heater or wood oven and they can be deadly.
- Almost all used railway sleepers are contaminated to some extent with herbicides, heavy metals, grease and oil. When used railway sleepers are burnt, these substances are vaporised, releasing odours and potentially harmful fumes. These fumes will be absorbed by any food cooked with the wood, for example in pizza ovens or barbecues. If these fumes escape from the heater/fire into the room they can cause respiratory health problems.
- Small stones from the track ballast become stuck in used sleepers. 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.
For these reasons all FAA members have agreed not to sell used railway sleepers. Some non-FAA members claim that they have conducted tests showing that contaminants are at safe levels, but our investigations show that the sampling and test methods used do not reflect real life combustion conditions and potential exposure levels. We understand that no testing for asbestos has been carried out. Although our members do not sell this product, and are therefore not directly responsible for any negative health effects resulting from its use as firewood, they are concerned about the potentially harmful health effects that could result from using this product as firewood.
The FAA has made representations to local and state governments to alert them of these potential health risks and hazards
These concrete sleepers have been down for just three months. The picture clearly shows the amount of grease and oil that drops onto sleepers during service.
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