Oil leak at residential property

An emergency site attendance was required in Belfast to look at a property where vapour odours had been reported.

Once we were on site, we determined that oil was leaking from the pump on the boiler which was located up against the rear wall of the property.

Oil was believed to have travelled through porous tarmac to impact the foundations of the property and potentially migrate beneath it. Very high levels of hydrocarbon vapour were confirmed internally.

Within 6 hours of the call, we were able to have the leak stopped, installed a vapour extraction unit to alleviate the internal odours, and tested the air to confirm there was no remaining risk to the occupants. This reassured the family, and they were very grateful not to have to leave their home.

In addition, we then had the boiler inspected by an OFTEC-accredited heating engineer, who resolved the fault and temporarily relocated the boiler away from the works area. This allowed further intrusive investigations to be completed, to stop the spread of the spillage externally.

We completed this project in stages, which ensured we successfully removed the external contamination, then assessed and treated the material beneath the property – all while the family remained in the comfort of their home.

Validation sampling was completed on site, which confirmed there were no further risks to the family or property from the oil spillage.

At the end of the project, the policyholders commented: “I found OHES to be professional and thorough and was happy with the approach they recommended”.