Wormald leads the way in PFAS-free tunnel upgrades across Australia

As part of our ongoing commitment to leading the way in hazardous materials management, Wormald has successfully completed firefighting foam removal across eight major Australian road tunnels in recent months. These complex projects showcase Wormald’s ability to execute high-risk, high-priority infrastructure works with precision, safety, and technical excellence.

Part of Australia’s growing shift away from legacy firefighting foams that contain PFAS – persistent ‘forever chemicals’ linked to significant environmental and health concerns – Wormald’s work involved the safe extraction and disposal of these hazardous materials and the upgrade of fire suppression systems to safer, fluorine-free alternatives.

Minimising disruption and prioritising safety, Wormald project teams worked overnight from 8:00 pm to 4:00 am, completing one tunnel per week. Each site required careful decontamination and installation of a new fire suppression system, all delivered under tight time frames and stringent safety controls.

Wormald has completed a series of high-profile infrastructure projects that demonstrate our ability to manage hazardous materials in critical environments. The project’s scope extended beyond foam removal, calling on Wormald’s broad capabilities in engineering, project management, and environmental compliance.

Project scope included:

• Removal and safe disposal of legacy PFAS-based foam
• Delivery of 9,000 litres of Solberg SP-100 fluorine free firefighting foam
• Installation of custom-fabricated stainless-steel storage tanks
• Importation and integration of advanced inductors and proportioners from Sweden and the USA
• Complex scheduling and site access coordination
• Full subcontractor and logistics management by Wormald’s project delivery team

All extracted foam is transported to a licensed facility for high-temperature incineration – the only proven method of destroying PFAS compounds permanently. Despite access restrictions, custom fabrication needs, and time-sensitive imports, the Wormald team delivered with no compromise on safety, performance, or quality.

To learn more about Wormald’s Fluorine Free Foam Fire Suppression Systems, visit: www.wormald.com.au/fff