At about 4 p.m., a fire broke out on the surface of a metal framework silo containing 700 t of wheat. The employees intervened at the outbreak of the fire and called the fire brigade. A safety perimeter was set up, and 60 employees were evacuated. The rest of the staff was confined inside the buildings. The emergency rescue services conducted searches using a thermal imaging camera, and cooled down and ventilated the silo. The fire was extinguished at approximately 6 p.m. after a firefighter was able to recover panels of burnt dust from inside the silo. Smoke extraction continued under the operator’s supervision, and security rounds were initiated to monitor the silo’s temperature throughout the night. The silo resumed operation the next morning.

The fire was caused by sheet metal cutting work that had been done 2 hours earlier near the silo’s decompression vent while it was in the process of being emptied. The subcontractor in charge of this work had not been issued a fire permit or work authorization. The silo personnel had thought that there was no fire risk for work being performed outside the silo. As a result, it had become common practice not to issue a fire permit for this type of work.

Following the accident, the operator reviewed its “work order – fire permit” procedure, specifying the situations in which this procedure is applicable and the good practices to be observed during high-risk work. The procedure includes cleaning and marking out the work area. Staff awareness was raised through the creation of safety workshops (toolbox talks). A brochure was created for external companies working on the site to raise awareness regarding the dangers present.