Pollution
Humain
Environnement
Economique

In a pyrotechnic facility, an explosion followed by a fire occurred during the extrusion of coloured stars (as part of a fireworks pyrotechnic composition). The facility manager was thrown violently by the blast and hospitalised in critical condition; he succumbed as a consequence of inhaling toxic products. The production unit was completely destroyed. Fire-fighters had the situation under control in 1 hour, 45 min. The company had been developing its own pyrotechnic composition designs, and a product qualification procedure had already been initiated. The sensitivity of these stars to both shock and friction would have caused the accident.