At a public water pumping station, an intermediate bulk container (IBC) containing hydrochloric acid was punctured during unloading, causing 1,000 litres of the acid to spill on the transfer zone floor. Fire-fighters called to the scene plugged the leak, neutralised the spilled acid with calcium carbonate and controlled road traffic in the site vicinity. The remaining acid was then transferred into another tank. No environmental consequences were recorded, and property damage was limited to the transport vehicle, which was towed to a garage. The weakened container, combined with a shock that occurred during the unloading operation, gave rise to this accident. Several parameters were called into question: according to the tank manufacturer, the inner ebonite lining became vulnerable when filled at a temperature below 5°C. Moreover, the tank’s deformation stemmed from poor positioning of the protection rods. Lastly, the container was handled directly at the level of the tank using a small forklift, when instead it should have been handled by the slide rails designed for lifting operations via a large forklift. To lessen the probability of recurrence of such an accident, all tanks with ebonite lining were gradually replaced by containers featuring a Hypalon lining; also, a cover was draped over containers of this type to avoid handling with a small forklift, and all tank interiors were inspected from that time forward with a leak detector.