Pollution
Humain
Environnement
Economique

At 10:10 am, immediately after the vulcanisation of a sleeve at 168°C for 26 min in the autoclave of a rubber parts factory (max. pressure: 7 bar), the technician pressed the “end of curing” button controlling autoclave drainage, then visually checked for a zero pressure on the indicator and activated the lever unlocking the door. A deafening noise boomed and the 50-cm diameter autoclave door with its counterweight (~100 kg) were projected against the cylindrical tool pipe, then fell to the floor along with the projectiles of debris from heat insulation, liner and door joint. The technician received a vapour flux to his face and on his work uniform. A few seconds later, the victim and another employee who was passing next to the autoclave at the time of the incident heard a ringing in their right ear. The accident had caused the autoclave door to open while a residual pressure on the manometer barely or not detectable was still present inside the manometer.