Around 2 pm, during transfer of a cistern of toluene inside a chemical plant, a technician connected the hose onto an aboveground tank full instead of an empty one. Solvent overflowed via the vent. Once he had recognized his mistake, the technician stopped the transfer pump, closed the cistern valve and then disconnected the hose on the tank side. The draught produced a siphoning effect on the aboveground tank and toluene spread onto the floor. The technician was then sprayed by solvent while plugging the pipeline. The lorry driver notified emergency services, and the victim was transported to the hospital. In all, 2,800 litres of toluene were spilled. The lorry and transfer zone were thoroughly washed and the water discharged into the retention basin. According to the site operator, the technician should have alerted his supervisor or lowered the tank level by racking, using the workshop’s distribution pump, approx. 200 litres of toluene into a drum and then depressurising the hose by following the typical procedure prior to hose disconnection.