Pollution
Humain
Environnement
Economique

6.4 kg of a pyrotechnic composition prepared during the morning were temporarily stored in a building at lunchtime. A very powerful explosion spontaneously occurred on this composition containing barium chlorate, aluminium powder and paraffin oil. The most likely cause of this accident was heating by means of chemical action due either to fouling of one of the components by impurities or to a mix design error (confusion between two products). The transition from combustion to an explosive state had not been taken into account as part of the workplace safety report.

Since plant staff had left the site (lunchbreak), no injuries ensued. Property damage was extensive inside the facility: complete destruction of one building, deterioration to nine adjacent buildings. Sprayed debris could be observed within a 60-m radius.

The operator proceeded by: suspending production of the composition, performing a series of tests on similar compositions to evaluate their likelihood of exploding, and revising workplace safety report conclusions. The operator also issued a set of guidelines: the contents of each container were to be clearly marked, and only those essential to the current activity could be stored inside the facility.