A fire broke out at around 7:55 a.m. on the insulation of an incinerator in a plant specialised in printing on metal packaging. A mechanic passing by caught sight of the flames and was able to extinguish the fire with seven CO2 extinguishers. The power supplies were shut off. Firefighters then stripped the insulation off a pipe in the installation to check for any remaining hot spots and left the premises at around 11:00 a.m.

The purge flap’s operating cable had been overstretched during the work performed over the extended weekend prior to the event. The defect was not visible during the tests conducted upon completion of the work. With each purging cycle, the high tension exerted by this cable caused an overcurrent on the main shaft motor. The fuse eventually blew which caused the purge flap to remain in the closed position, no longer allowing hot air to escape. As a result, the temperature in the lower part of the incinerator began to rise. A piece of wood, left in the insulation during the installation of the incinerator in 2004, heated up to the point where it ignited.

Following this event, the operator added alarms on the temperature control of the chambers with a servo control controlling the shutdown of the motor and the burner fans, and the opening of the purge flaps. The operator set up a system to monitor the intensity on the main shaft motor with management by the incinerator’s PLC. The possibility of discharging hot air into the lower ducts in the event of an engine failure was also studied. Site electricians have been trained in how to deal with an incinerator failure.