Pollution
Humain
Environnement
Economique

At around 3:35 p.m., an explosion followed by flashover occurred in a 6000 m² building of a waste sorting/transit facility whilst small household appliances (hoovers, toasters, microwave ovens, etc.) stored in a concrete cubicle were being handled with a telescopic machine. The fire alarm went off. The machinery driver activated the evacuation alarm and attacked the fire using fire-hose reels. The building, as well as a nearby hotel located in the smoke’s path, were evacuated. The firefighters attacked the fire, now contained to 200 m², from the ground as well as from the roof after breaking some portions of the parts of the asbestos-cement roof. The smoke vents were opened. Wearing SCBAs, the workers spread the waste with machinery to help the job of the firefighters. The firefighters left at around 2:00 a.m.

The building’s asbestos-cement roof and structure were partially damaged. The facility’s WEEE operations were halted. The prefect issued an emergency order to supervise the post-accident phase and resumption conditions. It also issued a formal notification order after several deviations were found:

  • waste was not stored in accordance with the site’s layout plan: WEEE was stored in excess of the authorised height of 2 m, bales of plastic waster were stored in areas that should have been kept clear to prevent the spread of fire;
  • the fire-protection pond was only one-third full;
  • access to the fire-hose reels was hampered by waste;
  • part of the building did not have a fire detection and suppression system.

According to the operator, the fire was caused by the presence of batteries contained in the WEEE. The inspection authorities identified the risks associated with the way in which this waste is managed. Small electrics are collected in wire mesh containers from waste disposal sites and transported to the sorting/transit facility, where they are stored in bulk in the concrete cubicles. They are then picked up by machinery and loaded into lorries with large-capacity walking-floor trailers for shipment to their final destination. Some waste, such as oil heaters and petrol tools, are collected at the same time as the small electrics. However, the integrity of such waste cannot be guaranteed during handling operations. There is therefore a fire hazard (with the release of toxic fumes) due to ignition source that is the batteries in the small electrics.

The site was supposed to close within 18 months (the lease was up, the environment was unsuitable) and the operator was planning to create two separate sites, one for WEEE and another for other types of waste (paper, cardboard, wood, plastics, etc.).

Since the accident, the operator plans to:

  • improve employee training in how to operate fire extinguishers and fire-hose reels;
  • conduct twice-yearly fire drills with firefighters.