Within a former cannery, little used over the previous 5 or 6 years, empty and undergoing renovation, a few litres of ammonia leaked out during the dismantling of a refrigeration installation while in a non-drained, non-operating state. Three workers cut through an ammonia transfer pipe and noticed, but did not report, a leak; they then left the area for lunch. Passers-by concerned over the odours being emitted notified firefighting services, which set up a water screen and spread a resinous acid dust to absorb and neutralize the ammonia (the pH of this resin was not modified). Upon their return, the three workers had to be hospitalised a few hours for observation. The accident had no impact on the environment.