On a Saturday evening in a hazardous waste incineration plant, at around 7:30 p.m., operators noticed an outbreak of fire in a skip located in front of the scrap metal shredder in an open building. The shredder contained 50 m³ of metal waste saturated with solvents and paint. The fire was spreading to the conveyor belt, and black smoke was visible 5 km away. The operators began to fight the flames using two foam nozzles. The emergency rescue services then took over and deployed a swinging automatic fire hose. A specialised company conducted surveillance patrols.

The conveyor belt used to carry the scrap to the skip was destroyed, and electrical cables were damaged. The extinguishing water, confined in the retention tank, was processed by incineration.

On site, the Inspection authorities for classified facilities noted the presence of a considerable stock of shredded scrap metal (1,500 m³, i.e., 11,790 t, whereas the maximum quantity that can be stored is 500 t). The consequences of the fire could have been more severe if it had spread to the entire storage area. A formal notice order was issued.

Furthermore, the flame detectors installed around the crusher did not function. The operator must improve the equipment’s preventive maintenance. More generally, the operator must review the fire detection/extinguishing system in the shredder’s operating area (type of detectors, installation of sprinklers or fire hose station, etc.).

The operator must also review its hazard study and its internal contingency play, taking into account the feedback collected from the event.

A fire involving waste shredding operations occurred on the site a year earlier (ARIA 51202).