Explosion in a chemical plant
In a chemical plant, 3 empty rail tanker parked on the unloading zone of unit 46 were replaced by 3 full tanker cars: 1 carrying methyl mercaptan (MM) and 2 with chlorine. At 3 am, the 2 chlorine cars were[...]
Fire on PCB transformers.
A fire broke out around 2:50 am in an electrical utility room at a paper mill. Engulfed in the flames, four transformers emptied entirely and a fifth halfway, dispersing a dielectric containing PCB. A prefectural order motivated by a proposal[...]
Explosion in a silo
In a cattle-feed plant during the ensilage of rape oil cakes, an explosion occurred on the return leg of a bucket elevator inside a horizontal silo while maintenance works (grinding and welding on a Redler conveyor) were ongoing in a[...]
Explosion in a petrol tank
In an oil depot, an explosion was followed by fire inside an empty tank allocated to storing premium unleaded gasoline and equipped with a stationary roof and a 5,000-m³ diaphragm float. The accident occurred while 2 subcontractors were scraping the[...]
Gases rich in hydrogen sulphide (H2S) killed 2 employees at a natural algae-based food additive fact…
Gases with hydrogen sulphide (H2S) contents killed 2 employees at a plant producing algae-based natural food additives. The insoluble fractions stemming from the extraction of gelling agents with no direct usability were being treated on a porous soil (composed of[...]
Fire in a agro-pharmaceutical industry
Within an agro-pharmaceutical industry, phytosanitary products packaged in small quantities and palletised (1-ton loads) ignited underneath an awning positioned against an empty building that had previously contained sulfur in bulk storage. The first alarm sounded at 7:30 pm; for 3[...]
Flare pipe leak on a butadiene worshop reboiler
A butadiene leak occurred inside a chemical plant; its origin was a flare pipe break on a butadiene workshop reboiler. The gas alarm was immediately activated as was the internal emergency plan. 7 tonnes of butadiene escaped, a vehicle crossing[...]
Fire in a glue factory
An explosion and fire occurred around 10 am in a glue factory. A large black smoke cloud formed and partially drifted over the neighbouring urban area. Since atmospheric conditions were unfavourable for the plume to rise and disperse, rescue services[...]
Acrylonitrile leak on a tank
Inside a synthetic fibre and plastics factory, a 600-litre leak of raw acrilonitrile (ACN) containing 10% hydrocyanic acid (HCN) spilled from a black steel (black PVD) tank located in a retention basin and fitted with a stainless steel extension and[...]
Leak of butadiene
In a synthetic rubber plant, a valve broke on a 12.5 m³ tank half filled with butadiene; 5 m³ of the substance were released into the atmosphere. Production was halted and the internal emergency plan activated (under the scenario of[...]
