Thematic teachings – La référence du retour d'expérience sur accidents technologiques

Accidents related to incorrect circuit positioning

17/09/2018
Study

Fluid transfer is a common industrial operation. However, the incorrect positioning of transfer circuit during such operations, also referred to as poor alignment, is the cause of many accidents. This study, based on 372 events in the ARIA database, presents their characteristics and lessons learnt.

Mobile acetylene cylinders : Hazard potential not to be underestimated!

01/08/2018
Flash

Mobile acetylene cylinders are present in all sectors of activity owing to their common use on welding machines. Even if they look like risk free, these cylinders are real hazard potential ! Five major accidents in France since the beginning of 2018 drive us to remind to users and owners the risks associated to these cylinders.

Video “From incident to media crisis”

15/06/2018
Movie

How does a technically insignificant incident turn into a media frenzy? This new film, produced by the BARPI, explains the sequence of malfunctions that led to the release of a highly olfactory component. A timeline presents how the media crisis gains momentum. Discover the experience of those who witnessed the crisis first hand and the lessons learnt from the event through numerous interviews.

Beware of smoke from fire!

24/04/2018
Flash

Whether white (rich in aerosols or water vapour), grey (a mixture of aerosols and solid particles) or black (large solid particles), the smoke released from fires presents several risks. Beyond death from intoxication, fumes are a potential health hazard owing to the substances they contain. Smoke is also corrosive to metal structures or electronic components. Finally, they can accentuate the combustion of surrounding goods by pyrolysis.

51379

24/04/2018
Accident report
FRANCE

The summary of this accident has not yet been translated. In the meantime, please refer to the French summary :

Un feu se déclare vers 10h15 dans un entrepôt soumis à autorisation (rubrique 1510) au niveau d'un stockage externe de palettes de bois. Le personnel du site est évacué avant l'arrivée des pompiers.

Les conséquences économiques de l'événement sont estimées à :

1 000 euros pour les dégâts matériels (destruction de 152 palettes) ;
4 500 euros pour les pertes d'exploitation (évacuation du personnel pendant 40 minutes).

Le [...]

Runaway reactions, case studies, lessons learned

20/11/2017
Press article

Runaway reactions are a major source of industrial accidents. They can occur in a wide array of sectors, including chemicals, petrochemicals, food processing, plastics and rubber manufacturing, and metalworking and are primarily caused by a loss of process control. The processes involved are quite diverse, encompassing chemical reaction, polymerisation and distillation, among others. The loss of process control is related with various factors that are examined in this article. Several accidents that occurred in France and recorded in the ARIA1 [...]

Geographical distribution of industrial accidents in France

01/09/2017
Flash

The ARIA database on technological accidents lists 26,271 events in French industrial establishments between 1 January 1992 and 31 December 2016. This large sample allows to give some trends on the exposure of the territories (regions, county) to the industrial risk.

50270

21/08/2017
Accident report
FRANCE

The summary of this accident has not yet been translated. In the meantime, please refer to the French summary :

Vers 3 h, au sein d'une entreprise de recyclage de déchets, un feu de masse se déclare dans un stockage extérieur de 50 000 m³ de copeaux de bois (24 m de hauteur situé en limite de propriété de l'établissement. Un important dégagement de fumées est visible au-dessus de la zone urbaine et de l'A11. L'accès au site est difficile pour les pompiers et leurs engins en raison du volume du tas. Le vent propage les flammes. Un expert [...]

Cybersecurity and industry

18/08/2017
Study

A computer attack on an industrial control system (SCI) can cause an accident or a degraded operating mode in a factory. This document, with pedagogical vocation, illustrates through examples extracted from the ARIA database some cases that could lead to this kind of situation. In order to improve the security of the sites, a grid of questions completes the analysis as well as an item on cyber attacks types.

Seal/Gasket accident study

17/07/2017
Flash

In early March 2017, the ARIA database identified 349 events involving fittings and seals/gaskets. These elements are often encountered on pipe flanges and are also essential sealing components for valves or other equipment. Insufficiently tightened flange bolts and deficient leak inspections on seals/gaskets are often the cause of an accident