Diesel leak at an oil terminal
A tank of diesel fuel at an oil terminal began leaking its contents at around midnight. The fuel had been unloaded from an oil tanker. A total of 100 l leaked out and formed a floating layer on the surface of[...]
Biogas and corrosion
Numerous forms of corrosion have been found on steel equipment used in the manufacture or transport of biogas. Three corrosion degradation modes are presented here based on events that occurred in France. It seems that corrosion should be taken into[...]
Mastering the ageing of facilities: a long-term investment to avoid accidents!
When operating an industrial site, it is essential to research its economic optimisation, though systematic reasoning in terms of the cost/benefit ratio has its limitations! Minimising the risks when the initial signs of aging appear or trying to keep one's[...]
Ageing and management of spare parts: a major challenge
The accident can quickly occur when the repair of an ageing equipment is not conducted in a timely manner! Often involved: an improper management of replacement parts, which are not available in due course. Patch-up jobs, consisting in reallocating pieces[...]
Accidentology associated with the ageing of industrial installations
Ageing of industrial installations is a normal and well-known phenomenon. However, it deserves to be properly managed! Conception or construction defaults, insufficient maintenance are some of the several factors that can contribute to an uncontrolled acceleration of ageing… and that[...]
Preventing and minimising acts of malicious intent
Malicious acts may arise in number of ways within an industrial facility. Such acts may be perpetrated inside the company by a staff member or subcontractor. The notion of industrial facility itself perhaps needs to be broadened, especially in light[...]
Early analysis of technical or organisational changes
An early analysis of technical or organisational changes often proves to be insufficient, or overlooked altogether, resulting in numerous accidents. In many cases, it is simpler and less costly to use existing installations in order to develop or advance a[...]
Anticipating emergency response difficulties
The handling of an industrial accident is often rife with obstacles, e.g. water supply constraints, inappropriate response protocol in light of product properties, inefficient information provided by bystanders... 6.5% of all accidents recorded at France's classified sites have experienced major[...]
Effectively evaluating risks under degraded operating conditions
A degraded situation is merely an initial phase that could lead to an accident with serious consequences. “Operating in a degraded mode” refers to a condition during which operations are ongoing despite there being no access to all necessary or[...]
Release of a chlorinated organic chemical
At around 3:15 p.m., vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) was released from a basic-plastics manufacturing plant. At around 2:50 p.m., the emergency diesel generators started up to power the safety and I&C systems after the plant's mains electricity supply shut off and the[...]
