Fires in waste composting activities
The relative increase in disposal costs and regulatory requirements (an overall reduction in landfilling by 2025, and sorting at source of bio-waste) allow composting activities to continue to grow in France. This development is highly beneficial from an environmental standpoint,[...]
Explosion under a bridge deck following a fire which caused a gas leak
At around 8:55 p.m., a natural gas explosion (vapour cloud explosion - VCE) occurred on a bridge pier containing a polyethylene natural gas pipeline (DN125) passing through a stainless steel sheath, and a steel pipeline (DN 114). A fire had initially broken[...]
Beware of smoke from fire!
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[...]
Pallet fire in a combustible materials warehouse
A fire broke out at 10:15 am in a warehouse subject to authorization (item 1510 of the nomenclature of the French classified installations) at an external storage of wooden pallets. Employees are evacuated prior to the arrival of firefighters. The[...]
Leakage of sulphurous gases at a refinery
Before 8:00 a.m. one morning, a leak occurred on a non-return valve at a refinery's flue-gas desulphurisation unit. At 8:13 a.m. a hydrogen sulphide (H2S – a flammable, toxic and odorous gas in very low concentrations) detection alarm with a threshold[...]
Wind turbine toppled during a storm
A 60-m-high wind turbine snapped in two in the early morning during a storm. The upper 55 m of the turbine fell to the ground, scattering debris over a fairly large area and driving the rotor into the ground. Firefighters set[...]
Runaway reactions, case studies, lessons learned
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[...]
