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[...]
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[...]
At 10.40 pm, during a styrene/acrylonitrile copolymerisation reaction in a plastics manufacturing plant, the operator in the control room detected an abnormal temperature increase to 125 °C on one of the 75-m³ reactors. The visual display screen in the control[...]
A tank undergoing cleaning exploded after a 15-day production run. Along with a damaged drum dryer, the tank had been collecting washing water with an excess concentration of 2'-azobis (2 methylbutyronitrile) - AIVN (a by-product of hydrazine hydrate). In anticipating[...]
At 10:30 pm in a fine chemistry plant, a reactor underwent a pressure rise during chlorination of alcohol using thionyl chloride (SOCl2). This slightly exothermic reaction took place in a solvent medium (1,2 dichloroethane, or DCE) and under a slight[...]
An explosion and fire occurred at night inside a workshop dedicated to toluene di-amine (TDA) synthesis by means of hydrogenating dinitrotoluene (DNT) in the presence of Raney nickel; the workshop had been taken offline for scheduled maintenance. Internal fire-fighters had[...]
At a 40-ha chemical facility located on the outskirts of an urban area, the safety disc set at 1.5 bar on a 15.2-m3 reactor burst in a plant working with formo-phenolic resins used for glues applied to agglomerated material. The[...]
A reaction between cyanuric chloride and sulphanilic acid ran away inside a fine chemistry unit. Water, sulphanilic acid and cyanuric chloride were loaded into an 8,000-litre reactor. According to the new operating protocol, 1 tonne of ice was supposed to[...]
While transferring concentrated liquid waste inside a chemical plant, a tanker lorry driver died. He arrived at 9:30 am at the reception area and was joined in the transfer zone by the plant's safety engineer. The transfer from tank to 2[...]
Around 4:10 pm, six people were killed by the explosion of nearly 300 tonnes of expired munitions and production wastes inside the "Steingletscher" underground storage, located on the slope of the Susten pass facing Bern. The explosion, whose TNT equivalent[...]
