A fire broke out at a potash mine about 4:15 am within an underground storage site devoted to toxic industrial waste (50,000 tonnes/year), which had been operating since February 1999 in galleries specifically excavated for this purpose at a depth[...]
In a fine chemistry plant employing 70 staff, a 1,500-litre enamelled reactor underwent a pressure surge and exploded during the oxidation of 200 kg of dichloro-dicyano-hydroquinone (DDHQ) into dichloro-dicyano-quinone (DDQ) by means of nitric acid and oxygen in a solvent[...]
A leak of heating oil occurred during the unloading of a tanker into a storage capacity of 6000 m3, polluting a channel of the harbour in Brussels. Local residents alerted local authorities and media. Fire-fighters set up 4 booms despite[...]
Acid water stemming from the manufacturing of dyes and pigments was partially channelled to a neutralisation facility located 18 km from a chemical plant. Between 5th and 11th August, a succession of leaks was observed, especially over the first 2[...]
An explosion occurred in a dynamite packaging shop at a plant specialised in the manufacturing of gelatinous explosives. In all, 90 kg of dynamite detonated. The only technician working in the shop at the time of the accident was killed.[...]
At a plant making bitumen, base oils and other by-products, an explosion occurred on a 140-tonne tank containing an additive used in the road bitumen formulation composed of 2 polymers with a high flash point. Heat-insulated and practically full at[...]
In the stripping workshop of a firm specialised in the stamping and machining of parts made of an aluminium and titanium alloy, a large quantity of nitrous vapours were released in the 3,500-litre cold-working, fluonitric acid bath (containing 5% HNO3[...]
At 8:45 am, a series of fires and 3 explosions broke out at a 10-ha fireworks storage site. A technician withdrew a series of electric detonators on fireworks ground packs, then a second technician sorted these detonators by colour for[...]
During a transfer of heavy fuel oil (HFO), a leak occurs on a pipe between a coastal depot and a power plant storage (length: 7430 m; depth: 2 m). The procedure involves flushing with light fuel oil (LFO) at 10[...]
During cleaning operations at a chemical site that had ceased its activities, hydrogen chloride was released for a few minutes when a tank containing 11.7 tonnes of benzoyl chloride was being drained. The substance was no longer used and had[...]
