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[...]
At 6:40 am, a road tanker containing 12 m³ of liquefied propane under 8 bar of pressure struck the gate of a filling centre. A leak ensued on the cistern around the drain downstream of the distribution pump (diameter: 12[...]
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[...]
Around 9:50 am, fire burned through a stockpile of 5 million tyres, spreading to an 8-storey building also used as a warehouse. Thick black smoke was visible 40 km away. Six dwellings were evacuated and 35 individuals housed elsewhere. A[...]
A detonation occurred at 6:45 pm in a reactor on a pharmaceutical site. A worker sustained burns to the face. The device was placed under permanent inerting with nitrogen (N2). The most recent reaction held, a hydrogenation step, had been[...]
On a Monday morning, a huge fire destroyed an archive warehouse comprising 2 cells, one measuring 3,630 m² and 14 m high (5 archive storage levels accessible by elevated walkways) the other 1,838 m² and 8.5 m high, with a[...]
For the 2nd time in less than 24 hours, the window on an 80-m³ beer tank in a brewery exploded after pressure in the container had risen. Plant activity was suspended for the time needed to determine the precise cause[...]
