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,[...]
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[...]
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[...]
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[...]
The summary of this accident has not yet been translated. In the meantime, please refer to the French summary : Vers 10 h, lors du nettoyage, par 2 sous-traitants, d'une cuve extérieure enterrée pouvant contenir 35 m³ d'acétate d'éthyle, une[...]
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[...]
The summary of this accident has not yet been translated. In the meantime, please refer to the French summary : Vers 7h20, une explosion de poussière survient au niveau d'un élévateur d'un silo portuaire, après chargement de pellets de bois[...]
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 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[...]
At 9:20 a.m., the temperature inside a 4000-l reactor used to manufacture an organomagnesium compound at a chemical plant abruptly rose. At 9:30 a.m., the employees in the shop began flooding the reaction medium with water. As a precaution, the internal emergency[...]
