Event
- Event ID
- 806
- Quality
- Description
- In the acid treatment room of a Seveso low-threshold hazardous waste treatment centre, an explosion occurred on a 250 m³ concrete tank containing acid sludge being neutralized.
The explosion occurred when the employee left the room and cut off the lighting of the building.
The building was evacuated. The employee, severely burned, was transported to the hospital.
Firefighters intervened.
The concentration close to tank ceiling was 80% of the LFL. The operator filled the tank with water. The next day, the concentration was less than 10% of the LFL.
The upper hatch of the tank was torn off. 30 m² of false ceiling were blown.
The presence of H2 was suspected to be at the origin of the event. The company has never controlled this room so no reference explosion-related survey is available. - Event Initiating system
- Classification of the physical effects
- Hydrogen Release and Ignition
- Nature of the consequences
- Macro-region
- Europe
- Country
- France
- Date
- Root causes
- Root CAUSE analysis
- The presence of H2 was suspected to be at the origin of the event.
Facility
- Application
- Other
- Sub-application
- Chemical waste storage and disposal
- Hydrogen supply chain stage
- All components affected
- hazardous waste treatment centre, acid treatment room
- Location type
- Confined
- Location description
- Industrial Area
- Operational condition
Emergency & Consequences
- Number of injured persons
- 1
- Number of fatalities
- 0
- Post-event summary
- The employee, severely burned, was transported to the hospital.
The upper hatch of the tank was torn off. 30 m² of false ceiling were blown.
Event Nature
- Release type
- gas
- Involved substances (% vol)
- H2 100%
- Presumed ignition source
- Not reported
- High pressure explosion
- Y
References
- Reference & weblink
ARIA data base <br />
event no. 51639
JRC assessment
- Sources categories
- ARIA
