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 was available.- Event Initiating system
- Classification of the physical effects
- Hydrogen Release and Ignition
- Nature of the consequences
- Macro-region
- Europe
- Country
- France
- Date
- Component involved
- chemical storage tank (waste)
- Failure mode
- rupture & ignition
- Initiating cause
- accidental hydrogen formation
- Root CAUSE analysis
The lack of measurements and survey could suggest a failure in guaranteeing safe operation of the facility.
- Root causes
- Date entry in HIAD
- 01/01/2020
Facility
- Application
- Other
- Sub-application
- Chemical waste storage and disposal
- Hydrogen supply chain stage
- All components affected
hazardous waste treatment centre, acid treatment room
- Process temperature range [C]
- ambient temperature (-50°C to +50°C)
- Location type
- Confined
- Location
- industrial area
- Operational condition
Emergency & Consequences
- Number of fatalities
- 0
- Number of injured persons
- 1
- 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.
- Emergency action
The building was evacuated. Firefighters intervened.
In-depth data
- Release type
- gas
- Involved substances (% vol)
- H2 100%
- Release temperature [°C]
- 25
- Probable IGNITION SOURCE
- Explosion type
References
- Sources categories
- ARIA
- Reference & weblink
ARIA data base
event no. 51639
