The fire occurred after a hydrogen released from a venting valve opened for inspection. The hydrogen was at 300 bar and 300C centigrade. The hydrogen ignited probably spontaneously and killed 4 workers and injured additional 3. A similar accident seems to have taken place in the same installation 5 years ago. A safety study of the facility has been requested before the start-up of the plant

The accident occurred during the night during the production of a silicon oil- and additive-based waterproofing agent. A junior technician (hired 6 months back), recently assigned to this post, was left without supervision to manage a process modified very recently and executed only for the second time. In the process, the order of addition of reactants was not specified. The technician loaded first 800 kg of oil into the tank at first floor, started heating the reactor, and descended to the ground floor to pump the reagent.

Following a loss of power the failure of a backup battery causes an alarm in a hydrogen storage facility. Consequently, a valve on the purge circuit and 30 m3 of hydrogen is released to the atmosphere.

A hot oil line (8-inch) in the hydro-desulfurisation (HDS) unit failed due to fatigue cracking. Hot oil at 50 bar and 343C sprayed across the roadway into the hydrogen units where ignition occurred. The pipe break was a guillotine -type, probably in the heat affected zone at 2 inches from a welding. The intense fire around the pipe rack in the hydrogen plant caused a hydrogen line (16-inch) to rupture, adding a second blow torch to the fire. In successive order, more pipes ruptured with explosions. Damage was extensive.

The accident occurred on one of the heat exchangers of the hydro-desulfurisation unit. The role of the exchanger , located between the charge pumps and the furnace, is to heat the charge using the hot products from the reactor. Before the exchanger, pressurized hydrogen is injected into the charge. The exchanger is equipped with interchangeable bundles mounted with deflector plates. During a shutdown, some beams were mistakenly reassembled upside down.

The fire broke out on a worm ("vis sans fin") supplying a conveyor of aluminum. The ignition of the powder on the ground was caused by the flame cutting operation on the worm shell which generated scales. The incandescent Al dust has been then swept by the wind spread to the atomisation tunnels, the sewers and a lost well. The dust and hydrogen formed upon contact with water caused four violent explosions. The fire spread to a stock of Al powder stored in bags and drums.

An explosion occurred on a hydrogen compressor due to an air ingress.The explosion projectiles damaged an ammonia storage tank with consequent ammonia release (domino effect) Three people were injured.

The event early on a Saturday morning, when the plant was thus practically empty. Nevertheless, the chronology of the accident can be reconstructed from the testimonies of the few operators who were present at the time:Phase 1: Gas leak - Loud whistling from the hydrogen storage facility could be heard , lasting 20 to 40 seconds.Phase 2: Explosion - The released hydrogen cloud ignites. A very bright, red-orange fireball measuring 15 to 20 m in diameter was visible for 3 minutes. Witnesses in a common room, located 100 m away from the pit, felt the shock wave and the heat from the blast.

(WARNING, UNCLEAR IF H2 WAS INVOLVED)The explosion occurred in a chemical reactor tank of a plant (SEVESO low level) manufacturing products for medical imaging. According to the investigation, the reaction casing the explosion concerned only the gas phase, at the dome of the reactor, consisting of oxygen (due to degassing), and a flammable gas a mixture. The investigation has proposed two alternatives:1. The reaction between di-chloromethane (CH2Cl2) and oxygen stated by a electrostatic charge. 2.

The explosion occurred in a copper electroplating plant test furnace when starting the operation of copper plating. EVENT DETAILS A tinned copper pipe had been placed inside another copper pipe and lined with pellets. Inside the furnace, the pellets were intended to adhere to the outer surface of the smaller tinned copper pipe under hydrogen atmosphere. The test was the third in the series. A vacuum was created inside the furnace, and an indicator light showed that a vacuum had been successfully generated.