Industrial risk / Accident in Toulouse :

And now, what consequences ?

Certu

Kick-Off Conference, 24th & 25th February 2005, Certu, Bernard Guézo

Accident in TOULOUSE

September, the 21st, 2001September, the 21st, 2001

Presentation with the help of Ministry of Ecology and Sustainable Development, BARPI (Governmental office) and INERIS.

SETRIC Kick-Off Conference, 24th & 25th February 2005, Certu, Bernard Guézo

1/ THE ACCIDENT

The plant, its surrounding,

…the

accident.

AZF, Toulouse September 21th after the explosion

THE PLANT

Operator : Grande Paroisse

Geographic data :- Located North part of the town of Toulouse- Covering a 70 ha-area- 3 km from the centre of the town, - On the left bank of Garonne river.

Classified Seveso site for : - Chlorine storage (56 t x2), - Ammonia storages (5000+1000+315 t),- Ammonium nitrate storages

General data :- 470 employees ; created in 1924 (ONIA)

Production :

Fertilizers section :- ammonia, nitric acid, urea, Ammonium nitrates (industrial : 400t/j ; granulated fertilizers : 850 t/j)... Chemical products : - melamine (70 t/j), chloroderivatives, glue,…

Raw materials :- Natural gas, - chlorine

Closest houses and stores

THE PLANT and its surrounding

By-pass way and railway S.N.P.E.

Garonne River

Workshop where the explosion occurred

Town’s bus warehouse

THE PLANT inside the built-up area

The area near the plant

The surroundings of the site :

Other industrial plants : chemical industries or specialized chemistry

Public buildings :- Schools, stores and department stores, hospitals

Main roads : motorway junction, bypass,

High density of population in the neighbourhood

Controlled perimeters :

Adopted in 1989

Land use planning concerning 1 130 people

Warehouse involved

Located : North part of the plant

Dedicated to storage of “out of standard materials”

Licensed for 500 t AN : 21th September, about 300 to 400 t of AN were stored.

Workshop operated by shipping department using sub-contractors.

The accident itself…

Very violent detonation

Equivalent to 3.4 on Richter scale

Equivalent to 20 to 40 t TNT (estimation INERIS) and 60 to 126 tons (estimation judicial experts)

Elliptic crater 60x50m 10 m-depth

Which causes ?

3 kind of hypotheses :

Terrorist attack or Arson : hypothesis not adopted.

External accidents (meteorite, part of plane ; electric arc ; electric defect inside the site… Theory not adopted.

Chemical cause : AN not pure ; soil covered by polluted crust ; if particular chemical product, violent reaction possible with AN (confirmed by laboratory tests). Probable cause.

Judicial experts’ hypothesis(report dated the 5th of June, 2002 – First conclusions)

2/ CONSEQUENCESAND MEASURES TAKEN

Human, material, economical.

Human consequences…

Human losses

- 30 fatalities 8 people out of the site including 1 sec.school pupil 22 employees (including 1 employee of a neighbour industrial site)

- A lot of irreversible injuries

Human consequences…

People injured :

About 2500 people officially registered and 5000 who declare somatic or psychological effects

780 people sent to hospital amongst whom 30 in critical conditions

Estimated 3500 people affected (according to emergency services)

Main effects :

Somatic effects due to the blast : traumas, fractures, injuries, pulmonary affections or ear, nose and throat, eye affections, …)

Psychological effects : Numerous post-trauma syndromes, States of depression, due to deterioration of living/working conditions

Material consequences…

Outside the site : About 30 000 houses or flats destroyed or seriously damaged 1800 families re-housed Most of the windows broken in a 7 km radius Several educational establishments were closed temporarily (11 colleges and 2 schools, 79 primary schools / 185 in Toulouse, universities, …)

Economical consequences

On the site : North part of the plant destroyed Significant damage on chemical plants in the neighbourhoodOther economic impacts : 6 factories of the chemical platform shutdown (including La Grande Paroisse, definitively stopped)

1 000 companies affected in various ways (20 000 jobs, 100 000 m² damaged area …)

Main measures taken for population

Emergency fund (>18 M€) raised from regions, Government, departments, cities, public companies population - 44 000 files registered

Peoplefollow-up committee for : Compensations, rights of victims, psychological support

Epidemiological follow-up : Sanitary Vigilance was instituted through scientific and institutional committees

Epidemiological and environmental follow-up

Two directions for investigations :

- Employees (chemical platform and other sectors of the town) and

safety people) 50.000

- Pupils and teachers of the different schools about 3700

- Other population (general survey).

An environmental survey was made on :

- air, water, soil.

Epidemiological follow-upMain first results

Psychological troubles were major impact :

- Estimation : 5000 people consulted a doctor for stress symptoms).

hearing symptoms :

- Detection of hearing problems was necessary amongst people in a radius of 1,7 km-area at the moment of the explosion

1/ THE EFFECTS FOR THE FUTURE

New laws in France,

a greater governance,

a greater implication for

local authorities in risk management.

2 laws in a short time :

First new law : 30th July 2003 To reduce risk, by

1/Solving most difficult situations both in terms of hazard and urban neighbourhood,

2/Controling future

• To develop public information and participation.

• To increase participation of employers and subcontractors

• To improve the financial compensation for the victims.

Second new law : 13 August 2004

Public safetyGovernment requires local

authorities with major risk (natural or industrial) to

prepared an emergency plan

To reduce the risk :

On the Seveso sites :• Reduction of hazard : Ex : to

decrease the volume of dangerous substances storages

• Reduction of probability of a potential accident by physical or non-physical protective barriers : ex : to improve the maintenance of equipments, to confine ammonia tanks…

On the territory : Restriction of urban development Improving the situation for

existing residents or activities Public Information and

consultation : Creation of local Committees, public meeting organised during processes of authorizations, more detailed information by the sellers of a property.

Multi-layer risk prevention and mitigation

EXTERNAL EMERGENCY PLAN

INTERNAL EMERGENCY PLAN

DESIGNBUILDINGTRAINING

OF WORKEERSMAINTENANCEINSPECTION

ULTIMATE SAFETY SYSTEMS

EMERGENCY STOP AUTOMATISMS

REGULATION AND CONTROL SYSTEMSWORKERS

SAFETY ALARMSINTERVENTION OF OPERATORS

TRPP (Technological Risk Prevention Plan)

To decrease the risk

Expropriation

Renunciation

Pre-emption

Measures are correlated to the intensity of the risk

Constructive Measures

Try to find a better governance(Industrials, Government, Local

Authorities)

By a financial share consequences of the risk reduction By the analysis of the best balance between hazard reduction and

land planning possibilities By increasing discussion between whole partners during the

administrative process

And for Local Authorities ?

How to be prepared to face an accident with its consequences for :

population, activities, city management ?

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Environment general inspection report : Available on the web-site of MEDD http:// www. environnement. gouv.fr /publications

Commission of the French parliament Report : Available on the web-site of the “assemblée nationale”http:// www. assemblee-nationale.fr/rapport d’enquête

Intermediate report of the Sanitary Vigilance Institute :Available at the following address http:// www. invs. sante.fr

List of significant accidents which involved ANAvailable on the BARPI web-site :http:// www. aria . environnement. gouv. fr

Ministry of Ecology and Sustainable developmenthttp:// www. prim.net

THE END

Thank you for your attention

SETRIC Kick-Off Conference, 24th & 25th February 2005, Certu, Bernard Guézo