In a refinery, at around 3.35 a.m., an alarm in the control room informed the operators of a fire in the distilling unit. At around 4.00 a.m., the flames had reached a height of 50 m and had engulfed an area of 2,500 m². The[...]
This ARIA newsflash lists the causes of the various cases of collapse and rupture of silos compiled in the ARIA accidentology database. It reminds the appropriate questions to ask and the guides available to avoid collapses of concrete cells. As[...]
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[...]
In early March 2017, the ARIA database identified 349 events involving fittings and seals/gaskets. These elements are often encountered on pipe flanges and are also essential sealing components for valves or other equipment. Insufficiently tightened flange bolts and deficient leak[...]
Numerous forms of corrosion have been found on steel equipment used in the manufacture or transport of biogas. Three corrosion degradation modes are presented here based on events that occurred in France. It seems that corrosion should be taken into[...]
When operating an industrial site, it is essential to research its economic optimisation, though systematic reasoning in terms of the cost/benefit ratio has its limitations! Minimising the risks when the initial signs of aging appear or trying to keep one's[...]
The accident can quickly occur when the repair of an ageing equipment is not conducted in a timely manner! Often involved: an improper management of replacement parts, which are not available in due course. Patch-up jobs, consisting in reallocating pieces[...]
Ageing of industrial installations is a normal and well-known phenomenon. However, it deserves to be properly managed! Conception or construction defaults, insufficient maintenance are some of the several factors that can contribute to an uncontrolled acceleration of ageing… and that[...]
Damaged compressor : dual-stage compressor compressing ethylene from 3 to 33 bar. It operates alternately with the main compressor. On the day of the accident, it had been in operation for 43 days since its last maintenance five months prior. It was[...]
Commonly used to plug leaks on pipelines, seal boxes serve stop discharge flows without entirely shutting down production. Despite this advantage, several accidents have shown that this type of remedial action is not sustainable and moreover necessitates regular monitoring during[...]
