“More than half of chemical companies violate safety rules’ – NU.nl

From the four hundred chemical and other companies in which a major security risk, more than half the safety rules are not properly observed in the past two years.

an inventory of de Volkskrant made on the basis of inspection reports, findings show that a fifth to a quarter of the companies is going to be medium to heavy violations.

The newspaper reports that at least five companies that the rules violated the production had to be discontinued because of a serious accident threatened. The most famous company on the list, with production temporarily was stopped due to a safety risk for AkzoNobel. It pertained to AkzoNobel Industrial Chemicals in Europoort.

Only after taking measures to leakage or explosion, where the safety of employees may be in danger, to resolve was a reboot to take place.

Especially in South-Brabant were violations identified in risky business. 77 percent of these companies took the safety rules are not good in eight, according to figures that the de Volkskrant to see. In South-Holland/Zeeland goes up to 63 percent of the companies.

Regulatory

Ira Helsloot, professor of management of safety in Nijmegen, says in the newspaper that many of these violations are ‘unnecessary regulations with a lot of paperwork’. “But there are certainly enough companies with such small profit margins, such as in the transshipment and storage and chemical waste disposal, that they are the edges of the safety legislation, look up, and that too well hidden to keep for the government. Say but the Chemistry-Packs of this time.”

Chemie-Pack in January 2011 is affected by a huge fire at the site in Moerdijk, the netherlands, where hundreds of containers with chemicals were. The fire was due to an employee a frozen pump with a torch trying to thaw.

Dirty

Through the fire and the fight against it became the bottom and locks on the industrial area in Moerdijk, the netherlands, are seriously polluted. The damage is estimated at 70 million euros and the impact on the environment by the pollution were large. Many people have reported health complaints.

Three members of the board of Chemie-Pack were sentenced to community service and suspended prison terms because they are according to the judge, carelessly and negligently acted.

Unrest

other incidents, the last years of turmoil in the environment of chemical companies. So it was at the beginning of last year announced that since the 21 november 2015 in Moerdijk, the netherlands, a toxic gas in the atmosphere leaking at Shell in Moerdijk, the netherlands, as an installation, that repair work is opened and was not closed.

Shell said, however, that there was no long-term exposure and high concentrations of the substance ehyleenoxide and that the health of people in the neighborhood are not in danger.

another recent incident took place at the so-called Delrin plant of DuPont. There was leaking in 2016 several times the carcinogen formaldehyde from the factory.

Inspections

According to the association evofenedex the transport of dangerous substances in the Netherlands is the safest in the world, because trade and manufacturing thousands of safety advisers work. Also proper and regular inspections contribute to this according to the organization. Those inspections are important, sets evofenedex.

The Association of the Dutch Chemical Industry (VNCI) let know in a comment that from reports is that the last three years a strong decrease of the number of violations is shown. Also, according to VNCI-director Colette Alma speak of “improvement of compliance”.

VNCI shall, on the basis of the report on the ‘State of Safety 2015′ that of the observed violations, almost 70 per cent in the lowest category. It would usually go to administrative shortcomings. “The number of by the government as a serious qualifying offenses was 2 percent very low,” said VNCI.

Dijksma

Sharon Dijksma, state secretary of Infrastructure and the Environment, states that the inspectors are on top down. “Because safety is the highest priority.”

Therefore, there are six regional environmental inspectorates established which, together with the labour inspectorate and the fire service companies will keep the and more check. Dijksma: “Because there are always better, looks more violations detected. That are in most of the cases of administrative violations, but if it is heavier, grab them immediately hard. By, for example, a company halt.”

By: NU.nl