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Chempark Leverkusen: Employees repeatedly injured when chemicals and fires leak

2021-07-28T16:32:06.799Z


In the past few years, chemicals have leaked out of the Chempark buildings several times, and there have been several fires in which employees were injured. In 1980 a man died in an explosion in an incinerator.


Enlarge image

Chempark Leverkusen on Wednesday

Photo: SASCHA STEINBACH / EPA

The explosion in Leverkusen with at least two dead and 31 injured was the biggest accident in Chempark to date.

The operating company stated that it assumes the death of the five missing employees.

In the past few years, however, there were repeated incidents with injuries.

The most devastating accident up to Tuesday occurred on July 15, 1980.

On that day there was an explosion in an incinerator for industrial waste, one man died and several were injured.

It was only last week that smoke had formed after a product leaked from a container.

The plant fire brigade managed to put down the smoke, as the "Kölner Stadtanzeiger" reported.

An overview of the incidents and their consequences:

  • On June 24, two employees were injured during repair work, one of whom had to be treated in hospital.

  • On June 18, a substance called phosphorus trichloride briefly leaked.

    Two employees of a partner company were injured, one of them seriously.

    Both had to be treated by a doctor.

  • On December 28th, oil leaked and caused a fire.

    Nobody was injured.

  • In December 2013 a mixture of hydrogen sulfide leaked and in November 2013 exhaust air that was contaminated with sulfur dioxide.

  • In October 2012 there was a fire in Chempark Dormagen.

    A product for the manufacture of pesticides was ignited with a flame in a production hall.

    One of the employees injured himself slightly.

  • In December 2012, 25 employees were slightly injured by the escape of hydrogen chloride.

    The chemical had escaped through a leaky pipe during cleaning work.

In previous years, too, there were several fires or chemicals leaked, such as hydrazine hydrate, which is used in the manufacture of dyes and for water treatment, and water containing ammonia.

According to the company, the Chempark is one of the largest chemical parks in Europe.

More than 70 companies are located at the three locations in Leverkusen, Dormagen and Krefeld-Uerdingen.

More than 5000 chemicals are produced there.

More than 31,500 employees work in the chemical park, which has existed since 1891.

But accidents happen again and again in other chemical plants.

On September 21, 1921, there was an explosion at the BASF plant in Oppau. 561 people died and almost 2,000 were injured in the largest accident in German industrial history to date.

On July 28, 1948, 207 people died in an explosion at the BASF plant in Ludwigshafen, and 4000 people were injured at the time.

kha / dpa

Source: spiegel

All life articles on 2021-07-28

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