[ENVIRONMENTAL EMERGENCY] When a semi loses 2000 liters of hazardous material into a ditch

January 2019. In the middle of the night, on a snowy highway in Mayenne, a semi is carrying a load of hazardous materials. Suddenly, an accident: the truck goes off the road and runs right into a tree. Part of its load, a container and four drums of isopropanol (a flammable irritant), tumbles into the ditch.

Alerted by the firefighters of the Departmental Fire and Rescue Service, the SDIS53, experts from Séché Urgences Interventions (SUI) reach the site at 4:00 a.m. The first order of business: identify the cargo. Testing confirms that the thick, foamy liquid is isopropanol and contains no combustion agent.

ACT FAST – AND SAFETY FIRST

Then it’s time to act fast: although the four drums (850 liters in all) are only slightly damaged, the 1,000-liter container shows a drip leak at the plug. They have to keep the product from spreading to protect the river downstream from the ditch, but it quickly becomes clear that moving the container is impossible – even dangerous. Just as impossible, in full dark, to quickly call in an ADR vacuum truck equipped to pump out and transport the hazardous goods.

Luckily, SUI experts have the equipment they need to deal with this type of situation. Protected by their ventilated masks, Tyvek suits, and chemical gloves, they set up their autonomous mobile pumping unit. Soon, all of the product is pumped out and repackaged in a new container. No pollution, no regrets.

Then, still under snowfall, along the highway secured by police, the team succeeds in hoisting the four drums up to the road with a winch and then using the response truck’s tailgate to load them in.

After cleaning the area, all the collected waste is finally under control and headed for the Triadis Services hazardous waste grouping center in Saint-Jacques-de-la-Lande. Ultimately it will be eliminated at another Séché Environnement Group site that specializes in hazardous waste incineration.

RESOURCES USED
4 staff trained in N1/N2 chemical hazards 
1 autonomous mobile pumping unit
Ventilated masks equipped with filter cartridges
Tyvek suits, chemical gloves, and safety shoes
Two response vehicles

Pumping out the container	Hoisting the drums	Response vehicles

With its triple QSE certification (ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001), SUI’s staff are trained and authorized to handle chemical risks. Its teams can be called to anywhere in France in less than four hours, in all weather, no matter what substances are involved or what the area of operation is like. They work closely with firefighters for fire safety and with the police, especially for nighttime roadside operations. Safety is the priority!

ENVIRONMENTAL EMERGENCY ?

MAKE THE RIGHT MOVE

MORE ENVIRONMENTAL EMERGENCY STORIES

• • See all the key references for Séché Urgences Intervention