19 January 2023

Impact of post-Lubrizol regulations on Seveso sites: advice from Séché Urgences Interventions

Lubrizol sui poster © Séché Environnement

Following the Lubrizol fire in 2019, new regulations have been introduced to strengthen risk prevention measures at Seveso-classified sites. Internal Operations Plan (IOP), crisis response capabilities, staff training... We take a look at the impact of the new requirements with Séché Urgences Interventions, specialists in environmental emergencies.

In September 2020, one year after the fire at Lubrizol near Rouen, the Ministry for Ecological Transition published new regulations (Decree No. 2020-1168 of 09/24/2020). The aim is to strengthen risk prevention at industrial sites, particularly those classified as Seveso sites where hazardous substances are manufactured, stored, or simply handled.

The industries concerned are required to revise their Internal Operation Plan (IOP) to include:

A procedure for cleaning up and restoring the environment in the event of an accident with an environmental impact.
Provisions to support off-site mitigation measures.
Provisions for taking initial environmental samples.
A training plan to prepare staff to deal with all emergency situations on site.

"Our first priority is to do everything possible to ensure that fires of this magnitude do not happen again."

Barbara Pompilli, Minister for Ecological Transition

A TIGHT SCHEDULE
New facilities	New regulations came into force on January 1, 2021.
Existing facilities	High-threshold Seveso sites: Implementation of an emergency response plan (POI) on January 1, 2021, with annual drills. Low-threshold Seveso sites: Implementation of an emergency response plan (POI) before January 1, 2023, with drills every three years. Other provisions: Compliance of installations phased in until 2026.

Prevention of environmental risks: advice from Séché Urgences Interventions

Séché Urgences Interventions is the specialist in environmental emergencies. Its teams intervene in crisis situations, carry out on-site decontamination operations, and manage the transport and treatment of waste in approved facilities.

Be prepared at all times
High-risk sites are required to include in their POI the means and methods planned for restoration and cleanup after an accident. When a major event occurs, the faster the response, the more the environmental impact can be limited. It is essential for the operator to choose a partner that ensures the availability and proper functioning of appropriate response equipment 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They must also be capable of providing comprehensive waste management and controlling the entire treatment chain.

Supporting relations with government agencies and stakeholders
Firefighters, police, insurance companies, DREAL, DDTM, DREETS, Prefecture, etc. When a disaster with an environmental impact occurs, there are many stakeholders involved. It is therefore important to have a contact person who is well known to all these parties and who will be able to establish the climate of trust necessary for efficient and smooth operations.

Prepare an effective emergency response
To minimize environmental impacts, Seveso sites must have an emergency response plan in place with appropriate and well-defined procedures in the event of an accident. In order to prepare for an emergency response as effectively as possible, the partner company must collect a certain amount of information and data in advance so that it can be as effective as possible on the day. A comprehensive site review leading to the creation of a summary response sheet can thus be proposed to the operator.

Train and coach staff
In order to increase staff responsiveness in an emergency, the POI for a Seveso site must provide for regular exercises and a continuous training plan. The operator or its partner must be able to conduct training on all identified issues and organize full-scale on-site drills.