Operational Incidents 2004 - 2008
Henkel openly reports operational incidents when the consequences include at least one of the following:
- Endangerment of the neighborhood or the environment,
- Tangible losses of more than 50,000 euros,
- A high level of public reaction.
The measures taken in response are also described.
Posen, Poland, August 02, 2008
| Operational Incident | Measures Initiated |
| A major fire occurred at our central warehouse for cosmetics and adhesives in Posen. The building and many of the finished products and advertising materials stored there were destroyed. Thanks to the welltrained response of our employees, everyone in the building was able to exit safely. The warehouse had actually been inspected by the local fire protection authorities the day before the fire, and no deficiencies had been identified. The fire most probably started in an office area that belongs to the warehouse but is not leased by Henkel. | The professional reactions of our employees confirmed the relevance of our safety, health and environment (SHE) training courses, which we intend to intensify. |
Boituva, Brazil, March 05, 2008
| Operational Incident | Measures Initiated |
| At our site in Boituva, about two cubic meters of a mixture of water and solvent overflowed from the containment system, ran into the site’s rainwater drainage system, and emerged on land outside the site. The Henkel emergency team reacted at once in a professional manner and cleaned up the area, therefore the local authorities did not impose a fine. A final analysis of the soil and groundwater showed no further pollution of the affected area. | A root cause analysis showed that a failure in the system for monitoring the addition of the solvent caused first a vessel and then the containment system to overflow. We immediately informed the environmental authorities and took all necessary action to minimize the consequences outside the Henkel premises. The plant was repaired, and a list of preventive actions was drawn up to improve the safety of this and similar processes, and to avoid the occurrence of such incidents in the future. |
Nemours, France, Nov. 12, 2006
| Operational Incident | Measures Initiated |
| At the Nemours site, fabric softener escaped into the retention basin of the outdoor fabric softener tank, and was then swept into a nearby stream along with rainwater. This caused an increase in the level of organic substances in the stream. | To check the rainwater before it is discharged into the stream, an automatic monitoring system was installed. Moreover, the retention tank is being subjected to regular visual checks. |
Hemel Hempstead, Great Britain, Dec. 11, 2005
| Accident/operational incident | Measures initiated |
| Fortunately, the major fire at the Buncefield oil depot near Hemel Hempstead caused only material damage at the Henkel site 400 meters away. | During the almost week-long evacuation of the site and the subsequent repair work, important functions and some of the employees were relocated to other Henkel sites in the vicinity. |
Toluca, Mexico, Sept. 7, 2004
| Accident/operational incident | Measures initiated |
| A fire in the storage area of the detergent production facility damaged the fiberglass façade of the building. Site employees were able to quickly extinguish the fire. | Rapid intervention by the employees kept the damage from extending beyond the storage area and façade. The fiberglass used for the façade was replaced by a fire retardant material. |
