The fire at Chemie-Pack Moerdijk (2011): 5 lessons for the chemical industry

What happened

The fire started shortly after half past two in the afternoon at a pump and spread extremely quickly across the site. Plastic packaging (ISO containers) melted and the contents caught fire, causing the flames to spread to the storage area. A large plume of smoke formed and drifted across the Hollands Diep towards the Hoeksche Waard and Dordrecht.

There were no fatalities or injuries, but in the days that followed the GGDs received hundreds of reports of health complaints. The material and environmental damage was considerable. The Onderzoeksraad voor Veiligheid investigated the case and drew firm conclusions about permit granting, supervision and business operations.

Lesson 1: Warn local residents immediately, with shelter advice

In the event of heavy smoke or a toxic cloud, every minute counts. The advised course of action is usually to shelter: go indoors, close windows and doors, switch off the ventilation and stay inside until you hear otherwise. Use NL-Alert for this, together with the safety region.

Communicate which area is affected on the basis of the wind direction. Repeat the message unchanged on all channels. Uncertainty about whether to 'stay inside or get out' costs trust and can put people in danger.

Lesson 2: Deploy the works fire brigade and the chain immediately

An incident at a BRZO company affects many parties at once. Make sure that scaling up and cooperation are arranged in advance.

• The works fire brigade and the in-house incident team bring the process to a safe state.
• The safety region scales up (GRIP) and leads the response outside the site.
• The environmental agency and the Netherlands Labour Authority carry out supervision and investigation.
• The GGD advises on health risk, the water authority on firefighting water and the environment.

Lesson 3: Think about firefighting water and the environment in advance

One of the aftermath problems in Moerdijk was contaminated firefighting water that ended up in the surrounding area. Firefighting water with chemical residues can seriously affect soil and surface water.

Include the collection and disposal of firefighting water in the company emergency plan, and coordinate this with the water authority and the environmental agency. Communicate transparently about environmental measurements; it is precisely there that distrust otherwise arises.

Lesson 4: Take health concerns seriously

Even without acute casualties, there were hundreds of reports of complaints caused by the smoke. People worry about what they have breathed in, about their garden, their vegetables and their children.

Work together with the GGD on this and give honest, understandable information: what has been measured, what it means, and what people can do themselves. Acknowledge the concerns. Playing them down is counterproductive.

Lesson 5: Know your rules and reporting obligations

Since 2024, BRZO/Seveso companies have fallen under the Environment and Planning Act (Omgevingswet). A major accident must be reported to the competent authority (the environmental agency), the safety region and the Netherlands Labour Authority; in the event of a discharge, also to the water authority. In addition, chemical companies are often important entities under the Cybersecurity Act (NIS2), with an obligation to report significant (cyber) incidents to the NCSC.

The core lesson of the Onderzoeksraad was broader: safety must not be a paper reality. Supervision and a company's own safety culture must be demonstrably in order, even when nothing happens for years.

How CrisisRadar helps

CrisisRadar brings company management, the works fire brigade, the safety region, the environmental agency and the GGD together in a shared crisis picture. You record facts with their source, issue shelter advice to local residents within minutes, coordinate with the emergency services and publish the current status on your own status page. Reporting-obligation timers keep track of which report is due when and to whom.

Would you like to see what an incident involving a toxic cloud looks like step by step in the platform? Then take a look at the accompanying practice scenario.

Stappenplan

Veelgestelde vragen

What is the advised course of action during a toxic smoke plume?

Usually it is to shelter: go indoors, close windows and doors, switch off the ventilation and stay inside until you hear otherwise. The safety region determines which area is affected on the basis of the wind direction and uses NL-Alert if necessary.

Which rules apply to a chemical company like Chemie-Pack?

Such companies are subject to the strictest safety rules (Seveso/BRZO), since 2024 through the Environment and Planning Act (Omgevingswet). A major accident must be reported to the competent authority (the environmental agency), the safety region and the Netherlands Labour Authority. Often the Cybersecurity Act (NIS2) also applies.

What was the most important lesson from the Onderzoeksraad?

That safety must not be a paper reality. Both the supervision and the company's own safety culture must be demonstrably in order, with inspections that go beyond the documents.