Center warned of explosion risk before it blew up

The recycling company Remondis Argentia in Moerdijk, where a large fire broke out on Tuesday, were recently warned that that there was a serious explosion risk in the company. This is according to a report by several inspectors from, among others, the inspectorate of Social and Employment, the Water Board and the Safety Office, that Omroep Brabant has in its possession. According to the newspaper, 6 violations were identified in the company during inspections on February 26th and March 4th. In two cases the inspectors found the situation so dangerous that the shut the work and equipment down in those places. A machine used for chemical cleanup was shut down due to a serious risk of explosion. The inspectors also instructed that flammable substances can no longer be used in a repacking area where the other serious violation was detected, this case also involved a serious risk of explosion. These findings were shared with the company on March 19th. The other violations vary in severity, but according to the newspaper, paint a picture of carelessness, incompetence and an unsafe workplace. The report also speaks of "insufficient preventive maintenance" and "insufficient understanding of the correct assessment of the risks in performing safety-critical tasks". The fire broke out at about 3:45 p.m. on Tuesday afternoon. One man suffered burn wounds and had to be taken to the hospital in a trauma helicopter. The fire also caused large smoke clouds.