Acting director Johan Marius Ly of DSB says they will consider carrying out an inspection. The decision on supervision is made when the directorate has reviewed the notified report from Yara on the gas leak. 3,400 employees evacuated Employees at Herøya Industripark in Porsgrunn were evacuated in connection with a gas leak at Yara on Thursday morning. After almost three hours, the employees were told that the situation was under control and they could leave the gas-proof rooms. – The employees have been told that they can return to work, except for those who work in an area that is still cordoned off, says representative Christian Valand for the rescue team at Herøya Industripark. 3,400 employees were evacuated at 10 a.m. due to a gas leak at Yara’s nitric acid factory. It must be nitrous gas that has leaked out. Several hundred employees are in the canteen at the industrial park. Sverre Gotaas is director at Herøya Industripark. It is quiet outside the premises in Herøya industrial park. Employees are being evacuated Traffic is being directed past the industrial park. Had to close the industrial area The employees stayed for almost three hours in gas-proof premises in the area. Among other things in the canteen. – The leak is so big that we have chosen to close the entire industrial area, director Sverre Gotaas told news’s reporter on the spot when the employees were evacuated. Sverre Gotaas is director at Herøya Industripark. Photo: Theo Aasland Valen / news Gotaas explains that the gas-proof rooms are made so that gas cannot penetrate, including with a special type of ventilation. Smoke divers in place Just after 11.00, operations manager Tommy Eriksen informs the police that the gas leak is under control. – The gas in the air is caught by sensors. He says that the gas is moving inside the factory area, but that there was no danger to the surroundings. – There is no danger to the population outside the factory area, says Eriksen. Smoke divers worked systematically inside the relevant building, he explains. Probably knows the reason Yara’s factory manager Ole-Jacob Siljan says that they have received an indication of what has happened. – We have probably lost a control signal to process air, which means that we have had a gas leak in one of the compressors into one of our buildings. That is why we have chosen to pull people out of the building. Ole-Jacob Siljan is factory manager at Yara. Photo: Roald Marker / news He adds that the wind conditions have also been decisive today. – Since the wind is calm, we don’t know which direction it will take, so the factory alarm is set off. According to Siljan, such incidents happen annually, and the last one was in 2023. Published 08/08/2024, at 10.31 Updated 08.08.2024, at 15.15
ttn-69
Large gas leak at Herøya Industripark – had to evacuate 3,400 employees – news Vestfold and Telemark – Local news, TV and radio
