DutchNews.nl - DutchNews.nl brings daily news from The Netherlands in English

23 May 2025
Newsletter Donate Advertise
  • News
  • Life in the Netherlands
  • Jobs
  • Podcast
  • About us
  • Search
  • Home
  • Economy
  • Art and culture
  • Sport
  • Europe
  • Society
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Housing
  • Education
  • News
    • Home
    • Economy
    • Art and culture
    • Sport
    • Europe
    • Society
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
    • Education
  • Life in the Netherlands
    • Latest
    • Opinion
    • Books
    • Travel
    • 10 Questions
    • Learning Dutch
    • Inburgering with DN
    • Food & Drink
    • Ask us anything
  • Jobs
  • Podcast
  • About us
    • Team
    • Donate
    • Advertise
    • Writing for Dutch News
    • Contact us
    • Privacy
    • Newsletter
  • Search

Chemical firm faces €25m fine over fatal leak and safety flaws

November 6, 2023
Photo: NED2011 via Wikipedia

A company based on one of Europe’s largest chemical plants is facing a €25 million fine for its “amateurish” approach to health and safety that was implicated in the death of one worker and several injuries.

The public prosecution service (OM) took action in the wake of four incidents at the Chemelot site in Sittard-Geleen, Limburg, between 2015 and 2019.

In the most serious incident, one worker died and another suffered serious burns when naphtha, a flammable hydrocarbon gas, leaked from a storage tank belonging to Sabic, one of four companies operating on the site.

Sabic is accused of failing to give its staff adequate training to handle naphtha. Prosecutors also say it failed to respond for days to an earlier leak in 2015 that compromised its workers’ safety and caused a stench in the local area.

Less than three years later a maintenance workers was injured when liquids leaked from the tank.

The prosecution service says Sabic did not take sufficient steps to correct the problem when previous leaks occurred.

Faulty roof

An earlier report by the safety board (OVV) found that the company had been aware since 1971 that the retractable roof of the storage tank did not close properly.

Chemelot, as the organisation with overall responsibility for the site and the permit holder, and the three other companies located there – Borealis Plastomers, OCI Nitrogen and AnQore – also face charges in respect of the safety breaches.

Chemelot said in a statement it regretted “the incidents, the victims and the impact on the environment”, adding that the four companies had carried out improvements to their safety regimes.

The district court in Den Bosch has reserved nine days for the case. A judgment in the case of Sabic is expected to be delivered on Monday.

 

Share this article
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Reddit
  • Copy URL
Health Industry
Thank you for donating to DutchNews.nl.

We could not provide the Dutch News service, and keep it free of charge, without the generous support of our readers. Your donations allow us to report on issues you tell us matter, and provide you with a summary of the most important Dutch news each day.

Make a donation
Latest
Show more
AEX falls as Trump threatens 50% import tariff on European goods
Dutch forensic experts develop deepfake video detector
Zaanstad says yes to tourist tickets for Zaanse Schans windmills
Fewer international child abductions by parents last year
Weekend brings showers and cooler weather, sun still possible
NewsHomeEconomyArt and cultureSportEuropeSocietyEnvironmentHealthHousingEducation
Life in the NetherlandsLatestOpinionBooksTravel10 QuestionsLearning DutchInburgering with DNFood & DrinkAsk us anything
About usTeamDonateAdvertiseWriting for Dutch NewsContact usPrivacyNewsletter
© 2025 DutchNews | Cookie settings

Help us to keep providing you information about coronavirus in the Netherlands.

Many thanks to everyone who has donated to DutchNews.nl in recent days!

We could not provide this service without you. If you have not yet made a contribution, you can do so here.

The DutchNews.nl team

Donate now

Dutchnews Survey

Please help us making DutchNews.nl a better read by taking part in a short survey.

Take part now