Incident in a CBRNe facility
A CBRNe installation is one where CBRN substances are handled or stored. CBRNe stands for chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear substances, possibly combined with explosives. Examples of CBRNe installations include Seveso installations, nuclear facilities or biological laboratories.
In the event of an incident at one of these installations, one or more hazardous substances may be involved. There may also be an impact beyond the installation. Such an incident could represent a serious risk to humans or the environment, in the short or long term.
Risks and causes
Causes
What can you do?
The right reflexes to take in the event of an incident at a CBRNe installation vary according to the type of substance released. Check our advice in the event of
- Release of biological substances
- Release of chemicals
- Release of nuclear substances
- Release of radioactive substances
- Discharge of explosive substances
Highly specific directives apply to Seveso installations and nuclear facilities:
Impact and probability
The figures relating to probability and impact describe an extreme incident at a CBRNe installation. The BNRA theoretically describes such a scenario as follows:
- A major leak or explosion occurs in a densely populated urban area, including residential neighbourhoods and other CBRN companies nearby.
- The incident is sudden or long-term (more than one day). The impact zone extends over more than 3 km² around the installation.
How should you interpret these results?
Within the BNRA, experts assessed three scenarios for each risk: considerable, major or extreme. On each page, you will find the results of the scenario with the highest score based on the combination of likelihood and impact. This does not mean that this scenario will occur or is the most likely. Read more here about how to correctly interpret the results.
Probability
Very weak
Human impact
Moderate
Societal impact
Moderate
Environmental impact
Weak
Financial impact
Moderate
What do the authorities do?
A CBRNe centre of expertise was set up within the National Crisis Center in 2018. It helps partners to make CBRNe emergency plans operational, offers support in crisis management, and participates in training for intervention services.
A CBRNe incident always requires multidisciplinary management and/or coordination at national level. Depending on the nature of the incident, different emergency plans can be triggered in the event of a CBRNe risk, for example the nuclear and radiological emergency plan or the CBRNe terrorism emergency plan.