Seveso

The name Seveso refers to a town in the north of Italy. On 10 July 1976 an explosion occurred in a chemical plant near this town. After the explosion, a dioxin cloud spread in the area.
Seveso establishments are divided into upper-tier establishments and lower-tier establishments, depending on the nature and quantity of dangerous substances present in the establishment. The tier of the establishment determines the legal obligations it has to meet.
BEFORE
- Find out in advance whether you live near a Seveso establishment.
- Register on www.be-alert.be. This way, you will be immediately notified in the event of a chemical accident.
DURING
- Walk away from the incident. It is best to walk perpendicular to the direction of the wind.
- Shelter in the nearest building.
- Go inside and stay inside. Sheltering is the best way to protect yourself. Stay inside until you are informed that it is safe again.
- Close windows, doors and turn off ventilation systems. Preferably stay in a central area, on the ground floor. Walls and ceilings offer better protection than windows.
- Listen to the government's recommendations. Inform yourself about the right measures.
- Use text messages or the Internet to communicate. Keep the telephone network clear so people can call the emergency services.
- In some cases, you will need to evacuate. Follow the instructions of the emergency services. Do not do this on your own initiative.
AFTER
- A chemical accident can have a toxic impact on, for example, vegetables from the garden or drinking water. Follow the government's instructions.
Impact and probability
In 2018, the National Crisis Center coordinated a large-scale risk assessment for Belgium for the period 2018-2023. Several experts assessed various risks based on their probability and their impact on people, society, the environment and the economy.
For the risk of 'incident at a Seveso establishment', the analysis is:
- Impact: low impact
- Probability: likely
For the risk of 'industrial pollution', the analysis is:
- Impact: low impact
- Probability: likely
Read more about this analysis and what these charts mean.
What do the authorities do?
Since 1982 there has been a European Seveso Directive to reduce the risk of industrial accidents. The Directive has a dual purpose:
- to avoid serious accidents involving dangerous substances
- to limit the consequences of such accidents for people and the environment
This Directive imposes preventive safety measures, which include:
- obligations on the operator of the establishment to
- take all necessary measures to prevent major accidents or to mitigate their consequences
- draw up and implement a prevention policy
- draw up and implement an internal emergency plan
- inspection programmes. Each region has an inspection team made up of regional and federal inspectors. They regularly check Seveso establishments during proactive inspections and follow-up inspections.
- urban planning. Each Seveso establishment has to obtain an environmental permit before starting its operation.
- information to citizens. On seveso.be you can find all necessary information about major accident hazards. Every five years there is also an information campaign.
- organisation of assistance. The provincial governors are responsible for drawing up the special emergency and intervention plan for upper-tier establishments under the Seveso Directive.
In case of a chemical accident, this special emergency and intervention plan enters into force.