News
A hydrogen leak forces the closure of 500 metres of Mas Blau overnight
A hydrogen leak from a dangerous-goods lorry forced the closure overnight of part of the Mas Blau II industrial estate in El Prat de Llobregat. The Bombers established a safety perimeter of around 500 metres and restricted access while they emptied the six cylinders carried by the vehicle.
The alert came at 18:59 on Monday 7 September from avenida de les Garrigues. The lorry was stopped at number 32 and was carrying six 160-litre hydrogen containers when the leak was detected.
The initial response deployed four Bombers crews, as well as specialised support from the Grup de Riscos Tecnològics. As the operation progressed, the response came to involve six teams working on the ground.
The closure was precautionary. The companies located within the immediate area were not operating at that time, and there was no need to evacuate workers or local residents. There were no injuries either.
Protecció Civil put the Transcat plan on pre-alert, a plan used for accidents during the road transport of dangerous goods. The emergency did not reach the alert phase.
Although a leak in one of the cylinders was initially reported, the exact point of the leak was not immediately determined. The hypotheses examined included the containers’ connection circuit and a pressure valve, so the presence of a technician from the company responsible for the material was also required.
The work lasted for much of the early hours. To eliminate the risk, the teams emptied the cylinders in a controlled manner, an operation that ended at around 03:00.
The operation was not declared over until approximately 06:00 on Tuesday, more than nine hours after the first alert. Once the vehicle had been made safe and the emptying completed, the restrictions linked to the operation could be lifted.
The incident turned Mas Blau II, one of the major business areas next to Barcelona airport, into the scene of an unusual operation. Despite the broad 500-metre perimeter and the duration of the work, the leak ended with no one affected and no need for evacuations.