Incident Management

At WACKER, prevention strategies/measures form the basis of safety management. However, not all incidents can be prevented. With CLICS (the Closed Loop Incident Communication System), every incident relevant to safety, health and the environment is recorded promptly and groupwide. We require employees to document all incidents and near-misses on a special form and send it to a central email address. These reports are then evaluated and measures taken. Importantly, the information is also sent to corporate units with a similar hazard potential, so that other sites can benefit from any insights gained.

Every WACKER site has its emergency-response plan for regulating cooperation between internal and external emergency teams and the authorities. Once a year, our plant firefighters take part in a large-scale drill with the fire and rescue services of neighboring communities. The handling of this simulated emergency is subsequently analyzed to identify and eliminate any weak points.

TUIS: Accident Assistance

Since 1982, the German chemical sector’s Transport-Accident Information and Emergency-Response System (TUIS) has provided assistance in the event of chemical accidents. WACKER has participated in this network since the very beginning. Today, TUIS comprises some 130 member companies. Public services (such as fire departments, police and disaster control centers) can get advice per telephone and request experts and specialized equipment. TUIS is part of the German chemical industry’s contribution to the Responsible Care^® initiative.

WACKER Firefighters Deployed for TUIS

In August 2008, a tank truck crashed on a highway near Burghausen. For unknown reasons, the truck veered onto the shoulder and overturned on a bicycle path. Highly flammable vinyl acetate started to leak from its hatch. WACKER’s plant fire department was alerted by TUIS (Transport-Accident Information and Emergency-Response System). At the scene, our firefighters contained the fluid and made preparations to pump it into a replacement tank truck – grounding the tanks and specialized fittings to prevent ignition. The risk of fire and pollution had been averted. Public fire services rarely handle such operations, as they lack the experience, specialized training and necessary equipment. In these cases, TUIS firefighters offer vital help.