Safety and security

Neverheless, accidents may occur that could impact people with the plant area as well as those who live in the vicinity or our industrial sites.

The local alarm number is:

SCA Massa Östrand, Gatekeeper, 060-16 42 22

SCA Masssa Ortviken, Gatekeeper, 060-19 42 24

The person who alerts shall be prepared to respond to the gatekeeper's questions. The gatekeeper then alerts internally and externally.

In the event of an accident

In the event of a disruption to the community for example a major accident at SCA Pulp the fire and rescue service will establish an information center where you can call to obtain additional information. The telephone number there is 060-61 44 44.

Factory emergency sirens

The factory alarm is tested regulary and can also be heard outside the industrial sites.

Important announcement to the public – VMA sirens

If a serious accident occurs at SCA Pulp that puts residents in the vicinity at risk, then an alert is issued over the "Important announcement to the public" warning system (VMA). A VMA siren tone means that you should go indoors, close windows, doors and ventilation systems and listen to the radio for more information. Information can also be obtained on Text TV, on SVT text page 599. The VMA siren consists of a seven-second tone followed by a 14-second pause, repeated for at least two minutes. Once the danger is over, a "Danger over" siren is sounded, which consists of a 30- to 40-second tone. The VMA alert and "Danger over" sirens are tested on the first non-holiday Monday of each quarter at 3 p.m.

How we minimize risks

Despite the significant safety measures, we have taken, there is always a risk of a serious chemical accident with one or more hazardous substances involved. The risks include discharge, fire or an explosion caused by an uncontrolled sequence of events.

That could result in serious, immediate or delayed dangers to the health of both those who work within the plant area and those who reside in its vicinity, as well as to the environment.

Production

Our raw materials are transferred from storage tanks to the processes via pipelines that we regularly inspect. All processing equipment is maintained and inspected for safety. We also conduct ongoing risk analyses to increase safety and reduce risks. Inspections and examinations are conducted by both outside experts as well as our own employees.

Transports

Some of the chemical products transported to and from SCA Pulp are classified as hazardous materials. During the transport of hazardous materials, it is required that the materials be packed in approved shipping containers or tankers. Stringent requirements are also placed on the trucks and ships that transport hazardous goods, and special training is required for employees. The transport of hazardous goods requires shipping documents and transport cards that, along with markings on the materials, serve as important documentation for helping the fire and rescue service determine a response in the event of an accident.

Unloading, loading and storage

Chemical products are unloaded and loaded at special sites that are equipped with safety equipment. All unloading and loading work must be carried out in accordance with special instructions and be monitored by trained employees.

The legislation

Swedish legislation measures to prevent major chemical accidents based on the so-called "Seveso II Directive" adopted by the European Union.

The directive has been legalized under Swedish law and in ordinances regarding measures to prevent and limit the consequences of serious chemical accidents. Östrand pulp mill is covered by this legislation.

According to the directive, members of the general public that risk being affected by a serious chemical accident must be informed regarding what safety measures will be taken and what they should do in the event of an accident.

The directive specifies two requirement levels. Operations at Östrand pulp mill fall under the higher requirement level and a safety report has therefore been submitted to the appropriate authorities. The safety report is based on risk analyses and technical safety reviews of operations within the mill area.

As an operator, the mill is obligated to prevent the risk of serious chemical accidents. In the event of a chemical accident, the company is obligated to limit the consequences to peoples' health as well as the environment. The company is also obligated to cooperate with the municipal fire and rescue service. Sundsvall - Timrå Fire and Rescue Service

It is the task of the fire and rescue service to prevent fires and other accidents and the consequences thereof. Preventative measures are also a high priority for the fire and rescue service, which involves reducing societal risks while simultaneously preventing new accidents.

The work methods of the fire and rescue service can be explained in five steps

1. Prevent accidents

The fire and rescue service's work to prevent accidents occurs mainly through education, information and fire inspections. At Östrand pulp mill, there are exacting requirements to prevent accidents from occurring. The fire and rescue service participates in accident prevention efforts at Östrand by conducting regular inspections. In addition, they provide training and information to plant employees. Östrand also has a fully operational internal inspection process.

2. Injury prevention measures

It is important to work on injury prevention measures to minimize the consequences of a potential accident. The fire and rescue service provides training and information, conducts fire inspections and participates as an advisor on new construction and renovations at an early stage to ensure the best possible fire protection. Numerous measures have been taken at Östrand pulp mill to minimize the effects of a potential accident. For example, there are sprinklers and automatic fire alarms installed, as well as protective embankments around the tanks to prevent hazardous chemicals from leaking out.

3. Fire and rescue preparation efforts

Fire and rescue forces prepare themselves for rescue actions through education, exercises, physical training, study visits and response planning. Inspections of vehicles and materials are conducted daily or weekly to ensure that all equipment is functional. Together with Östrand pulp mill, the fire and rescue service have a joint rescue and response plan that aims to ensure that appropriate measures are taken in the event of serious fire or chemical accidents. Östrand also has its own well-trained response team that trains on a regular basis with the fire and rescue service.

4. Fire and rescue response

The fire and rescue service organization consist of two full-time stations in Sundsvall and Timrå, which can respond within 90 seconds, and seven part-time stations that can respond within five minutes. Altogether, there are 45 fire and rescue service personnel on standby year-round at these stations. Almost all alarms received at the SOS Alarm center from Östrand are automatic fire alarms, most of which are not caused by a fire. Östrand's own response team is the first to act on all alarms within the plant area, serving until fire and rescue service personnel arrive on the scene.

5. Response follow-up

After every accident/response, it is important to conduct follow-up and evaluate more closely the causes and sequence of events to improve the ability to prevent and handle similar events in the future.

Together with police, the fire and rescue service conducts fire investigations to determine the cause of a fire. In addition, the fire and rescue service conduct so-called residual value rescue where smoke, water and corrosion damage are dealt with. Employees at SCA Pulp also investigate any accidents, incidents or fires that occur at the plant.