Search report by SDG Goals:
ICL is the #1 producer of Bromine and responsible for 38% of global Bromine production capacity
Bromine is a unique and hazardous material that requires careful transportation and handling. ICL maintains a fleet of 1,000 20-tonne capacity steel ISO tanks coated with lead to transport the Bromine.
There are very stringent standards regulating Bromine transportation. Each ISO tank is checked by a certified inspector. Any ISO tank that does not pass certain tests is sent for repairs or is discarded.
ICL transports bromine from ICL Dead Sea to Neot Hovav on a designated road. Bromine that is exported from Israel is transported via train to various ports. Multiple safety measures are taken by the company when it transports Bromine. Transports travel at low speeds and each train transporting Bromine includes a special ICL railway car carrying material which can quickly neutralize Bromine in the event of an accident. Additional safety measures are also taken on each of the transports.
Once the ISO tanks arrive at the port, the company tests for leaks before the ISO tanks are loaded onto ships. After the loading is completed, the ISO tanks are tested once again for possible leaks. At the port of destination, the ISO tanks are checked again for leaks by an international, certified company. From the port, the Bromine is delivered to customers on trailer trucks. Empty ISO tanks are thoroughly checked at all key transport points and are delivered back to ICL Dead Sea.
Due to Bromine’s unique and hazardous properties, a high level of training and professionalism is necessary when handling it.
In Israel, incidents involving hazardous materials are usually dealt with by the police and firefighters. But due to Bromine’s unique properties, any incidents that occur during transport are the responsibility of ICL. Therefore, ICL has created a coordinated system in primary geographical areas, from the south to the north of the country. Certified firefighters, whose primary activity is handling Bromine, are the ones that are active in the field, in the event of an emergency. ICL has also developed unique equipment to deal with a Bromine emergency.
In countries other than Israel, ICL has retained the services of local companies that provide emergency services. ICL monitors, trains and provides unique equipment to the service teams. Some of these service teams arrive in Israel to learn about the specific qualities of Bromine and to train for emergency scenarios at ICL’s facilities.
In June 2018, a rare Bromine incident occurred at the company’s ICL Dead Sea site when Bromine leaked from an ISO tank. The company’s emergency teams responded immediately, and once approval was given by the government authorities, the ISO tank was turned over with a crane, sealed and the Bromine inside the tank was transferred to a different ISO tank. The incident occurred over a few hours time with no injuries and no significant damage to the environment. The company investigated the event and took steps to prevent any recurrence.
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