Abstract
During the Covid emergency, a plant to produce sodium chlorite, a powerful disinfectant also known as stabilized oxygen, was authorized and built in record time. The plant is subject to the requirements of Directive 2012/18/EU on the control of major-accident hazards involving dangerous substances (Seveso III), as an upper-tier facility, as well as Directive 2010/75/EU on industrial emissions for integrated pollution prevention and control (IED). The purpose of this article is to examine the safety and environmental issues of a sodium chlorite chemical plant that emerged during the pre-construction technical investigation, the technical and procedural solutions adopted, and the critical issues that emerged during the post-construction inspections, highlighting the improvement options that emerged. The article describes the production process and the completed plant, focusing on the safety measures installed, including those required by the Competent Authorities during the preliminary safety report review during the feasibility clearance phase and the subsequent safety report review. It also delves into Natech's risk assessments.
