The Aftermath of 26 September 2019 Accident: A Focus on Risk-Related Policy Analysis

Résumé En

industrial accident, at the "Lubrizol" chemical plant and "Normandie Logistique" warehouse in Rouen (France), has urged the authorities to investigate/reconsider the efficiency of some policy assumptions and safety management measures. This study aims to analyze organizational and policy gaps by examining the published official documents and inquiries of this accident. Its method relies on (i) historical review of Lubrizol's past accidents; (ii) stakeholder review through the examination of the Law of 30 July 2003 (theoretical) and the accident's Learning from Experience (LFE) Report (practical); (iii) organizational analysis through a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) model to examine the means used to manage the crisis and prevent risks; and (iv) a policy analysis of the Law of 30 July 2003 to compare the desired practices (in theory) with those adopted (in practice) affecting the involved stakeholders. Results show that repetitive practices and LFEs highlight a poor change management and risk culture; this is coupled with significantly complex stakeholder network; which is hindering an effective crisis management despite several policy evolutions. Further investigations aim to tackle the encountered stakeholder mapping complexity proving a lack of performance efficiency.