On Friday 3 July, a planned emergency drill took place at the Litvínov refinery, part of the ORLEN Unipetrol Group. The scenario involved an ammonia leak whilst a railway tanker was being filled at the ammonia plant. The aim of the drill was to test the preparedness of staff and the in-house fire brigade, the effectiveness of the internal emergency plan, and the coordination of all units involved in responding to an emergency.
Shortly after nine o’clock in the morning, an ammonia leak was simulated whilst a railway tanker was being filled. The scenario also included an injury to one of the operators. The in-house fire brigade was immediately dispatched to the scene, where they rescued the employee, secured the equipment and dealt with the consequences of the leak. The exercise thus simultaneously tested the evacuation of staff, the functioning of the emergency communications system, and cooperation with the Ústí nad Labem Regional Fire and Rescue Service and the Czech Police.
“The safety of everyone who works at the refinery or lives in the surrounding area is paramount to us. Regular emergency drills enable us to verify the preparedness of our teams, the effectiveness of established processes, and our ability to respond quickly and appropriately to emergency situations. This year’s scenario focused on an ammonia leak and tested the cooperation between operational teams, firefighters and the company’s crisis management team,” says Milan Brejchal, a member of the ORLEN Unipetrol Group’s Board of Directors responsible for production.
During the exercise, the in-house fire brigade practised, in particular, rescuing a person, working in chemical protective suits and self-contained breathing apparatus during a hazardous substance leak, decontamination, organising radio communications and coordinating with operational staff. Another very important part of the exercise was testing the functionality of the fixed water curtains on the ammonia filling stations and the water curtains from the Fire and Rescue Service’s equipment, installed to prevent the spread of leaked ammonia beyond the immediately affected area.
“The scenario was chosen to correspond as closely as possible to the potential operational risks associated with handling ammonia. During the exercise, we tested our units’ readiness to respond in an environment containing a toxic substance, the speed of deploying equipment, and communication between all the units involved. The insights gained will help us to further improve safety standards and our preparedness for emergencies,” adds Petr Králert, commander of the ORLEN Unipetrol Fire and Rescue Service.
Emergency drills are held regularly at the Litvínov Chempark and help to verify staff preparedness, the effectiveness of safety measures and established crisis procedures. In this way, ORLEN Unipetrol consistently demonstrates its commitment to the safe and responsible operation of its production facilities. Whilst the law requires the effectiveness of the internal emergency plan to be tested at least once every three years, the company carries out tactical emergency drills regularly every year.
The ORLEN Unipetrol Group is the largest refining and petrochemical company in the Czech Republic. It focuses on oil processing and the production, distribution, and sale of fuels and petrochemical products, particularly plastics and fertilizers. It is a major player in all these areas on the Czech and Central European markets. The ORLEN Unipetrol Group includes refineries and production plants in Litvínov and Kralupy nad Vltavou, Paramo in Pardubice, Spolana in Neratovice, REMAQ in Otrokovice, research center in Brno and the engineering design company ORLEN Projekt. ORLEN Unipetrol also owns the ORLEN network of petrol stations in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary. ORLEN Unipetrol is one of the largest companies in the Czech Republic in terms of turnover. It employs over 3,300 people. ORLEN Unipetrol is also a socially responsible company, particularly in the areas of sustainable development, education, local communities, and the environment. A testament to the high quality of employee care is the prestigious international Top Employer certification, which the Group received in 2023, 2024 and 2025, along with several national awards. In 2005, ORLEN Unipetrol became part of the ORLEN Group, the largest energy company in Central Europe.
Contact: Pavel Kaidl,
spokesperson, telephone: +420 736 502 520, e-mail: pavel.kaidl@orlenunipetrol.cz