A fire broke out at my plant – how do I manage the environmental and legal crisis simultaneously before the situation gets out of control?

Client

Industrial components manufacturer

The situation

A fire at an industrial plant is a crisis that unfolds simultaneously on multiple fronts: firefighters are extinguishing the fire, media are asking about contamination, environmental authorities are opening proceedings, employees and neighbours are raising health concerns, and management is thinking about its own liability. In such situations, hours matter – every wrong decision taken in the first days of a crisis can result in years of administrative, civil or criminal proceedings. An industrial components manufacturer needed immediate and comprehensive support following a serious fire incident at its plant.

Our role — crisis response as a service

We act as a crisis expert from the first hours of an incident. In this matter, we conducted a full crisis response procedure, including assessment of the formal requirements, full review of all the client’s operational processes from a regulatory compliance perspective, identifying areas of further risk – including the risk of environmental whistleblowing. We revised and updated all relevant internal policies and procedures. We designed and implemented new crisis management and incident response schemes – tailored to the specifics of the client’s operations. We advised simultaneously at the regulatory and PR levels, because in an environmental crisis, reputation and compliance go hand in hand.

Crisis response as an ERS Legal service

This matter illustrates a specific capability of our firm: the ability to manage an environmental crisis in real time. We do not wait for an incident to conclude before advising – we enter the matter immediately and coordinate legal, regulatory and communications actions as a single integrated process. For clients operating in industrial sectors where the risk of an environmental incident is a constant element of business, we offer the option of preparing crisis response procedures in advance – so that when a crisis occurs, no time is lost organising a team and procedures from scratch.

The result

The client navigated the crisis without escalation to criminal proceedings or serious administrative proceedings. The implemented crisis response procedures and updated environmental policies remain active protection for the future.

Do you want crisis response procedures ready before an incident occurs – or do you need support during a crisis? We act immediately.