In the editorial team:
Carina Halvorsen, Skien Municipality,
Christian Valand, Industriberedskapsrådet i Grenland (The emergency preparedness council for the industry in Grenland),
Janniche Cecilie Hagene Henriksen, Norwegian Civil Defence in the Telemark District, Fred Inge Skjærum, Grenland Fire and Rescue IKS.
Illustrations:
Hedda Kverndalen
Design and print:
ETN Grafisk
We are lucky to live in Grenland. Here the distance from the fjord to the mountains is short, and there is a wide variety on offer when it comes to culture and leisure. Grenland is the seventh largest urban area in Norway, and having cooperation, safety and preparedness in mind is a long-standing tradition of ours.
We expose ourselves to risks both when we are awake and when we are asleep, when we are in traffic situations, or when lighting candles at home.
In this pamphlet, we have gathered information about emergency self-preparedness, how you best can be prepared for adverse events and how you will be alerted if something serious were to happen.
Many people move about in between the Grenland municipalities in connection with work and leisure. It is therefore important that residents of the Grenland municipalities have access to emergency information that applies to all the municipalities.
If the mobile phone services or the internet does not work, it may be difficult to contact the emergency services, the municipality, or family and friends. In these instances, the municipalities may establish meeting points where you can get help to contact the Fire Department, the Police or with the Ambulance Services. Access your municipality at this web page and find information about meeting points in your municipality.
You can call the emergency number, 112, even if you lack mobile phone network coverage from your carrier, if you have a broken SIM card or if you do not have sufficient funds on the prepaid card. As long as one carrier’s network is available, you will be able to reach the emergency services.
Be prepared and read the advice from the National Communications Authority and the Directorate for Civil Protection and Emergency Preparedness.
What happens if there is no water coming from the faucet or if you cannot flush the toilet? You can report errors and deficiencies in the municipality’s facilities and in municipal areas through “Varsle om feil” (“Notify us about errors”) on the municipality’s website or by calling the on-duty phone number. You can find the phone number for Grenlandssamarbeidet [The Grenland Collaboration], on this website
The authorities ask you to store three litres of water per person in the household per day. It is recommended that you store enough water to last for a minimum of 7 days. If there are four people in your household, this equals 84 litres of drinking water. If you wish to have water to be able to flush the toilet, you must make sure there is extra water for this purpose.
The municipalities have plans in place to get assistance from other municipalities when needed. In addition, water tanks where you can collect water may be placed at strategic locations in the municipality.
Many homes have electricity as their main or only source of heating. When the power is gone, not only are the lights out but also the electric heating. In the event of a power outage or if you were to be isolated by the weather for several days, you should be equipped to manage by yourself for at least three days.
Consider what might happen, what the consequences might be, and how you and your family would handle this.
Find out who may help you, who might need your help, and how you might contribute. If you plan to use equipment in an emergency situation, learn how to use the equipment and make sure it is functioning.
Be prepared and read the advice on sikkerhverdag.no regarding how you can be prepared to manage without electricity for several days.
If a nuclear incident strikes us, the Crisis Committee for Nuclear and Radiological Preparedness will provide advice or give orders on how we can protect ourselves. Keep yourself updated on the news in the national media.
Among other things, you must be prepared to stay indoors for a shorter period of time and no more than two days.
If you are in the target group, you will be asked to take an iodine tablet. Take a shower if you have been contaminated with radioactive material. Follow dietary advice and respect government provisions regarding blockades, clean-up, or evacuation.
Read more about nuclear incidents at the Directorate for Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety:
www.dsa.no/atomberedskap/hva‑kan‑jeg‑gjore
The authorities will alert you when there is a need to evacuate and seek cover in secure areas for those who do not have shelters or when there is no more room in shelters.
If there are no shelters in the immediate vicinity when the air raid alarm sounds, take cover in the building you are in or the nearest natural location, for instance in basements, concrete cast stairwell shafts or rooms in the middle of the building (avoid windows). Many people have access to private shelters without knowing it. For instance, at work or at the gym. If there is a shelter in the building, it should be indicated with a signpost.
Public shelters are primarily found in cities and larger urban areas to provide protection to people staying outdoors in the relevant area in the city centres, in traffic areas and similar. These should be signposted from the street. You can find more information on these on The Norwegian Directorate for Civil Protection and on the municipality’s website.
Private shelters are dimensioned for the number of people staying in the building or on the premises. These shelters are meant for those who usually stay on the premises or in the building.
What do you do if the mobile phone network stops working, if there is a power outage, or if your home is hit by flooding? The more people who are capable to take care of themselves and help others in the event of an incident, the better equipped we are to handle this as a society.
The authorities ask all households to keep an emergency stockpile of food and drinks that can last for 7 days. www.sikkerhverdag.no
The Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate (NVE), in cooperation with the Norwegian Public Roads Administration and the Norwegian Meteorological Institute, has developed the service varsom.no
On this site you can find warnings and alerts regarding the risk of flooding, landslides, or avalanches, and subscribe to the free of charge warning service, so you can be better prepared in the event of such incidents.
On this web page you will find shared emergency preparedness information for the Grenland municipalities. Information about ongoing crises and accidents can be found on the individual municipality’s website.
Be prepared and read information and advice on personal emergency preparedness on these pages and on Sikker hverdag [Everyday Safety].
Pursuant to the Major Accident Regulations, industrial companies are required to maintain an overview of the risks and vulnerabilities that arise due to their activities and report this to the Directorate for Civil Protection and Emergency Planning (DSB).
The purpose of the Major Accident Regulations is to prevent and reduce the consequences of major accidents. The Major Accident Regulations impose requirements on companies that handle larger quantities of hazardous chemicals, the so-called major accident companies. DSB receives safety reports from these major accident companies at least every 5 years, and regularly conducts inspections. Reports from these inspections can be obtained from DSB.
The major accident companies are defined on two levels. Only those companies classified as potentially posing a significant risk to their surroundings are included here, the so-called major accident companies with an obligation to report on safety (§ 9 of the Major Accident Regulations). These companies are required to inform everyone who might be affected by unwanted incidents.
The information shall include, inter alia:
The name of the company or establishment, their visitor address, and their internet address
A brief description of the company
Common names of the chemicals handled in the establishment that could lead to a major accident.
Reporting and information
The purpose of the information is to inform the population in Grenland about hazardous substances and chemicals that may pose a risk to them, should an unwanted event occur.
All major accident companies are required to prepare emergency preparedness and contingency plans that include measures to limit the consequences if an unwanted incident were to occur. Relevant information related to this shall also be sent to the emergency services. There are annual drills of the contingency and preparedness plans.
Among other things, the municipalities use this information from the safety reports and other relevant information from the major accident companies when they prepare their own risk analyses and preparedness and contingency plans.
If further information is needed, the contact information for each major accident company is found in this section.
There are six major accident companies with an obligation to report on safety in Porsgrunn municipality.
Yara Porsgrunn produces mineral fertilizers (NPK) and calcareous peter, as well as a number of other chemical products.
The production chain includes, among other things, ammonia in its gas and liquid form. When starting up and shutting down the manufacturing plants, and in the event of unforeseen stops, there may be flaring, noise and yellow smoke coming from tall nitrogen pipes.
The source of flaring and noise is often the ammonia manufacturing plant, where this is part of the safety functions of the plant’s control systems to burn off gas and reduce pressure.
The source of yellow or reddish-brown smoke (nitrose gas) are primarily the nitric acid manufacturing plants. At start-up, shutting down or when there are unforeseen stops, nitrosyl sulfuric acid will be discharged through tall nitrogen pipes/flare stacks. This is part of the safety system of the nitric acid manufacturing plants.
The company processes rare earth metals. Nitric acid is used in the production.
The raw material vinyl chloride (VCM) is used in the production of PVC plastic and is stored in large spherical tanks and transported in pipelines to smaller day tanks at the PVC manufacturing plant.
The company receives liquid, refrigerated natural gas and/or locally produced biogas delivered to their storage tanks. The gas is distributed through an internal network to recipients in Grenland.
HM cement manufacturing plant is located in Brevik and is among the world’s leading cement manufacturing plants when it comes to the use of alternative fuels. The alternative fuels are based on waste from households and industry, as well as fuel based on hazardous waste. In 2025, facilities for CO₂ capture will be put into operation with tank facilities and unloading of liquid CO₂.
HM Miljø’s main task is the collection and pretreatment of hazardous organic waste to be used as an alternative fuel in the production of cement.
There is one major accident company with an obligation to report on safety in Skien municipality.
Menstad Industri is located at Bøle in Skien. The company has storage facilities where flammable substances, substances hazardous to health and environmentally hazardous substances are handled.
There are two major accident companies with an obligation to report on safety in Bamble Municipality.
INOVYN Norway is located on Rafne’s industrial area and comprises a chlorine manufacturing plant and a VCM manufacturing plant.
INEOS Rafnes is located on Rafnes, with an ethylene manufacturing plant, where the main products are ethylene gas and propylene gas. The source of flaring and noise is often the ethylene manufacturing plant, where this is part of the safety features in the manufacturing plant’s control systems to burn off gas and reduce pressure.
If the surrounding areas outside the manufacturing plant are at risk of being affected by an unwanted incident, the population will be alerted through an emergency warning issued by the police and on civil defence siren systems with the alert “important message – seek information”. These warning systems are tested several times a year.
In the event of such unwanted incidents, you will find updated information on the webpages of the affected company.
Herøya Industrial Park, Heidelberg, INOVYN Norway and INEOS Rafnes have 24-hour safety response centres, emergency response personnel and rescue personnel. The companies conduct statutory drills several times a year.
Respect the orders and advise given by the police or other rescue management.
Stay indoors unless otherwise advised.
Close windows, doors and switch off ventilation.
If you are outdoors and cannot get indoors, you should observe the wind direction and move away from the area across the wind direction.
| Substance | Properties of the substance | Impact on health, safety, and the environment | Possible incidents that can lead to major accidents | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Ammonia
(Porsgrunn municipality - Herøya) |
Colourless toxic gas with an intense, pungent odour that is noticeable already at very low concentrations. | Attacks eyes and airways, causing coughing and watery eyes. Ammonia in high concentrations is toxic and can be fatal if inhaled. Ammonia is hazardous to the environment. | Cracks in tanks or pipelines may cause a large gas cloud with dangerous concentrations. | |||
|
Nitrosylsulfuric acid (Porsgrunn municipality - Herøya) |
At high concentrations, it is yellow or reddish brown in colour and has a slightly sweet, nauseating odour. | Very toxic if inhaled at high concentrations. | Large emissions from production of or storage of nitric acid. Chemical decomposition reactions in mineral fertilizers. | |||
|
VCM
(Bamble municipality – Rafnes Porsgrunn municipality - Herøya) |
Colourless gas with a slightly sweet odour. The gas is heavier than air, extremely flammable and may easily ignite in the event of a gas leak. | Extremely flammable and could ignite in the event of a gas leak. If ignited and if there is a large fire, flue gas can pose a risk to the surroundings. Not acutely toxic, but it is classified as carcinogenic in the event of long-term exposure. | The gas is stored in a tank under pressure which, in the event of a major fire, may fail and lead to the formation of a fireball, a so-called BLEVE (Boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion) | |||
|
Chlorine
(Bamble Municipality - Rafnes) | Yellow-green gas at high concentrations. May be hazardous even at low concentrations. Pungent odour. Is heavier than air. | Toxic if inhaled. May attack the respiratory tract and cause difficulties breathing. Chlorine may be dangerous even at low concentrations. | Leakage from production equipment. | |||
|
Hydrochloric acid
(Bamble Municipality - Rafnes) |
Colourless, fuming gas with a sharp, pungent odour. The gas is heavier than air. | Toxic and corrosive. Hydrochloric acid leaks pose a risk for serious personal injuries outside the manufacturing plant site. | Leakage from production equipment. | |||
| EDC (ethylene chloride) (Bamble Municipality - Rafnes) | Colourless liquid. Highly flammable and may ignite in the event of a leakage. | Acutely toxic only to a small extent but is classified as a carcinogenic substance when there is long-term exposure. In the event of ignition and fire, flue gas may be hazardous to the surroundings. | Fire in tanks and production equipment. | |||
|
Propane/ Hydrocarbons
(Bamble municipality - Rafnes/Rønningen Porsgrunn Municipality - Brevik) |
Colourless gases that are virtually odourless. Are heavier than air. Extremely flammable and in the event of a leak, they may ignite easily. | Extremely flammable and may easily ignite if there is a leak. Their effect on health, environment, and safety: Not acutely toxic. | Larger leaks may result in fire and explosion. Some gases are stored in pressurized tanks which when directly affected by flames may split, resulting in the formation of a fire ball. | |||
|
Waste oil
Porsgrunn Municipality - Brevik) |
May contain various types of pollutants such as PAH (chemical substances formed by combustion) and heavy metals. | Hazardous to the environment and is flammable. | Pipeline rapture or spills from tank facilities releasing oil into the sea. Incidents where larger quantities of waste oil are spilled with subsequent fire. | |||
|
CO₂
Porsgrunn Municipality - Brevik) |
CO₂ is a colourless and odourless gas that is heavier than air and settles on the ground. CO₂ in the tanks will be in liquid form (pressurized and refrigerated) thus any leakage will be visible as fog. | Displaces oxygen and may cause suffocation. | Leakage from liquid CO₂ tanks. | |||
| Formic acid (Skien municipality – Menstad) | Gives off a colourless toxic vapour with an intense, pungent odour that is noticeable already at very low concentrations. | Attacks eyes and airways, causing coughing and watery eyes. Formic acid in high concentrations is toxic if inhaled. | Fractures in tanks or pipelines may cause formic acid evaporation. | |||
| Methane (Porsgrunn municipality - Herøya) | Colourless gas that is stored in its liquefied form, highly refrigerated and under pressure. The liquid is odourless. When distributed to pipelines, liquid methane is evaporated to its gas form and smell is added. The gas is lighter than air and rises. | Methane is a highly flammable and explosive substance. Methane is an oxygen-displacing gas that in high concentrations leads to oxygen deficiency. Escaping gas and methane in its liquid form can cause frostbite to the skin and eyes. Methane is not classified as hazardous to the environment. | Leakage of either liquid and gaseous forms of methane from a hole in a welding joint, in a tank wall or in a pipe that ignites. | |||
| Company | Address | Email/telephone number | Homepage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Liquid Skagerak | Hydrovegen 55, 3936 Porsgrunn | firmapost.alskagerak@airliquide.com 94 13 13 00 / 47 67 23 95 (vakt) | skagerak.airliquide.com/ |
| Heidelberg Materials Brevik sementfabrikk | Setreveien 2, 3991 Brevik | brevik@heidelbergmaterials.com 35 57 20 00 | www.sement.heidelbergmaterials.no/no |
| Heidelberg Materials Miljø | Tangenvegen 29, 3950 Brevik | brevik@heidelbergmaterials.com 48 03 66 25 | www.miljo.heidelbergmaterials.no |
| INEOS Rafnes | Herreveien 801, 3962 Stathelle | ineos.rafnes@ineos.com 35 00 75 00 | www.ineos.no |
| INOVYN Norge | Herreveien 801, 3962 Stathelle |
rafnes@ineos.com 35 00 60 00 |
www.ineos.no |
| Menstad Industri | Bølevegen 204, 3713 Skien |
administrasjon@menstadindustri.no 90 72 58 71 / 47 27 60 86 |
menstadindustri.no |
| REEtec AS | Tormod Gjestlandsveg 23, 3936 Porsgrunn |
post@reetec.no 47 51 02 67 |
www.reetec.no |
| Yara Porsgrunn | Hydrovegen 55, 3936 Porsgrunn | yara.porsgrunn@yara.com 24 15 70 00 | www.yara.no |
The Grenland municipalities have their own system for alerting and warning the population. SMSs, voicemails, and emails can be sent to any resident above the age of 16. The system is address-based and alerts you based on your address. You will also be alerted if you own buildings in either of the municipalities. Data from the Population Register, the Contact and Reservation Register and the Registry of Owners are used to send out alerts.
Municipalities also publish important information on their homepages and on social media.
The Civil Defence has 1,250 sirens that are used to alert the population in the event of an unwanted incident. In Telemark there are civil defence sirens in the municipalities of Porsgrunn, Skien and Bamble.
The Civil Defence is tasked with establishing, maintaining and operating the public warning systems. The police are responsible for triggering alerts in peacetime.
The sirens are tested twice a year, and this takes place at noon on the second Wednesday of January and June. The signal emitted means “important message – seek information”. The civil defence sirens are then sounded in three series with a one-minute pause in between the series.
If you hear this signal, it means that you should seek information about what is happening and what to do. Information is provided through various media, such as radio, television, government websites, and social media.
The warning systems may be used both in peacetime and in war to alert the population when there is an imminent danger. In peacetime, such alerts may for instance be relevant in the event of accidents at industrial facilities, related to leaks and spills of toxic or hazardous substances. In war, the warning systems may be used when there is a risk of an air attack.
The air raid sirens sound in three series with a one-minute interval between the series.
If the sirens sound short bursts for about one minute, it means “risk of attack – seek shelter”. This signal can be used if there is a risk of an air attack or during war preparedness drills.
When the sirens sound continuously for half a minute, it means that the danger is over. You can find more information at: the Civil Defence’s webpages
NRK is responsible for transmitting the authorities’ emergency messages and important information on radio. NRK P1 is the emergency channel that will ensure information to the public. NRK can interrupt any transmission with important messages to the population on all NRK radio channels. Therefore, it does not matter if you listen to P13 or P1+, or other NRK channels.
Emergency notifications/alerts shall be used to warn the population of acute and serious incidents that threaten life and health in Norway. An emergency alert contains information about what is happening, and what you should do to protect yourself.
This is a service from the Norwegian authorities, and it is the police and civil defence that decide which area should be alerted and who sends out the alert.
Emergency alerts are sent to those located within a given geographic area. Most newer mobile phones are compatible to receive such alerts. The system does not use your phone number or any other information about you. It does not matter which phone plan you have, where you live or work, or where your phone is registered.
Receiving an emergency alert is free of charge. You do not need to register, sign up or download an app in order to receive it.
The phone vibrates and plays a loud siren-like sound.
A short text will appear on the screen telling you what is going on and what you should do. If your phone supports text-to-speech, you can have the message read out loud.
When you receive an emergency alert, you should stop, read or listen to the alert and follow the advice.
More information can be found at Nødvarsel sine nettsider.
You may contact the municipalities through the following contact points.
| Municipality | Contact centre | Homepage |
|---|---|---|
| Skien | 35 58 10 00 | www.skien.kommune.no |
| Porsgrunn | 35 54 70 00 | www.porsgrunn.kommune.no |
| Bamble | 35 96 50 00 | www.bamble.kommune.no |
| Siljan | 35 94 25 00 | www.siljan.kommune.no |
| Kragerø | 35 98 62 00 | www.kragero.kommune.no |
| Drangedal | 35 99 70 00 | www.drangedal.kommune.no |
Beredskapsinformasjon for Grenland (norsk, pdf)