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Dear residents,

In coordination with our supervisory authority (Darmstadt Regional Council), the medium-sized family business Kreussler, founded in 1912, has been subject to the Federal Immission Control Act (12th Federal Immission Control Ordinance – Major Accident Ordinance) since 1 July 2022, and we would like to inform you about the current situation with this leaflet. We are aware of our company's responsibility to safeguard people, animals and the environment, and to use raw materials and resources sustainably. One of our most important goals is therefore the continuous assurance and improvement of our facilities, occupational safety and environmental protection measures, in compliance with all legal requirements. To achieve this, we rely on stringent safety standards in our operational systems, the competence of our highly qualified staff and cooperation with independent auditors and authorities.

Our objective is to prevent any danger to people and the environment, and to contain any potential damage within the company premises. Nevertheless, accidents or malfunctions cannot be completely ruled out despite extensive safety precautions. To effectively reduce damage and the impact of improper operation, all necessary measures and procedures are defined in advance in the hazard prevention plans. In addition, we work closely with the responsible authorities and the fire brigade.

In its approval notice, the Darmstadt Regional Council rated the likelihood of a so-called 'major incident' within the meaning of the aforementioned regulation at the Kreussler & Co. GmbH chemical factory as very low.

To ensure that you know how to act in the event of an unforeseen operational disruption, this leaflet provides safety instructions on how to behave in such a situation. This information was provided to the Darmstadt Regional Council in accordance with Section 7 I of the 12th Federal Immission Control Ordinance.

Executive board of Chemische Fabrik Kreussler & Co. GmbH

Our company

The Kreussler & Co. GmbH chemical factory produces washing and cleaning agents for textile care and laundry, as well as pharmaceutical products for oral health, dental care and vascular medicine, at its Rheingaustrasse site in Wiesbaden. The company has been based at this location since 1927.

The products are manufactured according to defined recipes by mixing raw materials in agitator tanks, without any chemical, biochemical or biological transformation taking place on an industrial scale. The product range includes premixed liquid products (washing and cleaning agents for textile cleaning and laundries), pharmaceuticals in liquid or semi-solid dosage forms, and powdered washing and cleaning products.

The operating area comprises the existing production and supply facilities as well as the new warehouse and shipping hall built in 2018 on the basis of an immission control permit from the Darmstadt Regional Council. The full commissioning of this hall has led to relevant quantity thresholds for certain substances being reached as of 1 July 2022, meaning that the 12th Federal Immission Control Ordinance (the so-called 'Major Accident Ordinance') now applies for the first time to the operating area of the Kreussler & Co. GmbH chemical factory.

Substances and hazard characteristics

As in many chemical industrial companies, substances with various hazard characteristics are handled at the plant, including flammable liquids and gases, organic peroxides, oxidising liquids or solids and substances hazardous to water. Furthermore, hazardous substances are handled that are specifically listed in Appendix 1 of the 12th Federal Immission Control Ordinance (12th BImSchV), such as petroleum products (gas oils/diesel fuel), acetylene and ethylene oxide. The operating area falls into the lower tier of the above-mentioned regulation due to the quantity thresholds of the substances handled.

The following overview illustrates the hazard pictograms with which specific substances in the operating area must be labelled according to the regulation. Labelling may feature multiple hazard pictograms at once.

Hazard pictogram	Hazard information
	Flammable substances Gases, aerosols, solids, liquids e.g., organic solvents such as methanol Vapours form explosive mixtures! Do not smoke! Keep away from sources of ignition!
	Oxidising substances e.g., hydrogen peroxide, oxygen. Contact with combustible material may cause fire!
	Substances hazardous to water e.g., active ingredients in disinfectants can cause short- or long-term damage to bodies of water. Very toxic to aquatic life.
	Corrosive substances e.g., drain cleaners and detergents can have a corrosive effect on the skin and/or eyes.
	Harmful to health when taken orally, dermally or by inhalation e.g., formic acid substances are harmful to health above a certain ingested amount (lethal dose).

Our safety measures

All facilities used for storage, production, processing and transport correspond to the state of the art and fulfil all applicable regulations. Routine inspections carried out by the supervisory authorities, alongside representatives of property insurers, the local fire brigade or external auditors ensure the operations are carried out as intended.

To avoid operational disturbances, numerous precautionary measures have been established, documented in hazard prevention plans and coordinated with the relevant authorities. These are regularly updated and are intended to ensure that, in such a case, damage is minimised and no effects outside the operational area are expected. The operating staff are qualified and well trained to take the necessary measures in each situation.

Compliance with legal provisions is monitored by the Darmstadt Regional Council as the responsible supervisory authority. The operating area is subject to the monitoring programme for Hesse in accordance with Section 17 of the 12th Federal Immission Control Ordinance (12th BImSchV). The monitoring report for the most recent on-site inspection can be accessed online at: https://www.kreussler.com/de/news/ueberwachungsberichte.html. Since the company has not previously been an operating area within the meaning of the aforementioned regulation, no monitoring reports are currently available. Reference is also made to the monitoring plan for Hesse pursuant to Section 17 (1) of the 12th Federal Immission Control Ordinance (12th BImSchV), https://umwelt.hessen.de/umwelt/anlagengenehmigung-ueberwachung-sicherheit (see here under the heading 'Monitoring of facilities'.)

Your personal protection – instructions on appropriate behaviour in the event of an 'incident'

Should an operational disruption create a potential danger to the public, the fire department or police will make an announcement via loudspeaker.. The correct actions to take in such a case are listed below:

• Information can be obtained, for example, through the media (radio, TV, internet) or through loudspeaker announcements from the fire department or police.
• Follow the instructions of the emergency services.
• Keep your distance from the accident site and ensure that access routes remain unobstructed for emergency responders.
• Stay inside enclosed buildings and bring children indoors.
• Close doors and windows.
• If required, turn off ventilation and air conditioning systems.
• Assist children, older people or those with disabilities in getting to safety.
• Notify your immediate neighbours.
• Use the emergency numbers for the police, fire brigade and rescue services only in situations of immediate danger, for example in the event of a fire or accident, to avoid blocking the lines.

After the danger has been eliminated, the police or fire brigade will give the all-clear via radio or loudspeaker vehicles.

For more information, please contact:

Chemische Fabrik Kreussler & Co. GmbH
Rheingaustr. 87-93
65203 Wiesbaden

Central telephone number: (0611) 92 71-0
Email: info@kreussler.com

Homepage: www.kreussler.com