THE DOUBLE ACCIDENT IN CACHAN WILL LEAD TO AN OVERHAUL OF THE CLASSIFIED ESTABLISHMENTS SYSTEM

This was decided by the commission set up by the Prefect of the Seine, whose first meeting Mr. Herriot insisted on chairing in person,
The commission set up by the Prefect of the Seine to ensure the safety of workers working in the sewers met at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Herriot insisted on chairing its work himself.

The commission, at the meeting of which were present Messrs. Pierre-Robert, Under-Secretary of State for Posts and Telegraphs; Israël, Secretary General to the Presidency of the Council; Raynaud, Director of the Office of the Minister of the Interior; the Prefect of the Seine, the representatives of the General Council of the Seine and the Municipal Council of Paris; the directors of the two prefectures and the representatives of the sewers, the post office and the telegraphs, decided that it was necessary to strengthen the control of the inspection service of classified establishments by authorizing the personnel of the sewer service of the Seine prefecture and the P.T.T., to participate directly in the application of the law on classified establishments and to visit factories discharging harmful products in the pipes.

In addition, it decided to impose on manufacturers, to neutralize harmful products before sending them to the sewer, a device placed inside the establishment and allowing easy verification.
It was also decided to generalize the use of safety lamps.

Finally, the commission was charged with studying the strengthening of the sanctions provided for by the regulations of classified establishments against all acts that could harm public health or the safety of workers. Agents from the classified establishments department will be permanently placed in factories deemed dangerous until the devices provided for in the commission's decision have been established and are in operation.

The judicial inquiry

The public prosecutor has charged Mr Devise, investigating judge, with investigating the accident that occurred in the Cachan collector sewer. The magistrate immediately gave a letter of request to Dr Paul to carry out an autopsy on the bodies of Mr Georges Tassal and Mr Alphonse Ruin.
The viscera will be analyzed by Mr Kohn-Abrest, director of the toxicology laboratory of the City of Paris.
Furthermore, Mr Devise has assigned Mr Kling, head of the municipal laboratory, Kohn-Abrest and Professor Maneuvrier, to investigate the causes of the accident and determine the nature and origin of the gases released into the sewer.