Sipcam Oxon Takes Part in EXE PO 2026: Emergency Coordination Between Industry and Civil Protection Tested at Mezzana Bigli
Mezzana Bigli (Pavia), July 00, 2026 – Sipcam Oxon's Mezzana Bigli production site took part in EXE PO 2026, the national Civil Protection exercise dedicated to flood and hydrogeological risk management along the Po River basin. The site was selected as the only Seveso-regulated major accident hazard establishment to participate as a pilot facility.
Organized by the Italian Civil Protection Department in collaboration with AIPo (Interregional Agency for the Po River), regional authorities, Prefectures, the National Fire Corps, and local administrations, the initiative involved the regions of Piedmont, Lombardy, Emilia-Romagna and Veneto. Its objective was to assess the effectiveness of early warning systems, emergency procedures, and coordination among the various institutional bodies in response to an extraordinary flooding scenario affecting the Po River.
The national exercise took place from 25 to 27 June, while Sipcam Oxon participated in the activities scheduled for 25 June. The exercise was preceded by two coordination meetings involving the company, Civil Protection, the National Fire Corps, ARPA Lombardy, and the Municipality of Mezzana Bigli, aimed at planning operational activities and communication procedures.
The simulated scenario involved the gradual flooding of the Po River, resulting in the inundation of the production site. Conducted as a tabletop exercise, the simulation tested all emergency procedures established by the facility, including the activation of communication protocols between the company and the relevant authorities, the safe shutdown of production plants, the protection of raw materials and finished products, and the complete evacuation of the site.
Particular attention was devoted to NaTech (Natural Hazard-triggered Technological) events—technological accidents caused by natural hazards—which represent an increasingly significant risk for industrial facilities.
The primary objective of the exercise was to verify the integration between the company's established safety procedures and those adopted by the institutions responsible for emergency management, while also contributing to the development of future national guidelines for NaTech events. As highlighted by the Prefecture of Pavia, the simulation confirmed the effectiveness of the Civil Protection system's response capabilities and identified further operational improvements to strengthen prevention and risk mitigation activities.
Around ten key Sipcam Oxon personnel took part directly in the exercise, supported by approximately twenty employees working on site during the simulation. The company's contribution focused both on the preparatory phase and on operational coordination with the authorities involved, putting well-established emergency management procedures to the test under a complex simulated scenario.
"Safety is a fundamental value underpinning our industrial operations and a daily commitment to our people, the local community, and public institutions," said Francesco Sasso, Group Industrial Operations Director. "Participating in EXE PO 2026 allowed us to validate the effectiveness of our emergency procedures in a particularly challenging scenario and to compare them with those adopted by Civil Protection and the other authorities involved. Being selected as the only Seveso-regulated major accident hazard establishment participating in the exercise provided us with a valuable opportunity to strengthen cooperation and further enhance our prevention and emergency management systems, with the awareness that safety is a continuous journey of improvement."
