Bhopal Disaster: Causes and Effects

Proper training and protocols may have solved or prevented the problem. With more problems to add to the list of chain reactions from the accident, the government had to change industry safety which in turn, increased industry safety. New study groups were used to research the incident. New organizations had to be created to conduct proper training implementing the safety measures for the power plant operators. Many new publications had to be brought into existence to have better oversight of nuclear power plant operations. A

From this incident was any employee disciplined for not following safety procedures. This would establish if the company believes the employees were negligent in their duty.

In addition, Williams violated 29 C.F.R. § 1926.651(k) (1) for failing to designate a “competent person” with sufficient training and knowledge to identify and correct existing and predictable hazards (www.dol.gov). No supervisor at the Company was familiar with the basic standards applicable to the worksite or otherwise “capable of identifying and correcting existing and predictable hazards in their surroundings.” The court disagreed that the Company discharged its OSHA duties merely by relying on the general work experience of Dzamba and J.P. Williams or “common sense.”

In the beginning of this essay I would like to present some facts and figures related to our topic. On December 3, 1984, at the Union Carbide pesticide plant in Bhopal, India there was a deadly leak of methyl isocyanate. It caused thousands of people to die and affected generations to come. The leak happened due to a series of human and mechanical failures. The local health officials were neither knowledgeable about the deadly chemical that was being stored there nor were they equipped to handle the tragedy. Another incident happened at the Union Carbide plant in West Virginia. A toxic cloud of the same chemical was leaked into the atmosphere and it was a shocking reminder that such accidents could happen in the both developed and developing countries. The statistics prove that chemical spills occur on a regular basis in different parts of the world. In 1976 there were

Potential health and safety risks must be reported immediately to ones supervisor. It is up to the supervisor to use the chain of command and as needed it will even be reported to government offices.

If there is any doubt that health and safety procedures are not being followed then immediate action is required. As a company it is important staff work as trained and therefore should be aware of which steps to take if a risk occurs or there is a potential hazard which could cause harm. It is important that staff are supported and when speaking to an individual, management should try to establish whether the non - compliance is through miss-understanding, lack of knowledge or just not responsible practice, ensuring that staff have the right guidance and support in regards to additional training if needed.

In contradiction to the downgrading tone presented in the previous discussion towards OSHA and its involvement in the meatpacking industry, the implementation of OSHA had some uplifting attributes even though it had minute significance to the cause as presented by the scholarly individual, Dr. Sears, and the two notable muckraker, Eric Schlosser and Upton Sinclair. In cohesion to the upbringing of change due to OSHA, Claire Epstein’s article, “Keeping OSHA Records” enhances the awareness of the regulatory incorporation’s care for the workers safety and documentation by stating “Employers with more than 11 employees who are not in partially exempt industries are required to keep OSHA recordkeeping logs to track information on OSHA recordable injuries and illnesses” (Epstein). But not only did OSHA begin collecting records of the employees, but in “OSHA Updates Guide on Training Requirements” by Professional Safety, OSHA supplies workers with news occurring to fellow members of the country-wide workforce, and in this case is an injury pertaining to “Harco” and his personal negligence and misunderstanding of faulty hardware in order to prevent similar injuries and to analyze the faults and fabricate new directions to have a safer time when in the workplace (Professional Safety). In addition to the article, Professional Safety provides a handbook for workers that may/may not suppress the confusion, but is a sole act of generosity. In comparison, The United States Department of

Due to the high rate of illnesses, accidents and injuries in the industry, the organization further developed a hazard recognition program. This was greatly supported by the directives and the standards the organization drafted. The organization also set a safety and health program. This mainly depended on the credibility of management’s involvement in the program. This program provided for the inclusion of the employees in the program. The program also provided for the inclusion of the employees in the different decision making processes such as the safety and health decisions. The employees were also to be included in the decisions that involved change in the work site practices and conditions. The program addressed hazards despite failure by the government standard to regulate it (Brain Mass, 2010).

From major toxic gas releases to bombings there has been an incremental increase in recognition to industrial accidents and how they can affect the lives of us all. The emergency planning process can have serious ramifications on the people and the environment when it is not managed appropriately (Erickson, 1999). September 11, 2001 the south tower of the World Trade Center collapsed 56 minutes after being struck. Only 14 people that were in the impact zone survived. If the use of high rise elevators had been evaluated people in that impact zone could have possibly made it to the ground in as much time as 40 minutes which would have saved numerous lives (Pigg, 2013, p.5). Tragedies like this are why it is important to respond to emergencies in a way that minimizes harm to people and the risk mitigation starts by

Many changes have occurred since the 1992 convention in Minamata, Japan. The world has recognized a need for an anticipatory approach to manage industrial disasters. In the US the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has tried to improve and anticipate the industrial safety of chemical facilities. In response to the Bhopal, India tragedy the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 (CAAA) section 112(r) requires the EPA to publish the Risk Management Plan (RMP) regulations. Part of the CAAA mandated that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) create the Process Safety Management of Highly Hazardous Chemicals 29 CFR 1910.119 standard. These regulations require hazard assessments, chemical release prevention programs, and emergency response preparedness (Environmental Protection Agency, 2009).

Although the hazard had been mapped out by scientist when the early warning signs occurred it was planned to be presented to officials the day after the disaster. This shows how human decisions to live on the past debris of the lahars and also the hazard map not being produce in time lead to deaths which could have been avoided.

On December 2nd 1984, 40 tons of deadly Methyl Isocyanate (MIC) gas and other toxic gasses were released in to the atmosphere from Union Carbide India, Limited’s (UCIL) plant in Bhopal, India. Water meant for cleaning internal pipes was mixed with MIC, due to a faulty valve, which led to an exothermic reaction. The pressure and heat from this powerful reaction led to break down of a safety valve which then caused MIC gas to be released into the atmosphere.

On December 2, 1984, water inadvertently entered a storage tank containing more than 80,000 pounds of methyl isocyanate, or MIC, which reacts violently with water. A subsequent runaway reaction generated heat and pressure causing a relief valve to open and resulted in a massive toxic gas release. A dense, lethal cloud of approximately 40 tons of MIC was released to the city exposing to thousands of people. An estimated 3,800 people died immediately, and tens of thousands of people were injured. As of 1994, more than 50,000 people remained partially or totally disabled as a result of exposure to MIC. This tragedy led to the establishment of laws and Process Safety Management system.

Three causes of the 1984 Bhopal Chemical Plant disaster in India were long-term financial difficulties, poor safety management and inadequate emergency plans. The disaster occurred when water entered a methyl isocyanate (MIC) storage tank, which led to a runaway reaction and then discharged toxic MIC vapour into the atmosphere. The leak caused the deaths of more than 2,000 people and injured about 200,000 locals in the surrounding shanty towns (Kletz 2009, p. 338).

A single slip in action may cause lasting sorrow. A slight mistake in operation at a Union Carbide pesticide plant in Bhopal of India causes a lot of deaths and injuries. What a tragedy it is. Undoubtedly, there must be something wrong with the management of the plant.