Bhopal Disaster: Worst Industrial Accident in History - Essay Sample

Introduction

In December 1984, there was a methyl isocyanate (MIC) leak from the Union Carbide factory (UCIL) pesticide company in Bhopal. This incident is considered the worst industrial disaster on the planet, as there were over 380,000 victims (De, 2010). This disaster was a result of the backflow of water into a tank of MIC due to usual pipe maintenance. According to the article by De (2010), numerous people were exposed to the aerosol of MIC during this disaster, and one of the organs affected was the lung. The article further compares the gas victims to those who were not affected by the explosion to determine the abnormalities among the exposed population that was not present in the non-exposed population. The article also points out the risks and maintenance practices that were not conducted, which resulted in the incident.

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De (2010) indicated that the eyes and respiratory system were the vital organs that were affected by the MIC since the victims inhaled the volatile gas. Additionally, the risk for pulmonary functionality abnormalities that were identified in gas victims was expressively more among the victims who were younger or were smokers at the time of the incident. Therefore, the paper indicates the necessity of effective management techniques for modeling, analyzing, monitoring, predicting, as well as preventing future accidents. Furthermore, the implementation of safety measures in all industries that are high-risk should be essential in all companies in order to minimize or avoid future disasters such as one in Bhopal. The lessons learned from this incident have paved the way for better preparedness to facilitate adequate safety as well as disaster management in industries.

Disaster management is essential. The devastating aftermath witnessed in Bhopal was due to poor safety and security measures as well as poor risk management in the industrial site. Additionally, the failure of proper management and first aid measures for the people contributed to the increased casualty rates. The majority of the journalists warned about the potential issues that may arise from testing out a volatile reaction in a developing country due to the unavailability of the necessary materials. Furthermore, the plant was placed in a populated area due to the availability of infrastructure. These practices made it difficult for the company to employ adequate mitigation practices.

It is necessary to educate the workforce on the importance of implementing correct maintenance practices. These measures will be essential in helping the staff to report and mitigate any problems before they become worse accurately. For instance, if the staff were aware of the safety precautions, such as keeping the container tightly closed to avoid leakages, they would have reported any signs of leakages to avoid any possible damages. Furthermore, the knowledge of safety precautions, such as the use of protective clothing, would have helped to reduce the damages to the victim's respiratory tract and eyes.

Informing the staff on the response measures to be taken in case the victim is exposed to the hazardous material is essential as it would help to reduce the severity of the outcomes. If the staff and the public were aware of how to respond during this disaster, they would have significantly reduced the adverse effects of any incident. For example, if the people were aware of the importance of exposing the victim to fresh air upon inhalation of the gas, or rinsing the exposed skin, or eyes with water for several minutes while waiting for a physician as per the Safety Data Sheet (2015), then the rate of mortality caused by the disaster would have reduced significantly.

Observing for or identifying and addressing safety in any industry is essential as it helps to prevent disaster or to mitigate the outcomes adequately. Ensuring that the staff is aware that there is a sense of urgency concerning all safety problems as well as the management's ability to pay attention to the worst-case possibilities during routine checks in industries is essential as it will facilitate sufficient and adequate maintenance to prevent possible problems. Effective maintenance and routine checks would have helped the staff to notice that there was a leak and report it to the management. The management would have then taken the necessary steps to seal the leak and ensure a safety check is carried out in the industry to minimize the potential risk of casualization.

Conclusion

In conclusion, industries should invest more on minimizing risks and create an environment where the accidents are more expensive if they happen. If the accidents are costly, then the chances of reoccurring will be reduced via proper mitigation processes. Furthermore, educating the public about the necessary safety measures and possible responses is essential as it helps to reduce the adverse effects in any worst-case scenario. Educating the public will also help to bridge the gap between the perception of risk and the actual risk. Thus, the public can participate more actively and effectively in case of any incident such as the disaster at Bhopal. Creating and following safety discipline will also be essential as the staff will be aware of what they should do as well as what is detrimental to their health and safety.

References

De, S. (2012). Retrospective analysis of lung function abnormalities of Bhopal gas tragedy affected population. Indian J Med, 135, 193-200.

Safety Data Sheet. (2015). Safety Data Sheet (03). Chem Service.