"A December 1984 toxic gas leak in Bhopal, India killed and maimed thousands and led to chronic health problems. Survivors of the tragedy—which has been called the worst industrial accident ever—came to Harvard Chan School on Sept. 23 as part of a U.S. tour to share their stories and to build support for activities related to the 40th anniversary."
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"The clock at Gate 1 stopped at 3:43 p.m. The explosion that shook
the BASF site in Ludwigshafen at this time on July 28, 1948 wrought
unthinkable destruction in a place that was still being rebuilt
following the Second World War and which was still under French
occupation three years after the end of the war. The disaster created a
widespread stir as a result of extensive international press coverage.
Similarly, aid also came from virtually all over the world after the
explosion, and soldiers from both the French and the adjacent American
occupation zones immediately made their way to the site to assist."
An employee was cleaning the chemical reactor with a flammable mixture of solvents when the reactor burst its rupture disc and the mixture was expelled into the plant. The solvent ignited and the vapor cloud explosion resulted in the plant's 43 employees being injured by flying debris and/or being thrown by the force of the explosion. The employee and two others died from the explosion. Many were injured.
It appeared that the reactor was not vented to a safe location and had primitive temperature controls, and the company did not enforce the mandatory attendance of operators at the reactors during operation. All of these factors, including minimal operating procedures (none specifically for cleaning), led to the explosion and the resulting extensive injuries and property damage.
Source: Osha.gov
Employee #1 was placing the #6 water condenser back on line, leaving the drain valve open while he opened a valve under the condenser. Hydrofluoric acid suddenly drained into the catch basin/drain system, and splashed the employee. He suffered first- and second-degree burns and later died of cardiac arrest.
Siurce: OSHA.gov
