Enforcement of safety rules

An article in the Hindu newspaper reflects the lack of enforcement of fire safety rules in hospitals and other buildings. Chemical plant zoning rules are another area where the rules need to be strictly implemented to avoid the consequences of a catastrophic incident. Unfortunately there is still more to improve in this area. Let us not wait for another Bhopal type incident to wake up to the reality.
Read the article in the Hindu in this link.
  
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Explosion in glue factory in Japan

An explosion has been reported in a glue factory of Mitsui Chemicals in Japan. Read the article and see the photo of the explosion in this link.

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Lessons to learn from Hot work accident at DuPont

The CSB has published its report on the investigation of a hot work accident at a DuPont facility in the US.

Two contractors were performing welding atop a 10,000 gallon slurry tank when hot sparks ignited flammable vapors inside the tank, causing an explosion that killed one contractor and seriously injured another.
One of the root causes of the incident was failure to test the internal atmosphere of the tank prior to hot work outside the tank. DuPont is renowned for their safety practices and if can happen in DuPont, it can happen anywhere else.

While I am not commenting on the incident and its findings, I strongly feel that competency to understand process safety issues is dwindling in India. When I started my consultancy 10 years ago on process safety, I often got calls for a "safety audit". I had to explain that process safety is different from the regular occupational health and safety. What I see today is the alarming lack of process safety competency in leadership in many Indian Chemical Companies. You may have excellent process safety systems but the bottom line is that unless you have competent personnel to understand and use these systems, they cannot protect you.

Read the CSB report and watch the excellent video in this link.

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More confined space accidents

 NIOSH had published in 1986 case studies of confined space accidents. They observe that 60% of fatalities in confined space accidents are would be rescuers. Some of the accidents mentions are:

"A 54-year-old worker died inside a floating cover of a sewage digester while attempting to restart a propane heater that was being used to warm the outside of the sewage digester cover prior to painting it Workers had wired the safety valve open so that the flow of propane would be constant, even if the flame went out. The heater was located near an opening in the cover of the digester. When the worker attempted to restart the heater, an explosion occurred that vented through the opening. The worker crawled away from the heater into an area that was oxygen deficient and died. A co-worker attempted a rescue and also died". 
"A 20-year-old construction worker died while attempting to refuel a gasoline engine powered pump used to remove waste water from a 66 inch diameter sewer line that was under construction. The pump was approximately 3,000 feet from where the worker had entered the line. The worker was overcome by carbon monoxide. A co-worker, who had also entered the sewer line, escaped. A 28-year-old state inspector entered from another point along the sewer line and died in a rescue attempt. Both deaths were due to carbon monoxide intoxication. In addition to the fatalities, 30 firefighters and 8 construction workers were treated for carbon monoxide exposure".

Read the case studies of confined space accidents in this link

 
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Blast in German chemical plant

Thanks to Balu for sending information of an accident in a German chemical plant has reportedly killed two people. The plant was manufacturing  cyclododecatriene, an intermediate used to make nylon 12, flame retardants, flavors, and fragrances.The blast was apparently triggered in a tank in the cyclododecatriene plant.The cause of the blast is being investigated.
Read about the accident in this link.
 See blast pictures in this link

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