CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES

CHEMICAL DISASTERS:

Dr. Anil K. Gupta Associate Professor NIDM

DM Terminology
Hazard Vulnerability (Exposure) Accident Disaster Prevention Emergency Preparedness Response Compensation Litigations
On-site Off-site

CHEMICAL DISASTERS
Chemical disasters are occurrence of emission, fire or explosion involving one or more hazardous chemicals in the course of industrial activity or storage or transportation or due to natural events leading to serious effects inside or outside the installation likely to cause loss of life and property including adverse effects on the environment.

CHARECTERESTICS
Chemical accidents may be classified by
Chemicals involved, Sources of release Extent of the contaminated are Number of people exposed, Routes of exposure an Health and medical consequences.

Causes of Chemical Disasters

Explosion in a plant handling or producing toxic substances Accidents in storage facilities handling large and various quantities of chemicals Accidents during the transportation of chemicals from one site to another Misuse of chemicals, resulting in contamination of food stocks or the environment, overdosing of agrochemicals

Causes of Chemical Disasters

Improper waste management such as uncontrolled dumping of toxic Chemicals, failure in waste management systems or accidents in wastewater treatment plants Technological system failures Failures of plant safety design or plant components Natural hazards such as fire, earthquakes, landslides Sabotage human error

Sources of Chemical Disasters

Manufacturing and Formulation Facility (including during Commissioning & Process Operation; Maintenance, Disposal and Waste Management) Material Handling and Storage
Bulk Storages: In manufacturing facilities and isolated storages (including tank farms in Ports & Docks) Storages of Small Containers: In manufacturing facilities, in isolated warehouses and godowns, and Storage of Fuels (LPG Depots etc.)

Pipelines, and Transportation (road-, rail -, air- & waterways)

Trigger Mechanisms
Process and Safety Control System Failures: Technical errors such as design defects, fatigue and metal failure, corrosion etc.; human errors namely neglecting safety instructions, deviating from specified procedures; lack of information i.e., absence of emergency warning procedure, non-disclosure of line of treatment etc., organizational errors viz. non-conductance of mock drills. etc for ensuring state of quick response and preparedness, poor emergency planning and co-ordination etc.

Trigger
Natural calamities
The Indian sub-continent highly prone to natural disasters These events trigger Chemical disasters. For e.g., Release of acrylonitrile at Bhuj,

earthquake 2001, and Damage to Phosphoric acid sludge containment during Orissa Supercyclone in 1999.

Terrorist attacks/Sabotage

Release
TYPE Gas release Liquid release Two-phase flow CAUSE - Leakage - Vent - Rupture

Consequences of Chemical Disasters

Failures
Design / equipment/ system Operability (human or management failure):
KSA M or E (Management/ organizational) Information/feedback

Response time leads to scenario

Recurring Causes of Recent Chemical Accidents: Common Factors

1. Inadequate hazard review or process hazards analysis 2. Installation of pollution control equipment

3. Use of inappropriate or poorly designed equipment

4. Inadequate indications of process condition 5. Warnings went unheeded

Toxic effects of chemicals

Chemicals enter the body through the skin, eyes, lungs or digestive tract. The rate of absorption via these paths is different for different chemicals Effects can be local (e.g. burning or blistering of the skin, eyes or respiratory tract) or systemic, and the pattern may be influenced by age, gender, immune state, non-comitant exposures and general fitness

Toxic effects.
Some effects (e.g. eye and respiratory irritation or central nervous system depression) can occur within minutes or hours Other effects (e.g. congenital malformations or cancers) may take months or years

Pathways of exposure

Public-health effects of chemicals

Stress and anxiety Deaths, Burns/injuries and illness Societal and economic costs

Fire & Explosion

Material characteristics Conditions
Atmospheric condition
Internal External

Temperature, Pressure, Wind

Ignitability, inflammable Explosion Source of ignition

Inflammability
Dow & Mond Index GPH & SPH Physical effects Amount Direction Flow characteristics Area/containment

Fire scenarios
Jet Fire Vapour cloud Vapour cloud explosion Pool fire BLEVE

Fire Impacts
Heat wave (fire) Fire lethality Fire burns Shock waves (explosion) Flying objects/ injuries Major damages Glass window cracks

Core zone Impact zone Buffer zone

Impacts..
Short-term Vs. Long-term Loss of lives Loss of economy Loss of market Law & order trouble and trauma Loss of peace and harmony

MCA
Maximum credible accident PRA ALARP

Thank you
Lesson: Managing a disaster like a chemical accident is not a charity or a welfare, BUT its our prime duty, its our accountability, and ITS the basic fundamental right of a person, organization, society or state.