Dr. Rhyddhi Chakraborty Programme Leader (Health and Social Care), London Churchill College, UK Email: rchak2012@gmail.com
What follows is a synopsis of the full article found in featured articles.
Please read the featured article Lesson from Bhopal Gas Tragedy (1983-84) By Dr. Rhyddhi Chakraborty Programme Leader (Health and Social Care), London Churchill College, UK describes in detail the elements of the Bhopal Gas Tragedy
Background
Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL)
In 1970, in the North adjacent to the slums and railway station, a pesticide plant was set up by Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL). From late 1977, the plant started manufacturing Sevin (Carbaryl) by importing primary raw materials, viz. alpha-naphtol and methyl isocyanate (MIC) in stainless steel drums from the Union Carbide's MIC plant in USA. However, from early 1980, the Bhopal plant itself started manufacturing MIC using the know-how and basic designs supplied by Union Carbide Corporation, USA (UCC). The Bhopal UCIL facility housed three underground 68,000 liters liquid MIC storage tanks: E610, E611, and E619 and were claimed to ensure all safety from leakage.
Time Line of Occupational Hazards of the Union Carbide India Limited Plant Leading Before the Disaster
• 1976: Local trade unions complained of pollution within the plant.
• 1980: A worker was reported to have accidentally been splashed with phosgene while carrying out a regular maintenance job of the plant's pipes.
• 1982 (January): A phosgene leak exposed 24 workers, all of whom were admitted to a hospital. Investigation revealed that none of the workers had been ordered to wear protective masks.
• 1982 (February): An MIC leak affected 18 workers.
• 1982 (August): A chemical engineer came into contact with liquid MIC, resulting in burns over 30 percent of his body.
• 1982 (October): In attempting to stop the leak, the MIC supervisor suffered severe chemical burns and two other workers were severely exposed to the gases.
• 1983-1984: There were leaks of MIC, chlorine, monomethylamine, phosgene, and carbon tetrachloride, sometimes in combination.
In early December 1984, most of the Bhopal plant's MIC related safety systems were not functioning and many valves and lines were in poor condition. In addition, several vent gas scrubbers had been out of service as well as the steam boiler, intended to clean the pipes. For the major maintenance work, the MIC production and Sevin were stalled in Bhopal plant since Oct. 22, 1984 and major regular maintenance was ordered to be done during the weekdays’ day shifts.
The Sevin plant, after having been shut down for some time, had been started up again during November but was still running at far below normal capacity. To make the pesticide, carbon tetrachloride is mixed with methyl isocyanate (MIC) and alpha-naphthol, a coffee-colored powder that smells like mothballs. The methyl isocyanate, or MIC, was stored in the three partly buried tanks, each with a 15,000-gallon capacity.
During the late evening hours of December 2, 1984, whilst trying to unclog, water was believed to have entered a side pipe and into Tank E610 containing 42 tons of MIC that had been there since late October. Introduction of water into the tank began a runaway exothermic reaction, which was accelerated by contaminants, high ambient temperatures and other factors, such as the presence of iron from corroding non-stainless steel pipelines.
A Three Hour Time Line of the Disaster
December 3, 1984 12:40 am: A worker, while investigating a leak, stood on a concrete slab above three large, partly buried storage tanks holding the chemical MIC. The slab suddenly began to vibrate beneath him and he witnessed at least a 6 inche thick crack on the slab and heard a loud hissing sound. As he prepared to escape from the leaking gas, he saw gas shoot out of a tall stack connected to the tank, forming a white cloud that drifted over the plant and toward nearby neighborhoods where thousands of residents were sleeping. In short span of time, the leak went out of control.
December 3, 1984 12:45 am: The workers were aware of the enormity of the accident. They began to panic both because of the choking fumes, they said, and because of their realization that things were out of control; the concrete over the tanks cracked as MIC turned from liquid to gas and shot out the stack, forming a white cloud. Part of it hung over the factory, the rest began to drift toward the sleeping neighborhoods nearby.
December 3, 1984 12:50 am: The public siren briefly sounded and was quickly turned off, as per company procedure meant to avoid alarming the public around the factory over tiny leaks. Workers, meanwhile, evacuated the UCIL plant. The control room operator then turned on the vent gas scrubber, a device designed to neutralize escaping toxic gas. The scrubber had been under maintenance; the flow meter indicated there was no caustic soda flowing into the device. It was not clear to him whether there was actually no caustic soda in the system or whether the meter was broken. Broken gauges were not unusual at the factory. In fact, the gas was not being neutralized but was shooting out the vent scrubber stack and settling over the plant.
December 3, 1984 1: 15- 1:30 am: At Bhopal’s 1,200-bed Hamidia Hospital, the first patient with eye trouble reported. Within five minutes, there were a thousand patients. Calls to the UCIL plant by police were twice assured that "everything is OK", and on the last attempt made, "we don't know what has happened, sir". In the plant, meanwhile, MIC began to engulf the control room and the adjoining offices.
December 3, 1984 3:00 am: The factory manager, arrived at the plant and sent a man to tell the police about the accident because the phones were out of order. The police were not told earlier because the company management had an informal policy of not involving the local authorities in gas leaks. Meanwhile, people were dying by the hundreds outside the factory. Some died in their sleep. Others ran into the cloud, breathing in more and more gas and dropping dead in their tracks.
Immediate Consequences
With the lack of timely information exchange between Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL) and Bhopal authorities, the city's Hamidia Hospital was first told that the gas leak was suspected to be ammonia, then phosgene. They were then told that it was methyl isocyanate (MIC), which hospital staff had never heard of, had no antidote for, and received no immediate information about. The gas cloud, composed mainly of materials denser than air, stayed close to the ground and spread in the southeasterly direction affecting the nearby communities. Most city residents who were exposed to the MIC gas were first made aware of the leak by exposure to the gas itself.
Subsequent Actions
Formal statements were issued that air, water, vegetation and foodstuffs were safe, but warned not to consume fish. The number of children exposed to the gases was at least 200,000. Within weeks, the State Government established a number of hospitals, clinics and mobile units in the gas-affected area to treat the victims.
Legal proceedings involving UCC, the United States and Indian governments, local Bhopal authorities, and the disaster victims started immediately after the catastrophe. The Indian Government passed the Bhopal Gas Leak Act in March 1985, allowing the Government of India to act as the legal representative for victims of the disaster, leading to the beginning of legal proceedings.
Initial lawsuits were generated in the United States federal court system in April 1985. Eventually, in an out-of-court settlement reached in February 1989, Union Carbide agreed to pay US$470 million for damages caused in the Bhopal disaster. The amount was immediately paid.
Post-settlement activity
UCC chairman and CEO Warren Anderson was arrested and released on bail by the Madhya Pradesh Police in Bhopal on 7 December 1984. Anderson was taken to UCC's house after which he was released six hours later on $2,100 bail and flown out on a government plane. Anderson, eight other executives and two company affiliates with homicide charges were required to appear in Indian court.
In response, Union Carbide said the company is not under Indian jurisdiction. In 1991, the local Bhopal authorities charged Anderson, who had retired in 1986, with manslaughter, a crime that carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. He was declared a fugitive from justice by the Chief Judicial Magistrate of Bhopal on 1 February 1992 for failing to appear at the court hearings in a culpable homicide case in which he was named the chief defendant. Orders were passed to the Government of India to press for an extradition from the United States. From 2014, Dow is a named respondent in a number of ongoing cases arising from Union Carbide’s business in Bhopal.
A US Federal class action litigation, Sahu v. Union Carbide and Warren Anderson, had been filed in 1999 under the U.S. Alien Torts Claims Act (ATCA), which provides for civil remedies for "crimes against humanity." It sought damages for personal injury, medical monitoring and injunctive relief in the form of clean-up of the drinking water supplies for residential areas near the Bhopal plant. The lawsuit was dismissed in 2012 and subsequent appeal denied. Anderson died in 2014.
Long-term Health Effects
A total of 36 wards were marked by the authorities as being "gas affected," affecting a population of 520,000. Of these, 200,000 were below 15 years of age, and 3,000 were pregnant women. The official immediate death toll was 2,259, and in 1991, 3,928 deaths had been officially certified. The government of Madhya Pradesh confirmed a total of 3,787 deaths related to the gas release. Later, the affected area was expanded to include 700,000 citizens. A government affidavit in 2006 stated the leak caused 558,125 injuries including 38,478 temporary partial injuries and approximately 3,900 severely and permanently disabling injuries.
Ethical Negligence
The Corporate Negligence Argument: This point of view argues that management (and to some extent, local government) underinvested in safety, which allowed for a dangerous working environment to develop.
Safety audits: In September 1984, an internal UCC report on the West Virginia plant in the USA revealed a number of defects and malfunctions. It warned that "a runaway reaction could occur in the MIC unit storage tanks, and that the planned response would not be timely or effective enough to prevent catastrophic failure of the tanks". This report was never forwarded to the Bhopal plant, although the main design was the same.
The Disgruntled Employee Sabotage Argument: Now owned by Dow Chemical Company, Union Carbide maintains a website dedicated to the tragedy and claims that the incident was the result of sabotage, stating that sufficient safety systems were in place and operative to prevent the intrusion of water.
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As you read and analyze this case study, your reflective comments are requested on all of the following:
- Who are the stakeholders and how are they impacted both positively and negatively?
- What knowledge and skills are needed to implement sophisticated, appropriate, and workable solutions to the complex global problems facing the world today?
- What interdisciplinary perspectives would help identify innovative and non-obvious solutions?
- What insights can you articulate, based on your culture and other cultures with which you are familiar, to help understand your worldview and enable greater civic engagement?
- What is your position on the right thing(s) to do?
After you submit your comment, please view and evaluate the feedback to your response that is automatically provided on the screen.
Also, please take a moment to submit a comment on someone else's comment.
Comments
To fix big problems like the Bhopal disaster, we need different kinds of knowledge and skills. We need technical skills to keep things safe, like in industrial safety, environmental science, and engineering. We also need to understand rules and laws to make sure companies follow them and handle emergencies well. It's also important to make good decisions that protect people and the environment.
Looking at the problem from different angles can help find better solutions. Environmental studies teach us how to reduce harm to the environment. Public health focuses on how disasters affect people's health and how to help them. Legal studies emphasize the need to follow laws and protect people's rights. Social sciences stress the importance of working with the community and understanding cultural differences.
Understanding cultural differences is very important in handling disasters. Respecting local cultures and working together with companies, authorities, and communities can lead to better solutions. Making sure local people have a voice ensures their needs and rights are considered.
Companies need to act with responsibility and integrity. They should own up to their actions, be open and honest, and prioritize safety above all. Regular safety inspections and prompt repairs are crucial to avoiding disasters. If something does go wrong, providing immediate assistance to those affected and cleaning up the environment shows the company's dedication to doing the right thing.
Lastly, doing the right thing means being ethical, focusing on sustainable practices, and striving for improvement. We can better address industrial challenges by combining technical know-how, understanding regulations, and respecting cultural differences. This approach not only helps prevent future tragedies but also fosters a sense of responsibility in companies and greater involvement from communities.
In order to implement sophisticated, appropriate, and workable solutions to the concerning challenges that come up such as the Bhopal Gas Tragedy, many skills are needed. Not only should the knowledge of chemical, system, health, and environmental mechanics be present on site, but avalible. Together, these skills need to combine to create adequate safety measures and risk assessments. This would lead to the creation of protocols which would require legal knowledge and skills to embed these regulations into industry. With protocols in place, managing dangerous situations will hopefully prevent tragedy. It seems like there was a report for warning against the nature of the tanks for a West Virginia plant, but it never reached the Bhopal plant. More communication skills will also be required to create an effectively safe environment.
Interdisciplinary perspectives would help combine knowledge from a variety of areas to find the most innovative solution. Not only would a variety of engineers help (chemical, mechanical, environmental), but scientists specializing in the MIC, and corporate representatives can cover a broad field to find non-obvious solutions.
Working with many cultures can foster insights that allow you to find common ground, especially in a work environment. Values come out such as concern for wellbeing, familial bonds, and trust. Industry must build around these as they are common building blocks. Interwining safety with those values is the key to creating greater civic engagement.
In the end, all highly impacted stakeholders such as the victims and the civilians should be compensated and prioritized for getting their life back on track. Strong efforts should be made to further prevent these kinds of tragedies in the future by raising awareness throughout the community and reinforcing policy through the higher-level stakeholders such as the government.
2. Addressing major global issues like the Bhopal Gas Tragedy requires a blend of technical expertise, ethical reasoning, and collaboration across disciplines. Professionals need skills in risk assessment, crisis management, regulatory compliance, and engaging stakeholders. Effective communication and cultural sensitivity are essential for understanding diverse perspectives and implementing sustainable solutions.
3. interdisciplinary perspectives such as environmental science, public health, engineering, and sociology would be invaluable. By integrating knowledge from these diverse fields, innovative and non-obvious solutions can be identified to address complex issues, considering environmental impacts, public health implications, engineering failures, and social justice concerns.
4. India is known for its diverse cultures, languages, and traditions. The concept of "unity in diversity" emphasizes the importance of respecting and celebrating differences while recognizing the shared humanity that unites all people. This perspective encourages inclusive civic engagement that values the contributions of every individual regardless of their background. Its culture places a strong emphasis on social harmony and collective well-being. By fostering a sense of belonging and interconnectedness, it encourages active participation in civic life for the betterment of society.
5. In my opinion, the tragedy could have been prevented if the company had prioritized maintaining infrastructure and ensuring employee safety. The negligence of the firm resulted in people bearing the consequences. Implementing rigorous policies and strong disaster management systems is crucial.
Those who ended up being negatively impacted include workers and employees, the local community, victims and their families, and government authorities. The workers and employees ended up suffering occupational hazards, injuries, and fatalities due to the lack of safety measures and negligence, and the local community experienced health effects, long-term health issues, and the loss of lives as well as significant environmental damages. Victims and their families had to face physical, emotional, and financial hardships because of injuries, disabilities, and the loss of their family members. Lastly, the government authorities were faced with criticism for their inadequate response, lack of preparedness, and the handling of legal proceedings.
Required knowledge and skills needed include implementing solutions to global problems like industrial disasters. Technical expertise is needed to understand chemical processes, safety protocols, and risk management techniques, and legal knowledge is needed to have familiarity with international, national, and local laws regarding industrial safety, liability, and compensation. Ethical awareness is something else that is required to recognize corporate responsibility, ethical decision-making, and accountability to prevent similar incidents in the future. Finally, crisis management is extremely important to be able to respond quickly, effectively, and transparently during emergencies to ensure public safety and minimize harm.
The interdisciplinary perspectives include environmental science, public health, and engineering. The reason for environmental science is to understand the impact of industrial activities on ecosystems, air, water, and soil quality. Assessing the health risks and long-term effects of chemical exposure on human populations is part of why public health is one of the perspectives, and engineering is needed to design safer industrial processes, infrastructure, and emergency response systems.
Culture of corporate accountability, community empowerment, and legal reform are all things associated with cultural insights and civic engagement. The culture of corporate accountability helps advocate for corporate responsibility and ethical business practices that are needed to protect workers and communities. Community empowerment helps to encourage citizens to participate, in community organizations, and backing for workers’ rights. Then the legal reform pushes for legislative changes to add strength to industrial safety regulations, enforcement mechanisms, and some legal remedies for victims.
The right things to do include prioritizing human safety by upholding the principle of prioritizing human lives over corporate profits and holding the responsible parties accountable for their actions to ensure justice for victims and prevent future incidents. Finally, advocacy for proactive measures such as safety regulations, regular audits, and transparent reporting would be needed to prevent further industrial disasters.
I think in order to solve the complex problems like this, knowledge and skills in chemical engineering (including the knowledge of the poisonous of each chemical), legal and regulatory compliance (establish a standard safety guidelines), crisis management (mandatory safety educations for every worker), ethical decision-making (prioritizing safety over profits), and interdisciplinary collaboration (working across disciplines such as engineering, medicine, law, etc.) are important.
The interdisciplinary perspectives that may help identify innovative and non-obvious solutions includes engineering (innovations in safety systems, monitoring technologies, and pollution control measures), public health (strategies for healthcare delivery, rehabilitation, and mental health support for disaster survivors), environmental sciences (minimizing the necessary harms to the environment and be able to control the disasters in case of emergency), legal studies (accountability frameworks, corporate governance, and justice for affected individuals and communities.)
The insights that I can articulate including emphasizing collective responsibility and transparency in decision-making processes, as this disaster is a perfect example of the consequences of prioritizing corporate greed over human life. Additionally, Learning from past tragedies to prevent future disasters is also a good way.
Lastly, I think the right actions involve holding negligent parties accountable, implementing strict safety measures, prioritizing public health and environmental protection, investing in community resilience, and promoting ethical leadership and collaboration for sustainable solutions.
It also wisely identifies the key knowledge and skills needed to address such complex problems, including chemical engineering, legal compliance, crisis management, and ethical decision-making. It also stresses the importance of working together across different fields like engineering, public health, environmental sciences, and legal studies to find innovative solutions.
The focus on collective responsibility, transparency, and learning from past mistakes is particularly valuable. Overall, the essay provides a clear and thoughtful argument for stronger safety measures, holding responsible parties accountable, and promoting ethical leadership and cooperation to prevent future disasters.
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