Case Studies

Outsourcing Manufacturing to Developing Countries

Posted by WMM1942 on August 13, 2020 at 9:04am

Background

The development of new, more complex technologies continues at an accelerating pace. Many of these technologies have risks that have not been seen before or adequately assessed.  The risks these technologies incur are frequently exported to developing countries, which lack the infrastructure to support and implement these technologies safely. For manufacturers developing countries offer multinational corporations a competitive cost advantage compared to manufacturing in highly industrialized countries. Companies building plants in developing countries have the benefit of cheap labor and low operating costs. Health and safety regulations are often non-existent or at best inadequate to address the risks new technologies incur. There may be little incentive to promote environmental ethics, safety procedures and community investment. Even if regulations exist firms may find it economically advantageous to avoid compliance and pay penalties rather than to meet statutory safety or environmental requirements.

There have been numerous instances where plants established in developing countries have experienced workplace and community disasters that would be much less likely to have happened in industrialized nations. The 1984 catastrophe at the Union Carbide Plant in Bhopal, the capital city of Madhya Pradesh, in India is a prime example. Recently workers were trapped in manufacturing facilities with inadequate fire suppression or emergency exits as another example. Longer term health issues arise when workers are exposed to hazardous materials without adequate protective gear. Hazardous waste maybe introduced into communities without adequate treatment. The ethical responsibilities of multinational corporations and their senior management, engineers and scientists working for these organizations are frequently ignored.

Often there is a demonstrable difference in design, safety, operating and maintenance procedures when comparing plants in developing countries with similar plants in highly industrialized countries. Developing countries frequently lack community information and emergency response procedures to deal with large-scale disasters. The governments of developing countries may contribute to the risks if highly placed governmental officials are susceptible to corruption to overlook serious health and safety issues. 

The following fictitious scenario is based on a composite of real events.

Reduced Safety Standards In Design Specifications

Joe Martin is the Chief Design Engineer for a major multinational corporation. He leads a multidisciplinary team of engineers that have years of experience in the safe design of manufacturing plants in his home country, a highly industrialized nation. Joe and his team have been tasked with the design and startup of a new plant in Ethicana (a fictitious developing country). The plant will manufacture advanced solar cells and complete solar panels using a proprietary nanotechnology process that has never been used before. The decision to build the plant in Ethicana was primarily driven by the lengthy process to get approval by regulatory agencies in his home country. There has been very little research or data collected on the safe use of this new nanotechnology in manufacturing solar cells.

An important issue that Joe and his engineering team face is the design specifications set by management for the new plant have safety standards well below those for similar plants in his home country where the corporate headquarters is located. New computerized safety systems specified for use in his home country have not been incorporated into the design specifications for the new Ethicana plant to reduce costs. Joe’s team has been given a restricted list of approved low-cost instrumentation for the new plant that has a reputation of being unreliable.

Joe and his design team are very concerned. When Joe approaches senior management with his concerns he is sternly rebuffed and told that regulations in Ethicana do not require the same safety and environmental measures as those in his home country. Joe and his team feel very uncomfortable at the reduced design and safety standards for the new plant, but are keenly aware of management's negative reaction to their feelings. They feel compelled to design the plant to meet the specifications management provided. The plant is built accordingly.

 Starting up the plant.

Joe’s team immediately becomes aware that even existing safety standards are not being upheld. Nevertheless, the new plant is scheduled for startup.  Joe reports back to corporate headquarters that even though he has requested a safety inspection, the regulatory agencies of Ethicana have never inspected the plant and are not enforcing safety and environmental regulations. Joe requests permission from senior management to delay startup until safety inspections have been made. He is told to start up the plant immediately and that safety inspections will occur when local agencies can schedule time for a visit.

 During startup, the operating technicians have reported the following problems to Joe and his team:

  1. Temperature and pressure gauges are unreliable and are frequently ignored.
  2. Process waste chemical volumes are exceeding the recommended capacity of the holding tank.
  3. The reserve waste storage tank is averaging 70% full and occasionally overflows.
  4. The refrigeration unit that keeps potentially explosive chemicals at low temperatures shuts down intermittently and requires manual restarting. 
  5. The gas scrubber, which is designed capture flammable gases escaping from the process, has been shut down due to an electrical problem. Escaping gases are being routed to the flare tower.
  6. The flare tower – which is designed to burn off flammable gases escaping from the scrubber -- has a defective automatic igniter. Periodically when the flame is blown out by high winds it does not re-ignite. An unknown quantity of unburned flammable gas containing nanoparticles escapes to the atmosphere until the flame is manually ignited.
  7. The water curtain -- which should capture any process gas containing nano-particles in the works area – lacks adequate volume. Process gas containing nano-particles escapes into the worker’s operating area.
  8. The warning system for the local community in the event of a plant emergency has never been tested and is not known whether it is operable.
  9. Recent nationalization policies of the Ethicana government have resulted in the premature replacement of members of Joe’s team of experienced engineers with less knowledgeable local citizens.  Due to training cutbacks, most replacement technicians at the plant are poorly trained, inexperienced and have little understanding of the manufacturing process. This has resulted in several accidents during operation exposing workers to hazardous materials including nano-particles whose long-term health effects are unknown.

Corporate Response to Safety Concerns

Joe reported his concerns to senior management at corporate headquarters and requested that the Ethicana plant operations be suspended until the faulty equipment, safety and operational issues are addressed. To make his point Joe tells senior management that this is a disaster waiting to happen and that if nothing is done he will be compelled to file a report with the Ethicana Worker Safety and Environmental Protection Agency. Senior management tells him to keep the plant in operation at all cost. He is told that ethics and morals have no role in operating a manufacturing facility profitably. 

Out of frustration Joe reported his immediate supervisor to the senior vice president for corporate operations regarding potential risks to persons living near the plant. He is told that there are no regulations in Ethicana requiring the communication of risks to the local population living near the plant. Nothing is done to inform the surrounding community of any potential risks.

Because Joe and many of his team lived in the local community during their assignment in Ethicana they are aware that there are no emergency response plans to cope with any events at the plant that could have a negative impact the local community. Joe knows that there is an inadequate supply of water and electricity which could affect the operation of safety equipment currently installed at the plant in the event of an emergency. 

Consequences

Joe is quietly replaced by a local citizen as the plant manager and transferred back to corporate headquarters. Joe receives a less than favorable performance evaluation from his supervisor for his work on the Ethicana project. The rest of Joe’s engineering team is replaced by local citizens and the team is transferred back to corporate headquarters. To add to Joe’s frustration, he finds out from an article in an Ethicana newspaper that the new Ethicana plant manager is the brother in law of the mayor of the city where the plant is located. The new plant manager's industrial experience is limited to vehicle maintenance for the city where the plant is located.

Responsibility of the Governments of Industrialized and Developing Nations

Currently, international law does not involve itself in industrial hazards, pollution or regulating multinational corporations in general.  Any disaster that results will be litigated in the country where the plant operates. The legal systems of most developing countries lack experience in dealing with multinational corporations or the consequences of a major disaster resulting from poorly designed and operated plants outsourced from highly industrialized countries. 

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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?

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Comments

  • ss_reddevil October 30, 2020 at 11:03am
    1. The awareness of the long term hazardous impacts that the fictitious plant which seems to have all the faults in the world and are still neglected by the senior management, should be there. Competent authority is a much needed qualification nowadays and in the most current cases, people take advantage of their power and position in all kinds of institutions.
    2. Survey and data collection of past events and other plants of the same type in the other countries should be carried out and should be made aware to the senior management officials.
    3. Chernobyl. Everyone knows about the incompetence and the negligence shown by the people running the plant. Safety runs were conducted in the most unfavourable circumstances by the management just to get a raise and a promotion. The mass impact and the repurcussion and the loss of life in all forms tell us about the destruction caused by incompetency. Therefore every nuclear, solar plant must be aware of the cause-effect of all aspects of running the plant before actually commencing operations.
    4. Not to starting up the plant. Halt all operations with immediate effect. The senior management officials never visit the site and actually have the idea of the destruction it could cause. The local residents suffer and even though for money would work for that plant.
  • ss.blahblah@whatever.com October 30, 2020 at 11:01am
    The above example is a current scenario of almost every part of the world where the developing nations are the manufacturing hub. The rich countries fulfill their demands by outsourcing. This is partially because of the cheap labor cost and less regulated standards in the developing and other poor nations. Although this brings income to the country but at the cost of environment and health. The company along with local politicians often ignore the safety standards to cut the cost and fill in their pockets. Honest person like Joe are often sidelined and ignored. However I feel that professional experts must be hired and their opinions must be considered. Since they are the trained professionals, thus they have the insight of the working of such manufacturing plants. In the country itself we often come across many news about industries polluting the rives and causing damage to the ecology but the authority are hush hush about until the news is on television and they are forced to take action. People like joe must be encouraged who are honest with their work and should be rewarded instead of sacking them. This will encourage others as well to come forward for a better cause. Locals must also be educated about the potential harm of such industries and government should enforce strict and surprise safety audits to keep the mismanagement in check. These bodies must also be free governing bodies to ensure their corruption free working.
  • ssbt October 30, 2020 at 10:30am
    1)- Proper education regarding handling of machines are to be imparted.
    - Communication among each is to be prioritized.
    - The implementation of newer technology and machines are to be welcomed.
    - The defective and faulty machines and its parts are to replaced from time to time.
    - The authoritaties should always keep a check on their employees and their machines. They should award their employees to encourage them in their works.
    2) There was a lack of proper Safe measures in the Ethicana project , it would have been great if they maintained a proper safety measures in the project act according to it.
    3.3.- The organizational management is first thing to note here with that greater transparency can help but for bigger picture unless there is a systemic change very few options can be used.
    4.-DIFFICULT the framework of MNCs follow profit unless an until there is an organizational change very little can be done.
    • ssbt_biotechguy > ssbt October 30, 2020 at 2:52pm
      This is a very good point but I wish to contradict on certain grounds like Providing proper education is very important but in a developing nation majority of the people live below the poverty line. Their main aim is to earn money within a short span of time. So, if they see that the manufacturers are forcing them to do any training or join any industrial sector they will immediately shift to another job. I wish if unskilled workers are employed and so they are professionally trained by the organisation itself so the cost of the company will be reduced and the unskilled workers will be trained professionally. By this means the workers will get the adequate knowledge regarding the work they have to do and at the same time the initial cost of the company to hire professionally trained workers will be reduced.

      Secondly, the companies along with the local politicians often ignore the safety standards and the basic rights of the workers to cut the cost and fill their pockets. Because their aim is profit maximization. This fishy involvement of political parties and other influential group should be checked in control by unbiased authorities under strict supervision so that sustainability of the environment is maintained.
  • ZMorgg October 30, 2020 at 10:28am
    I think the best knowledge to have in this case is history. The issue of the flare tower pumping flammable nanoparticles into the atmosphere reminds me of the blowdown stack disaster in Texas City, Texas where BP followed a similar process of ignoring process safety by using cheap, outdated equipment. Many of the issues listed are actual very similar to the systematic safety problems shown by BP. Another key point one can learn from history is about how polluting it is to make solar panels. In refusing to monitor environmental pollution, like Joe’s company has, some nasty stuff (nitric acid, Hydrogen Fluoride, sulfuric acid, etc.) will be pumped into the atmosphere and ran down river streams. The greenhouse gas pollution reduction is a moot point if the fish in the river are all dead because some company raised its pH to 5 in the matter of a few months.

    Another point in history that may attract stockholders (or send them running) is the point I mentioned earlier. The explosion of BP’s ISOM unit cost the company billions in damages, lost production, and injury costs. Wait for the plant in a foreign country to go boom, then suddenly management will care about safety. History helps point out most of the potential issues here and can offer solutions for this ethical issue.

    I am biracial, and as a result I understand two very different approaches to community management. The European idea of universalism, and the Hispanic culture have two different ways of helping those around them. Latino culture is more community orientated. This means that those who are members of this culture will tend to gather and try to spread joy in a smaller group, but in a deeper way. The universalism is a more blanket approach. This method of thinking places value in fairness and equality. Universalism is better as a systematic approach, but tends to lack in community engagement, like what is needed in our fictitious country. Therefore, the best way to interact with the Ethicanans is through conversation, and participation in local festivals/events. From there, ways the company can engage in civic duty will become more apparent, and effects will be much more obvious.

    Joe did his best for the safety of the people around him but lacked an understanding of similar situations in the past. The best way to save the people around him is to convince management that doing the right thing saves more money than is spent. If that fails, then he must make a choice. He can either keep his job, or he can alert government officials in Ethicana. Ethically, the right choice is to be a whistleblower.
  • SSBTALI October 30, 2020 at 10:16am
    The term outsourcing, which came from the phrase outside resourcing, originated no later than 1981.[3][4][5] The concept, which The Economist says "made its presence felt since the time of the Second World War",[6] often involves the contracting of a business process (e.g., payroll processing, claims processing), operational, and/or non-core functions, such as manufacturing, facility management, call center/call centre support.

    Outsourcing Manufacturing to Developing Countries” by Dr.Marcy, it made me understand both the positives and negatives of doing things the wrong way. The stakeholders are corporations and executive management who are outsourcing manufacturing to developing countries, they are positively impacted by being able to make more income and not having to follow certain regulations. A negative issue for the stakeholder is building too quickly and having issues further in the project. While it's quicker to develop in foreign countries it may cause issues for that countries population. Certain knowledge and skills are needed to actually help fix issues in the world like being able to admit something is wrong with a project. A few interdisciplinary perspectives that could have helped solve problems in Joe’s scenario are having better safety regulations, a management team that listens to problems, and universal building standards so developing countries are not just used for profit. The main reason that countries like the United States go to build in undeveloped countries is it is often easier and faster to build. Even though it is easier to build elsewhere does not mean that engineering ethics should be lowered, in other cultures, it needs to be maintained to achieve greater civic engagement. For me personally, the right thing to do is not just take the easy way or do something that benefits me financially
  • ss_cleopatra October 30, 2020 at 10:11am
    1. Outsourcing is basically a concept of exploiting the human resource at a lower market rate. The organizations from developed countries set up their plants in the developing nations and acquire resources and employment at a much lower expenditure than their home nation. Although, the developing country is benefitting from these organizations through increased employment opportunities, they often trade the lives of their own people for the sake of development. For instance, in this case study we saw how the local government of Ethicana didn't bother about conducting an inspection to ensure if all the safety measures are properly followed. And also how they were interested only in the monetary aspect of the whole deal and not the safety of the locals. One argument for this can be the appointment of the mayor's relative as the plant manager. Furthermore, it is really necessary to educate the workers before appointing them in a manufacturing facility. But in this case study we saw that the new plant manager had no prior experience relevant to working in such a facility. So, quite obviously, he won't be really aware of the potential hazards the plant might give rise to and hence, won't take any preventive measures against them.
    2. Firstly, we see a complete negligence of safety and health issues which needs to be stopped. The organizations, when setting up a plant in a developing country, focus solely on the monetary benefits and put the lives of several innocents on the line to reap profits. They need to think from the perspective of the locals and implement measures that would be capable of at least minimizing a catastrophe, if not completely prevent it. Another thing that should be kept in mind while developing novel technology is how will it impact the local population where it is going to be implemented. The stakeholders should make sure to appoint individuals skilled or at least educated enough to handle and operate the technology and are aware of the possible hazards, at least the ones that are seemingly foreseeable. I would like to emphasize on the safety aspect of any facility that is being set up and hence, would make sure that all the preventive measures are implemented and there are functional alarming systems throughout the facility before it starts to operate.
    3. In my opinion, globalization is a major objective for growth and development on the global market and outsourcing is quintessentially involved in it. Outsourcing is welcomed by developing countries as a path to globalize their country and expand their economy. But in all of this, we tend to forget the setbacks that these organizations might bring to the locals. It is important to have a methodical approach that doesn't prioritize monetary benefits but also the keeps in mind the impact on the locals.
    4. Although I am merely a civilian, there are a number of things I can do:
    1. If I am aware of any new plant setting up in my locality, I would try to approach the company and acquaint myself with the safety measures they have employed.
    2. I would like to ask and know about the preparedness of the officials during a case of a hazard. It is possible that they won't provide these information willingly, which is why I would exercise my "Right to Information".
    3. I would have a talk with the local authorities about how much they have been informed about it and whether the company is operating under their jurisdiction or not for this particular plant.
    4. Social media is a powerful platform these days, so in case of any mishap it would be helpful in spreading awareness among the locals and people who can deal with it and either avert or at least minimize the casualities.
  • ssbtzea October 30, 2020 at 9:41am
    1)- Proper education regarding handling of machines are to be imparted.
    - Communication among each is to be prioritized.
    - The implementation of newer technology and machines are to be welcomed.
    - The defective and faulty machines and its parts are to replaced from time to time.
    - The authoritaties should always keep a check on their employees and their machines. They should award their employees to encourage them in their works.
    2) Common sense is to be worked on, upon here. Locals were employed in doing sophisticated work, about which they had no idea was a foolish thing to do. These people could have been educated and received knowledge about the curriculum, befor employing them as workers. This was a blooper . Safety measures should have been taken care of, afterall this is the life we have.
    3) Carelessness and being irresponsible is to be taken care off. Safety plans are to be encouraged and are to be prioritized. Here, the team was not careful regarding their safety. Also, educated and knowledgeable employees are to be encouraged instead of the people we prefer or the people who are our favourites.
    4) - Wearing of safety gears are o be under process. Strict laws are to be maintained regarding this step.
    - skilled officials are to be employed instead of the unskilled.
    - proper communication amongst the employess and authorities are to be done. There shouldnot be any feeling of inferiority and superiority. Also, professionalism is to be maintained in a work place.
    These are some of the things that could be looked upon.
  • S.S.Puja October 30, 2020 at 8:50am
    1.For more than 20 years, companies in developed nations have increasingly outsourced parts of their business processes to developing countries like India, the Philippines, Indonesia, and others. This phenomenon has given rise to what is now known as remote working or, in millennial speak, being a “digital nomad.” This is because most outsourced or remote workers today typically have their own home offices set up at their convenience or can be seen lugging their laptops in cafés or wherever they go.

    The concept of outsourcing is simple and straightforward: non-critical business functions are passed on to economies that have lower labor market rates. Such functions include customer service, bookkeeping, accounting, marketing and human resources, among others.

    Outsourcing is a welcome concept not just for companies looking to outsource, delegate or sub-contract business activities but also for third-world nations like India and the Philippines—the two English-speaking Asian countries whose talent pools are being tapped for outsourcing jobs. Outsourcing has positively addressed the growing unemployment rate in developing nations and developed the labor forces of these countries for specific industries.In the Philippines, the outsourcing industry has become the economic lifeline for almost the entire nation. Over 500,000 Filipinos are employed by business process outsourcing (BPO) companies and BPO’s are now the top foreign exchange earner in the Philippines along with foreign exchange remittances, bringing in close to US$ 20 million (PhP 1 billion) total revenue. Metro Manila, the country’s capital region alone, is now a growing hub for many outsourcing sub-industries like the call center industry, and because of this, the Philippines is now known as the Call Center Capital of the World, with 16% to 18% of the global market share.

    As for India, Bangalore alone is home to over a hundred thousand tech workers, many of whom are employed by US companies. Across the nation, 1 million people are working for US-based companies like GE Capital and Microsoft. American technology companies have been outsourcing to India for years. In fact, tech giant IBM is employing 130,000 people in India, which is already one-third of the country’s workforce, and is continuously shifting some of its critical business operations to the South Asian nation.
    2. Since the beginning of the industrial age, companies have outsourced part of the manufacturing process to third-party providers. In the twentieth century, as manufacturing processes became more complex and distribution more global, this trend accelerated.

    Following Nixon’s opening to China — coupled with the Chinese regime’s own desire to advance its economy to First World levels by opening its market in exchange for access to cheap labor — set in motion the virtuous cycle of global development. When this was combined with an increasingly deregulated financial sector, and the concomitant pressure Wall Street began to place on quarterly profit increases and cost reductions, the idea took hold that companies can reduce the cost of production of any product or service by outsourcing production overseas to developing countries in the newly opened markets of Asia, Europe and South America. The price of economic complacency by any company was severely reflected in their stocks.The global economy experienced a further radical change with the growth of the European Union and the adoption of the Euro. These changes encouraged the development of transnational manufacturing and production processes. At this time, South America’s dormant economies experienced positive political change that allowed them to partake in this new globalization trend. The political dynamics of ever greater globalization left their mark on global trade in many ways.

    Many of the developing countries that opened their labor markets to western offshore manufacturing were very concerned that their economies not simply be a pool of cheap labor. They, and China in particular, demanded a strong amount of technology transfer as part of gaining access to their large and expanding markets and their cheap — and much less regulated — labor force. While the dimension of state involvement in technology transfer — whether voluntary, forced, behind the scenes, or outright stolen — is not the subject of this series, there is no doubt that there are significant intellectual property risks associated with outsourced manufacturing. It is to defining and offering an outline of protective measures against these risks that this series will now turn.
    3.There are several benefits associated with outsourcing.The cost of labor is the highest cost for any manufacturing company. Companies have to pay employees (well), and also provide other incentives, such as subsidized insurance plans, hazard allowance, etc. This is true for even non-manufacturing companies like csgo betting, involved in esports and internet gabling. Outsourcing reduces this burden for the company.

    When some part of the manufacturing process is outsourced, there will be no need to employ persons to fill roles related to manufacturing. Furthermore, outsourcing could mean making use of temporary workers from employment agencies. These workers typically charge less than the average employee. Also, their employment terminates at the end of the job.Outsourcing frees up time that can be then channeled towards innovation. This is especially important if the company is dedicated to developing ideas for the product instead of manufacturing them. Hence, increased innovation would translate to more products and greater output for the company,Outsourcing can also eliminate the overhead costs associated with running a manufacturing facility. Overhead costs could include utilities, maintenance of equipment, and manufacturing processes, as well as the cost of indirect labor.No doubt, one key expectation from outsourcing is efficiency. Delegating some of the production processes to entities better equipped to handle them should ordinarily increase efficiency.

    Additionally, the manufacturing company itself may be functionally inefficient. An example could be a situation where the company lacks certain key machinery to make topnotch products available. In this case, outsourcing is the route to go through.
    4.The first tip would be prioritizing competence. The quality of the output depends to a great extent on the third-party company you choose. The company you outsource to should be able to match the quality of your output. If not, there would be a mismatch that would impact the consumers negatively.

    Furthermore, not only should the company be able to perform the task (better), they should be able to do so at a lower cost. It is counterintuitive to outsource when it would be less expensive for your company to carry out the task.

    Some costs may not be immediately visible on the surface of it. For example, shipping costs may be high, and could ultimately be a gamechanger. Furthermore, tariffs and customs charges may also impact the overall cost of outsourcing. Before you outsource, ensure that every possible cost is articulated.

    A key consideration to factor in is the company’s ability to scale production as demand increases. Your ideal company should not just be competent but should be reliable and efficient.

    Always make sure you do not limit your scope while looking for any such company. Thoroughly vet their competence to make sure that you will be getting your money’s worth. Areas to take note of include the company’s reputation, previous jobs, available machinery and equipment, quality of members of staff, and so on.Another idea is to consider outsourcing only some part of the manufacturing process. You may be well advised still to retain control over key areas. Keeping some of the processes in-house could cut down on the cost of outsourcing.

    Additionally, this might be the best option, especially if you have Intellectual Property-related concerns. When processes get exposed, it could hurt your business, leading to counterfeits and knockoffs. Of course, from the start, you should execute an agreement with the outsourcing company. However, you cannot fully guarantee the compliance level of the company. More so, your crucial data could be lost because of the negligence of persons working with these companies. Hence, if data loss would portend a huge loss for your company, you may have only to outsource some parts of the manufacturing process. It would be a great idea to retain control over the parts of great importance to you.
  • ssbt1111 October 30, 2020 at 8:28am
    1) The knowledge and skills that are needed for the solutions of this complex global problems are that there should be inspection of the plant in regular inyerval of time. Flaws should not be ignored. All the employees should be well trained and experienced as the life thousands are on their shoulder. Old and rusted material in the plant should be replaced with a new one. They should not release toxic wastes into the environment. The toxic wastes should be dumped safely far way from human.The local people should be educated properly about the functioning of the plant and how to save themselves in emergency situation.

    2)All the workers should wear safety equipment while working in the plant. Workers should follow proper guidelines before entering the plant. Risk assessment. All the workers must be aware of the safety measures. They should be trained with emergency evacuation. Trained in maintaing heavy machinery and how to handle them. Maintenance of cleanliness in the plant is very necessary. Workers while working should be stress free.
    3)The public should support the government. Local untrained and inexperienced workers must not replace the trained and experienced workers. The local citizens should show the eagerness to know the mechanism of the plant and should be educated about the safety measures the should take in emergency situation. The locals should not protest against the government ideas if necessary should inquire about it and gaining knowledge.

    4) If I had been in that place then I would have ensured the following steps-
    a)Recruited workers should be trained and experienced in handling heavy machines.
    b) The should follow the all the guidelines before entering the plant premises.
    c) locals should be well aware lord the emergency situation.
    d) toxic wastes should be dumped safely far from human.
    e) workers should be educated about the emergency evacuation.
    f) The plant should be inspected by higher authorities to n time to time.
    g) All flawed materials should be replaced immediately with a new one.
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