The fire was marked by a series of explosions and spread rapidly to adjoining units but the unit was ill-equipped to handle the emergency in the absence of any safety drill and/or precautions. The incident should be a wake-up call for chemical units that house combustible material or involves processes that are potentially risky
Chemical industries in India have seen an exponential rise in the last three decades but this progress has not been without its downsides. Despite the dubious record of witnessing the biggest industrial disaster in the world, safety in these units remains questionable. Most chemical units are still lackadaisical about their vulnerability to fire safety. The death of three workers and scores of injuries after a series of explosions ripped through a chemical unit in Tarapur MIDC area, is a telling example.
Blast impact
Six chemical factories — Novaphene, Unimax, Prachi, Arti, Bharat Rasayan, Darbar – were affected by fire. The blast occurred at around 11.10 pm in Novaphene Specialties Private and at least 22 tankers, of varying capacity between 100-200 litres, burst due to the fire, not to mention that it spread rapidly engulfing adjacent units. As many as 40 blasts were heard almost up to 10 kms away from the plant. The blasts were attributed to a boiler containing industrial solvent burst under high pressure and temperature. As it happens in such cases, the initial reaction was of panic with workers trying to scamper for safety.
Precautions absent
Such was the magnitude of the fire that even 10 fire tenders found it tough to contain it and precautionary measures were put in place well after the damage was done. It was clear that the unit that triggered the disaster did not follow any safety precautions. The blasts were a result of an exothermic reaction. Expectedly, there will be a probe, the guilty will be punished under relevant laws and the unit may lose its licence. It is a classic case of shutting the doors after the horse has bolted.
Cascading sequence
An industrial environment, more so chemical facilities, are always prone to fire-related hazards. It has been well established that the extreme hazards associated with chemical industries can quickly lead to a cascading sequence of events with disastrous consequences in terms of loss to lives and property. The fact that adequate safety norms were not followed to protect the facility.
Team response
No fire protection plan is complete without a plan for ongoing inspections, testing, and maintenance. So, once a unit has invested in the fire protection tools and technologies it needs to keep its assets safe and must commit to putting in the work to keep them functioning well. Besides, it is not enough for just one person to know the fire hazards in his industrial workplace, the entire team has to be aware and proactively responsive should an emergency crop up.
It is not clear if the employees working in the unit were trained and equipped to handle fire safety hazards or if a fire prevention expert had visited the facility periodically to make sure best prevention practices were consistently communicated to all employees.Apparently, the industry was either not equipped with adequate fire protection systems or there was not enough presence of mind to handle the emergency.
Safety drill
The safety drill is clear: Avoid the area until the situation stabilizes and authorities give the all-clear. Heed all official transport and security instructions, including any evacuation orders. Plan for localized traffic congestion in nearby areas; allow additional time to reach destinations. Consider remaining indoors if smoke is heavy, especially if you suffer from a respiratory illness such as asthma, or conditions that lead to increased risk from smoke exposure. Eye irritation is possible; flush irritated eyes with copious amounts of clean water. Since the place is away from being densely populated, it should not have been so hazardous to take corrective measures. Fires never come with prior announcement but neglect and complacency can be potentially dangerous.
In conclusion
Corporations and executives in chemical industry do not seem to have a healthy track record in following safety measures with the result that such units continue to be patently unsafe for its workers as leaks, fires and explosions occur frequently.
A Column By
Raju Korti – Editor
The Resource 24X7
A Journalist With 4 Decades of Experience With Leading Media Houses.
