“There are no big risks in working in this industry unless the liquid chemicals fall on the body. To make the work safer we provide workers with protective clothes and compensate them if they get injured in any workplace accident,” said a senior member of Bangladesh Chemical and Perfume Shop Owners’ Society who spoke on the condition of anonymity. “There are some owners who don’t care for workers, but others do care for them.”

He added that the industry would shift from the city to a planned "chemical estate" once the government sets it up, but was unable to say when the project would begin.

In the meantime, none of the factories and warehouses have moved from Dhaka and accidents continue to occur.

“About 60 percent of fire accidents in Dhaka are caused by chemical and plastic factories,” said Enayet Hossain, a spokesman for the Fire Services and Civil Defense Department.

“We have advised higher authorities to push the industry out of the city. There is no deadline for it and we know little about the progress made so far,” he said. 

A laborer washes a drum used for carrying hazardous industrial chemicals on a bank of the Buriganga river in Dhaka (Photo by Stephan Uttom)

 Workers rights and safety are of serious concern for the government, insisted Abdul Khadem, deputy inspector-general at the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishment.

“Time after time we visit factories and we warn owners if we find any health and environmental lapses. In cases where it is necessary we take punitive and legal action against them,” said Khadem.

But asked when the last time a factory was shut down or an owner jailed or fined for violating health and safety regulations, Khadem couldn’t say.

And as long as the lax enforcement continues, Dhaka residents remain fearful for their lives.

“We still can’t forget the [Nimtoli] disaster and we live in constant danger of a repeat,” said Kalim Mollah, owner of a residential building in Nimtoli. “I fear one day a fire from one of the chemical warehouses might burn down my building and leave me penniless.”  

 Source From http://www.ucanews.com/news/bangladeshs-life-threatening-chemical-hazards/72220

Bangladesh’s life-threatening chemical hazards2

“There are no big risks in working in this industry unless the liquid chemicals fall on the body. To make the work safer we provide workers with protective clothes and compensate them if they get injured in any workplace accident,” said a senior member of Bangladesh Chemical and Perfume Shop Owners’ Society who spoke on the condition of anonymity. “There are some owners who don’t care for workers, but others do care for them.”

He added that the industry would shift from the city to a planned "chemical estate" once the government sets it up, but was unable to say when the project would begin.

In the meantime, none of the factories and warehouses have moved from Dhaka and accidents continue to occur.

“About 60 percent of fire accidents in Dhaka are caused by chemical and plastic factories,” said Enayet Hossain, a spokesman for the Fire Services and Civil Defense Department.

“We have advised higher authorities to push the industry out of the city. There is no deadline for it and we know little about the progress made so far,” he said. 

A laborer washes a drum used for carrying hazardous industrial chemicals on a bank of the Buriganga river in Dhaka (Photo by Stephan Uttom)

 Workers rights and safety are of serious concern for the government, insisted Abdul Khadem, deputy inspector-general at the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishment.

“Time after time we visit factories and we warn owners if we find any health and environmental lapses. In cases where it is necessary we take punitive and legal action against them,” said Khadem.

But asked when the last time a factory was shut down or an owner jailed or fined for violating health and safety regulations, Khadem couldn’t say.

And as long as the lax enforcement continues, Dhaka residents remain fearful for their lives.

“We still can’t forget the [Nimtoli] disaster and we live in constant danger of a repeat,” said Kalim Mollah, owner of a residential building in Nimtoli. “I fear one day a fire from one of the chemical warehouses might burn down my building and leave me penniless.”  

 Source From http://www.ucanews.com/news/bangladeshs-life-threatening-chemical-hazards/72220

Bangladesh’s life-threatening chemical hazards

“Use of dangerous chemicals without any protection has become very common in Bangladesh. Every year hundreds of people die but no one seems to care,” said Repon Chowdhury, executive director of OSHE.

Health problems are rife among workers engaged in Bangladesh's numerous chemical industries. Here, drums used to transport dangerous, inflammable chemicals are pushed through Old Dhaka (Photo by Stephen Uttom)

About 85 percent of farmers in largely agricultural Bangladesh use poisonous chemicals and pesticides, and 30 percent suffer from chronic health problems, said the report which was released in Dhaka last week.

Since 1996, more than one thousand workers have died while thousands more fell sick and were injured due to unregulated chemical use in the ship-breaking industry located near southeastern port city of Chittagong, it added.

Tannery workers, said the report, face the most risks of all. In that sector, workers suffer extremely high rates of chronic skin diseases, respiratory illnesses and gastric problems.

“Through inhaling and exhaling, absorption and food consumption, chemical poisons enter the human body and they can cause skin diseases and immensely damage the heart, reproductive and respiratory organs,” said Dr A Masood Chaudhury, chairman of the Dermatology and Venereology Department at Bangabadhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University in Dhaka.

“This is a serious public health issue and the government needs to be very strict in enforcing health and safety regulations in every industry that uses chemicals which are dangerous to human health,” he added.

Activists say the problem is exacerbated because owners and the government rarely if ever take responsibility for the deaths and illness caused by industrial chemical use.

“I(author) have worked in the industry for forty years and I have seen workers dying and getting injured in accidents like acid explosions and acid burning the body. In no case is an employer held responsible and they don’t compensate workers,” said Nasir Hossain, 59, secretary of the Bangladesh Chemical and Perfume Workers Union.

Hossain,a labor of chemical industry said he has suffered several accidents including acid burns on his hands, but has never received any compensation.

“Each time I have been blamed for being negligent and once the employer cut my salary to pay for my treatment.”

Hazardous and inflammable chemicals are not only posing dangers to workers’ health but also to the lives of tens of thousands of Old Dhaka residents.

In 2000, a chemical warehouse exploded and a huge fire engulfed several adjacent residential buildings in the Nimtoli area of Old Dhaka. More than 120 people were killed and hundreds injured.

The fire provoked an unprecedented media and public outcry, prompting the government to order the industry to move to a Dhaka suburb called Keraniganj. However, the order has not been enforced. 

Owners insist they are concerned about the safety of workers and environmental issues, but many downplay the hazards.

Source From http://www.ucanews.com/news/bangladeshs-life-threatening-chemical-hazards/72220

Types and Categories of Hazardous Chemicals

Biotoxins
           Under development for later release
Blister Agents/Vesicants
           Lewisite, sulfur mustard, nitrogen mustard, ...
Blood/Systemic Agents (Knockdown Syndrome Agents)
           Hydrogen cyanide, arsine, ...
Caustics (Acids)
           Hydrogen fluoride (hydrofluoric acid)
Choking/Lung/Pulmonary Agents (Irritant Gas Syndrome Agents)
          Ammonia, chlorine, phosgene, ...
Incapacitating Agents
          Fentanyl, QNB (BZ), ...
Long-Acting Anticoagulants
          Super warfarin
Metals
          Under development for later release
Organophosphorus Pesticides and Nerve Agents
          Sarin (GB), Soman (GD), Tabun (GA), VX
Organic Solvents (Acute Solvent Syndrome Agents)
          Under development for later release
Riot Control Agents/Tear Gas
          Chloroacetophenone (CN), chloropicrin (PS), ...
Toxic Alcohols
          Under development for later release
Vomiting Agents
          Under development for later release

Source From http://chemm.nlm.nih.gov/agentcategories.htm

Health Effect of Chemical Accidents

Chemical accidents affect people in a number of ways, including:

— the effects of explosion;

— the effects of fire;

— the toxic effects of the 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, and is also affected by the concentration of the chemical in contact with the body (the concentration may change over time), the length of time that the chemical is in contact with the body, the air temperature, humidity and the person’s age.

Within the body itself, the effect depends upon the actual toxicity of the chemical and on the biologically effective dose (i.e. the quantity of chemical taken into the target tissue). The way the dose is accumulated in the target tissue can make a difference to its impact. Even if the exposure is short, the peak level might be high enough to cause toxic effects. When the exposure is prolonged and the dose rate low, it may be the total cumulative dose that causes toxicity.

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, concomitant exposures and general fitness. Some effects (e.g. eye and respiratory irritation or central nervous system depression) can occur within minutes or hours of the exposure. Other effects (e.g. congenital malformations or cancers) may take months or years to appear.

Public-health effects of chemicals

Stress and anxiety: The occurrence of major chemical incidents has shaped the way members of the public perceive exposure to chemical substances. Such incidents are fear-inducing because they have the potential to cause large numbers of deaths and illness and because they raise questions about the fragility of technologies over which the public may have little or no control. 

Deaths and illness: Large incidents cause considerable numbers of deaths (e.g. the explosion at Bhopal, India in 1984). However, there are many more less-serious incidents which cumulatively have a large health impact (Bowen et al., 2000). These chemical incidents remain unreported unless a specifically designed and targeted reporting system is in place. 

Societal and economic costs:

Significant economic costs relate to livelihoods, inward investments, and other costs such as closures of health care facilities, schools, factories, etc., litigation and compensation, and helping affected communities recover.

Source By http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/hygiene/emergencies/em2002chap12.pdf

The 4 Main Causes Of Accidents In A Chemical Plant

Even when precautions are taken to reduce the risk of accidents in chemical plants, they do happen from time to time. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2009 industrial accidents were the cause of more than 1.2 million workers in the United States missing time from work due to injuries that were not fatal. Although this was a 9 percent decrease from the number of accidents in 2008, there is still room for improvement. Industrial accidents also resulted in 4,340 deaths in 2009.

Knowing how and why accidents occur can help companies take even more steps to reducing the likelihood of them happening in the future. There are 4 main causes of accidents in a chemical plant: human error, improper training, manufacturing defects, and improper maintenance.

HUMAN ERROR

A majority of the industrial accidents that occur every year are a result of human error. Many of these accidents are a result of the worker failing to follow the safety procedures that have been put into place by the company where he or she works. As of 2009, a majority of industrial injuries (74.8%) happened in the service-related industry, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

When the proper equipment is not used by personnel, accidents can occur. Many injuries happen when personnel attempt to use improper tools to work on equipment. This can damage the machines and create a safety hazard.

IMPROPER TRAINING

When personnel are not trained properly or adequately, industrial accidents are more likely to occur. Workers should be taught how to operate the equipment in the way it was designed to be used. They should also learn to employ correct safety procedures when they are operating the equipment. Employees should be well versed in what to do if something goes wrong so that they can work to correct the problem quickly before it gets out of control.

During 2009, 4.3 out of every 100 workers in the manufacturing industry were involved in industrial accidents. A majority of these accidents occurred as a result of improper training of personnel.

MANUFACTURING DEFECTS

Accidents that occur in a chemical plant can also be the result of a manufacturing defect. These defects can be present in a piece of equipment or in the materials used. Although companies employ several quality-control measures during the manufacturing process, some of these may fail. This is because many of these control measures are handled by employees. Where humans are involved there is always a chance of human error. An inspector may miss a defect that occurred during manufacturing. The problem may not be recognized until after an accident has occurred.

IMPROPER MAINTENANCE

A common reason that industrial accidents occur in chemical plants is the improper maintenance of equipment. Regular maintenance at scheduled intervals following the manufacturer’s recommendations is important for ensuring that the equipment runs smoothly and safely. When a piece of equipment is not properly maintained, it can malfunction and ultimately fail. This can result in dire consequences to the personnel who are operating and working around the machine.

Recognizing the 4 main causes of accidents in a chemical plant is important for addressing the problem and reducing the potential for an accident to occur in the future.

                                                       image of chemical accident

Source From http://www.claydugas.com/refinery-injuries/main-causes-accidents-chemical-plant/

Chemical Accident

A chemical accident is the unintentional refuse of one or more hazardous substances which could harm human health or the environment. Chemical hazards are systems where chemical accidents could occur under certain circumstances. Such events include fires, explosions, leakages or releases of toxic or hazardous materials that can cause people illness, injury, disability or death.

While chemical accidents may occur whenever toxic materials are stored, transported or used, the most severe accidents are industrial accidents, involving major chemical manufacturing and storage facilities. The most significant chemical accident in recorded history was the 1984 Bhopal disaster in India, in which more than 3,000 people were killed after a highly toxic vapour, (methyl isocyanate), was released at a Union Carbide Pesticides factory.

Efforts to prevent accidents range from improved safety systems to fundamental changes in chemical use and manufacture, referred to as primary prevention or inherent safety.

In the United States, concern about chemical accidents after the Bhopal disaster led to the passage of the 1986 Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act. The EPCRA requires local emergency planning efforts throughout the country, including emergency notifications. The law also requires companies to make publicly available information about their storage of toxic chemicals. Based on such information, citizens can identify the vulnerable zones in which severe toxic releases could cause harm or death.

In 1990, the Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board was established by Congress, though the CSB did not become operational until 1998. The Board's mission is to determine the root causes of chemical accidents and issue safety recommendations to prevent future Safety Performance Indicators. It also organizes workshops on a number of issues related to preparing for, preventing, and responding to chemical accidents.

In the European Union, incidents such as the Flixborough disaster and the Seveso disaster led to legislation such as the Seveso Directive and Seveso planning and provide for safety reports to local authorities. Many countries have organisations that can assist with substance risk assessment and emergency planning that is required by a wide variety of legislation, such as the National Chemical Emergency Centre in the UK, Brandweerinformatiecentrum voor gevaarlijke stoffen/Fire service information centre for dangerous goods in Belgium.

In the UK, the UK Chemical Reaction Hazards Forum publishes reports of accidents on its web site. These accidents were, at the time, minor in nature, but they could have escalated into major accidents. It is hoped that publishing these incidents will prevent "Re-inventing the Wheel". At present, (Dec 2008), there are over 140 articles on the web site.

Source From  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemical_accident