Today marks the 25th anniversary of the biggest chemical accident in history, which killed 8,000 people in the immediate (25,000 total). The incident to which I refer is what happened in Bhopal (India) to Union Carbide, where between 2 and 3 December 1984, leaked 40 tons of toxic gas formed by a mixture of methyl isocyanate, hydrogen cyanide and other toxic gases. Such accumulations were freed following an uncontrolled reaction due to penetration of water into the reactor for the production of Experimental Insecticide Seven Seven (an insecticide experimental).
This incident remains one of the most mentioned when it comes to crisis management, as it is a clear example of what should never do in managing a crisis (lack of information on the composition of the gas, minimizing the incident, no manager to speak with the media, etc.).. It is also an example of poor risk management company, since everything was caused by a shortage of plant maintenance and decommissioning of many alarm systems: for this reason, the poison cloud spread to adjacent areas, the facility without any alarm is activated.
Today, Union Carbide is owned by Dow Chemical, a multinational company that has polluted the area Tittabawassee River (http://www.epa.gov/region5/sites/dowchemical/), and he bought Enichem of Porto Marghera plant for the production of polyurethane (plastic for padding). It is hoped that past experiences are teaching, and that the culture of risk can be avoided in future similar events.
Read more: http://www.bhopal.org/
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