Rescue of persons from height in China - videos from Yahoo

http://in.screen.yahoo.com/dramatic-high-rise-rescues-caught-180152688.html

BLEVE Training Video - Safety Engineering Network (SAFTENG)

A video on BLEVE (boiling liquid expanding vapour explosion) is available at the link below.
BLEVE Training Video Part 1 - EXCELLENT Info - Safety Engineering Network (SAFTENG)
BLEVE Training Video Part 2 - EXCELLENT info - Safety Engineering Network (SAFTENG)

http://www.safteng.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1038&Itemid=178 (Part 1)
http://www.safteng.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1037%3Ableve-tests-results-1-excellent-info-&catid=52%3Aemergency-response&Itemid=178 (Part 2)
LINK

The video explains about the phenomena of BLEVE, the fire ball radii, the safe distance for emergency responders. We will understand that the safe distance for emergency responders is FOUR times the fireball radius with minimum distance at 90 m. For a 400 lit capacity tank, the fireball radius can be 18 m. We also learn that as the capacity of the flammable storage tank increases by a factor of 10, the fire ball radius doubles. The evacuation distances can be taken as 20 times the fireball radius.

However, these distances are not exact as there are instances of explosion fragments travelling more than 20 times fireball radius. During the incident at New Mexico in 1984, a fragment weighing about 20 T travelled 1200 m.

The water required to cool the exposed hot surfaces 10 lpm/sq.m. It may be noted that inspite of all efforts, if there is whistle/jet engine sound from valves, it is indication of over pressurization inside and all emergency responders should stop their activities and move to safe distances.

Some people assume that BLEVE is possible only with flammable substances. But, as the video explains, BLEVE is possible with any substance that leads to vaporization and pressure rise during external heating/impact and the container rupture leads to BLEVE. Fireball is the result if the substance inside is flammable.

Note: Literature gives following equations:

Fireball radius, R (meters) = 29 M^1/3  where M is mass of flammable in the fireball in tonnes
Fireball duration, t (seconds) = 4.5 M^1/3

Most likely distance for 3^rd degree burns = 80 M^0.42 meters

Maximum distance for 3^rd degree burns = 130 M^0.42 meters

Most likely distance for 2^nd degree burns = 150 M^0.42 meters

Maximum distance for 2^nd degree burns = 240 M^0.42 meters

The heat radiation intensity from the fireball can cause damage to human beings and property. From the literature, it can be seen that 12.5 kw/sq.m heat intensity can be fatal, 8.5 kw/sq.m can cause 1^st degree burns whereas solar radiation gives 0.6 kw/sq.m

Video link: Chemical Accident Response

Please see the following video link on chemical accident response.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AfGEtVzRz8

NDMA Guidelines and videos

Various guidelines of National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) on floods, tsunamis, earth quakes, chemical disasters, chemical terrorism, etc and videos can be found at the following links.
http://ndma.gov.in/ndma/guidelines.html
http://ndma.gov.in/ndma/videogallery.html

Lessons from Fukushima incident - A report at HSE.GOV.UK

Y'day (11.10.2011), a report (6.24 MB) from HM Chief Nuclear Inspector on lessons from Fukushima and implications for the UK nuclear industry is made available. One can draw lessons for their own organization from similar incidents. A video (41.4 MB) from the Chief Nuclear Inspector is also available.
Report:
http://www.hse.gov.uk/nuclear/fukushima/final-report.htm

Video:
http://www.hse.gov.uk/nuclear/fukushima/final-report-video.htm

NDTV Video of LPG Tanker explosion

There is a video of an LPG road tanker explosion occurred in Turkey. The video was captured in a cell phone camera. It shows the impact of pressure wave generated by the explosion in the form of fall of persons, light emitted during explosion, widespread damage to property and a crater in the road.
This reminds me of an incident where an LPG tanker toppled and fell on the road. Without understanding the hazard of explosion any time, passersby gathered around. Even the company officials took more than a day to put it on the road and tow away.
In another incident an ammonia tanker fell on the road. However, in this case, the road was blocked, the company officials promptly transferred the content to another vessel and cleared the area in a few hours.

Though everyone should be careful, it is the responsibility of the transporter and the manufacturer of the chemicals to ensure that transport containers are fit for road journey, the drivers know what to do in an emergency and are trained to handle the situation. Normally, the behavior of the public at large is to gather and watch. So, the driver of the vehicle, in an emergency, should caution and drive away the public to safe distance so that they are safe in case of any eventuality.

Video on Manual Handling

Improper manual handling can break the backs of workers and here is a video on manual handling which can be viewed in the following link.

http://www.manualhandlingguidance.net/Index.htm