CSB video - W.Va. chemical leak

As per Chemical Safety Board (csb.gov.in) investigation, the three chemical leaks in 33 hr, causing death of a person are due to ineffective alarm, poor maintenance, failure to carryout proper investigation of near misses and emergency response system. CSB said that the person taking readings near the tanks, could have been saved if tanks had enclosures.The hose for phosgene transfer which leaked and sprayed on the person causing death, as per company policy, is to be changed once in a month, but was not done for the last 7 months. The report says, each of the three leaks were preceded by an incident (near miss- a warning sign). The suggestion of an employee for replacing with better material hose was not listened as it was costly. The incident made it more costly to the company. This proves again and again that safety is never costly and in the words of Mr Om P.Kharbanda, SAFETY IS FREE! - IN FACT IT PAYS!!

Before 1984 accident in Bhopal also, a person died because of phosgene spray.

http://www.csb.gov/newsroom/detail.aspx?nid=383
CSB releases video of deadly W.Va. chemical leak - BusinessWeek
http://blogs.wvgazette.com/watchdog/2011/09/23/csb-was-alarmed-by-series-of-dupont-incidents/
http://ehstoday.com/safety/management/dupont-prioritize-cost-safety-0713/

Umatilla Chemical Depot passes safety milestone - Business | Tri-City Herald : Mid-Columbia news

Umatilla Chemical Depot passes safety milestone - Business | Tri-City Herald : Mid-Columbia news

As per the news report, for the last five years the company with about 830 employees is working without any accident involving loss of man-days and in the process completed 9.0 million safe man-hours. Congratulations.

Close shave for 3 jets at Chennai airport - The Times of India

As per the reports (Close shave for 3 jets at Chennai airport - The Times of India), a major collision between a plane landing and another plane about to takeoff was averted due to prompt action by the the pilot of the landing plane just in time. The plane about to take off delayed its takeoff as a plane that landed before did not vacate the runway and was at the end of the runway. The taking off plane after aborting its takeoff abruptly by applying '(hot) brakes', was taken for inspection bay for checks.

It is stated that due to maintenance of second runway, total load of about 400 daily flight movements are carried on single runway.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Close-shave-for-3-jets-at-Chennai-airport/articleshow/10109371.cms

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/193302/major-plane-mishap-averted-chennai.html
LINK

Umatilla Chemical Depot passes safety milestone - Business | Tri-City Herald : Mid-Columbia news

Umatilla Chemical Depot passes safety milestone - Business | Tri-City Herald : Mid-Columbia news

The plant completed 9 million man hours of accident-free period.For last five years, plant employees (830) are working without loss of work due to any accident. A great achievement.

LINK

Fire breaks out at textile firm | Deccan Chronicle

Fire breaks out at textile firm | Deccan Chronicle. The fuel oil leak from pipes connected to boiler catches fire. Four workers in the first floor were charred to death as they could not escape from stairs that was filled with sacks and drums which were on fire. Fire tenders reached the spot without water. Police had difficulty to handle the situation in darkness without torch lights. This is a clear example of Murphy's law. Everything went wrong. The fire was extinguished after water was supplied by a private operator. Two officials were booked for negligence and causing injury.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/now-fire-kills-four-in-midc/850436/
http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_dombivli-factory-fire-kills-4_1590414
http://www.daybreakingnews.com/post/Four-killed-in-Mumbai-textile-mill-fire-accident-which-occurred-early-in-the-morning-today.aspx
http://ibnlive.in.com/generalnewsfeed/news/four-killed-in-maha-textile-mill-blaze/832307.html
LINK

Domestic LPG cylinder fire and explosion, building collapse

Gas leak from LPG cylinder kept under stairs led to explosion in a building that houses a sari dyeing unit in ground floor and apartments in three floors above. 30 minutes after the LPG explosion, another explosion occurred, said to be involving chemicals of the dyeing unit and caused collapse of the building. Two persons died in the incident. Four fire fighters involved in rescue operations were buried and rescued subsequently. The LPG cylinders belong to the adjacent marriage and convention hall, that also got damaged partially during the incident. Police and Fire Services asked for shifting of the mobile phone tower at the top of the marriage hall which developed cracks after the incident.
Case has been registered against owners of marriage hall and the residential building under provisions of section 337 (Causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others), section 338 (Causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others), 304-A (Causing death by negligence) of the Indian Penal Code and also under the provision of The Explosive Substances Act.


http://www.dnaindia.com/bangalore/report_bangalore-cylinder-blast-crowds-please-learn-how-to-respond-to-tragedies_1590143
http://ibnlive.in.com/news/day-after-disaster-cops-scout-for-clues/186675-60-119.html
http://zeenews.india.com/news/karnataka/bangalore-building-collapses-after-cylinder-blast_732741.html

Explosion and fireball incidents at Canberra and Oklahoma

There were reports of chemical factory fire and explosions in Australia in leading  about 200 m fireball, temperature of 1000 deg.C. As the fire could not be controlled, the firefighters were asked to move back by 300 m distance. It took 22 hours to control the fires involving combustible chemicals.

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news/local/news/general/biggest-fireball-ive-ever-seen-superintendent/2295464.aspx
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/massive-chemical-fire-after-series-of-explosions-rock-canberra/story-e6freuy9-1226138503397
http://www.skynews.com.au/national/article.aspx?id=662748&vId=
http://news.google.com/news/story?ncl=http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news/local/news/general/biggest-fireball-ive-ever-seen-superintendent/2295464.aspx&hl=en&geo=us


In another incident of gas rig fire and explosion at Oklahoma, more than 100 ft high flames were seen, lighting an area of about 60 mile distance. People in 2 mile radius were evacuated. No injuries were reported.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/sheriff-warnings-helped-workers-reach-safety-before-okla-gas-rig-blast-homes-evacuated/2011/09/20/gIQAFo2DiK_story.html
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/44589618/ns/us_news-life/
http://news.google.com/news/story?ncl=http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/sheriff-warnings-helped-workers-reach-safety-before-okla-gas-rig-blast-homes-evacuated/2011/09/20/gIQAFo2DiK_story.html&hl=en&geo=us

Gas leak kills FOUR

4 died (factory employees) and 11 were injured in an incident of a toxic hydrogen sulphide gas leak on 20.09.2011 (Tuesday) at 1915 hr in a pharma factory plant operations, located in Tarapur, India. The gas spread 5 km around the plant. The residents in the nearby area were evacuated after the incident. The leak was arrested. The plant did not request fire services as they thought that they can handle the situation and that there is no fire.
The nearest railway station is about 1 km from the factory. Three persons of the factory were booked for the incident, as per reports.  The plant is located in an area along with about 1250 factories and few residential areas.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=IN&v=HbP_BmhpmaI
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-09-21/mumbai/30184327_1_gas-leak-fire-brigade-plant-officials
http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/thane-gas-leak-3-company-officials-booked/1/152110.html
http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_tarapur-power-plant-gas-leak-kills-4-workers_1589638
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/companies/article2473702.ece

Large reservoir of water in the universe

Scientists found huge water body in the universe around a black hole at 12 billion light-years distance. It contains 140 trillion times the water in the earth oceans. Is there any possibility of this water body coming closer to the earth or Sun any time in the future. Definitely a fiction movie can be made on such story. The web link containing the details is given below.

http://www.nasa.gov/topics/universe/features/universe20110722.html

Apartment first floor collapse

There was an incident of partial collapse of a 5-storey apartment in which the first floor sank and rested on the parking floor (cellar) below. 10 persons were injured during the incident. Some girls practicing dance in the cellar were rescued. It is reported that the building was constructed 3-4 years ago in the area which was used as sewerage tank earlier. The area was filled and the apartment was raised. On visit, the Civil Engineering experts observed shallow waters in the area and opine that the soil has become weak.

Following are few reports appeared in the media.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/andhra-pradesh/article2461744.ece
http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/cities/regions/rajahmundry/police-security-post-symala-sadan-apartment-573
http://www.crimenews.co.in/building-collapses-cmorders-help/