Reaction to Chemistry Lab Explosion

An explosion leading to burning of students during an experiment is reported. The teacher dropped a match in methanol causing the incident. The following link contains brief description of the incident along with a video about lab safety.

Reaction to Chemistry Lab Explosion

LINK

Fire in a corporate hospital, Kolkata: 93 deaths, several injured

Fire in a corporate hospital, Kolkata: 93 deaths, several injured

There was a fire incident in the midnight/early morning hours in a 190-bed corporate hospital at Kolkata (West Bengal state) on 09.12.2011 (Friday). As per reports, as of now, 93 persons died, including 3 hospital staff and several others were injured. It is reported that all the deaths were due to suffocation/asphyxiation from poisonous gases like carbon monoxide liberated during the fire. One of the deaths reported is jumping from one of the top floors. The fire started from the area close to the pharmacy located in the basement. The basement originally meant to be a car parking area was modified to house a radiotherapy unit and a pharmacy which is part of central stores. But the area is also used without any authorization to store inflammable materials like, chemicals, spirti cans, wooden furniture, heaps of empty packing boxes, cotton, bandage, oxygen cylinders, etc.

The firefighting equipment in the basement like fire extinguishers, smoke alarms and sprinklers are not functional in the basement at the time of the fire.

Though the fire started at 0130 hr (in another report, it is 0330 hr), fire service was informed only after 40 minutes after attempts by hospital staff to extinguish the fire failed and the fire went out of control.

(A news report for this delay states that when a minor fire occurred a few months earlier, an alert security employee of the hospital informed fire services. But, before they arrived, hospital staff extinguished the fire. However, insisting for inquiry by fire services, as reported, angered the hospital authorities and the security employee was reprimanded and suspended for two weeks. )

The hospital staff informed that as per protocol, person identifying the fire has to inform night administrator who will alert all wings of the hospital and the same was done during this fire incident.

During the initial period of the fire, hospital staff asked the enquiring inpatients to close the doors and sleep. The smoke, carbon monoxide (CO) and other gases liberated during the fire spread to other floors of seven-floor hospital caused suffocation and slow death.  CO, a flammable, odorless and tasteless gas is fatal at 3200 ppm after few minutes’ exposure. Carboxyhemoglobin (HbCO) formed by combination of CO with hemoglobin in the blood reduces oxygen carrying capacity and affects the exposed persons with serious consequences. Apart from CO, hot gases inhalation also can create respiratory problems. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_monoxide_poisoning

Exposed patients, unable to open, banged toughened glass window panes to breath fresh air and find means of escape. It is not clear why they did not open doors of the rooms in which they were staying.

Locals in the nearby areas saw the smoke and had burning lungs. These with kin of inpatients tried to enter the hospital to provide help but were stopped by hospital staff. Traffic on the roads led to late arrival of fire service vehicles. When fire service reached, they found the locked gates and getting hydraulic ladder/lift to cross these closed gates took some more time. They found difficulty in opening the toughened glass panes of the windows. Rescue operations were started in full swing only four hours after the incidents when commando teams with masks and hydraulic lift arrived. Chaos during VIP visits hampered some rescue operations.

 At the time of the incident, the staff strength was 130 including 70 nurses and 20 doctors. It is reported that many of these ran for shelter instead of taking part in rescue operations. However, two nurses tried to rescue as many as possible and in the process died due to asphyxiation and heat.

The fire department in their earlier routine inspection objected storage of combustible materials in the basement and hospital authorities promised to clear within three months by November. Though several questioned fire department for not ensuring implementation of their recommendations, it is virtually impossible for any agency when sufficient man power is not allocated. It is easy to say that work and manpower shortage are different and should not be linked. But, the ground reality is that without resources, ineffectiveness creeps in and finally leads to system collapse.

 It is reported after the incident that persons from other agencies will be drawn to conduct regular inspection of public institutions like schools, hotels, hospitals, etc . But, this will affect the work in the department when people are taken for the proposed inspections. Unless otherwise dedicated staff is available, the incidents will continue to occur.

The six directors of the hospital were charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder and with causing death due to negligence.

What can be done?

Following are some of the measures that will help in preventing/mitigating such incidents.

1.       A pyramid type safety and fire administration should be established in every town/city.

2.       There should be an in-charge for safety and fire for every residential street containing about 10,000 dwelling units or business street containing establishments wherein the total persons employed in various business operations is about 500. These incharges should inspect the areas under their control atleast once in a week for compliance with safety regulations and stop activities in case of violations by issuing a letter with copy marked to their superior and also to local incharges of essential services required to for any dwelling/business like water, power, etc. If the activity continues inspite of notice even after a week, then water, power and other essential services should be stopped immediately by concerned authorities upon receipt of intimation from the safety incharge of the area.

3.       There should be a zonal officer for every 100 area incharges. Zonal officer should monitor activities of area incharges, review their reports, conduct meetings with them in small groups and inspect the areas as required. However, he should visit the areas atleast once in a year and send his report to his superiors.

4.       If there are more zonal officers, then suitably designated and empowered higher level officials should be appointed to monitor these zonal officers and have defined functions as above.

5.       It should be made mandatory to appoint safety and fire officials of required number in every public institution including multistory buildings of all sorts, hospitals, schools, hotels, administrative buildings, bus/rail/air terminals, warehouses, etc. If there are multiple business houses like shopping complexes, then the owner of the building who rented/leased should be held responsible to appoint these officials. These officials should spend atleast half of their working hours to inspect the areas for unsafe conditions and unsafe acts, checking for availability and functioning of specified number of fire detectors/extinguishers/ fire water, and send daily reports to the top man of the institution who should review it on the following day in his meetings with in-charges of various sections, safety and security and ensure necessary remedial measures. The safety officials of individual establishments apart from inspection should also provide training, prepare emergency plan and conduct mock drills every month.

6.       A compiled report of these inspections and other safety activities along with actions taken should be sent to the concerned direct area-incharge of the government who should review and take necessary action. Area incharge in turn should compile all these reports in his area along with his inspection reports and send a monthly report to zonal officer to whom he is reporting.

7.       All violations found by area incharges, comments/remarks of zonal officers and their superiors should be displayed in the town website for public viewing. The content should be specific to the residence/office/establishment. The website can be designed to enable easier navigation.

8.       The safety incharge of the town, call him as town/city safety director or some other designation should be responsible to coordinate with officials of safety, fire, health, transport, administration, etc; prepare an emergency plan for all types of events and ensure conduct of mock drills in all areas/zones, ensure investigation of all incidents and compliance with recommendations, etc. Town/city safety director should prepare an annual report of all safety activities, incidents, etc and publish the report in the town/city website that also contains inspection reports of various officials, details of essential and emergency services, emergency plan, layout of the town extending upto individual house and establishment, list of incidents and details of investigations, recommendations, actions taken, etc.

9.       Each of the emergency services of the town should have sufficient number trained personnel; tools like hammers that can be used even at a distance, flood lights, thermal imaging cameras, fire extinguishers, etc; vehicles for moving fire water, fire extinguishers, ladders, hydraulic lifts, generators, communication system, personal protective equipment, etc; ambulances with equipped with necessary equipment and paramedical staff; etc

10.   There should be dedicated training centers to train all essential service officials and local communities.

11.   Auditing of safety systems in every town/city by reputed agencies, display of audit findings along with action taken report in the website of the town. 

Some links on the incident:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=IN&v=3w15rPdyvSE 24x7: News report

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGy2rW6hr04&feature=related TIMES NOW: Eye witness account

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqkdLPip_cA&feature=related AP: News report

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdZElyg9C_M&feature=related newsX: Safety Questions

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6ytgbRr-Ck&feature=related NDTV: Sequence of events

http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_amri-fire-nurses-funeral-held-in-kerala-with-full-state-of-honours_1624889

Today (18.12.2011), Chief of Fire Service Department for Government of Andhra Pradesh during his address to a gathering of State Super Specialty Hospitals cautioned and told about

• display of ‘Fire Unsafe Building' board in front of hospitals by Fire Department, for not taking fire safety measures,
• prohibition of generators, transformers, canteens, etc in cellars of high rise hospitals,
• preparation of emergency plan with roll clarity and conduct of monthly mock drills,
• posting a Fire Safety Officer to look after fire prevention arrangements and conduct mock drills once a month.
• a one-day workshop by Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) for fire safety officers.

Fire incident in a chemical factory

In a chemical factory that makes drug intermediates, during chemical reaction, temperature increased uncontrollably leading to release of toxic gases. Two persons who tried to control the temperature and two more got injured in the incident.
It is reported that such incidents are common in small scale chemical factories, where safety standards and procedures are not followed. Contract labour with low wages are recruited who do not know how to operate the plant and even personal protective equipment are not provided. Though, nobody wants to damage their own property, the fact is that incidents do occur regularly and this indicates lack of proper training to the workers engaged on the job.

Factories engaged in any activity should have,

1. approvals from concerned authorities
2. selection of employees with requisite qualification and skills
3. training program
4. hazard identification and rectification procedures
5. safe operating procedures
6. dos and donts
7. testing and calibration of gauges, monitors, equipment
8. fire detection and control measures
9. emergency procedures
10. personal protective equipment for persons engaged on the work, etc

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

10 FACTS ABOUT DRINKING & DRIVING

I thought beer is better than wine with respect to safety but as per the article at the following LINK, fatalities are more with beer consumption than liquor/wine.
10 FACTS ABOUT DRINKING & DRIVING

LINK

Use of TCE - increase in risk of developing Parkinson's disease

A study of 99 pairs of twins with and without Parkinson's disease shows that those exposed to trichloroehylene (TCE) are prone to the risk of developing Parkinson's disease six times more than the other. Study shows exposure to perchloroethylene and carbon tetrachloride also increase the risk of developing the Parkinson's disease. No such evidence was found exposure to toluene, xylene and n-hexane. The data taken is less and requires more studies.
TCE is used as a degreasing agent though it is banned in food and pharma industries long time ago. TCE also results in chopped skin and tremors. Where its use is unavoidable, exposure to persons should be minimized by containment, ventilation, use of personal protective equipment (PPE). Excessive exposure may affect central nervous system, numbness, reduced heartbeat, unconsciousness and eventually death.
Heating of TCE can form phosgene that cause pulmonary edema.

Health effects of TCE: http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/chemicals/chem_profiles/trichloroethylene/effects_trichloro.html

Video link: Chemical Accident Response

Please see the following video link on chemical accident response.

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

Deaths of job aspirants during run test

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/Youth-dies-during-police-recruitment/articleshow/10835495.cms
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-01-01/allahabad/28148565_1_police-recruitment-drive-youth-awadesh-kumar-vijeta
http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/wire-news/youth-dies-during-police-constable-recruitment-test_603133.html
http://ibnlive.in.com/generalnewsfeed/news/youth-dies-during-police-recruitment/748524.html
http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/wire-news/youth-dies-during-police-recruitmenthingoli_620934.html
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/youth-dies-during-police-recruitment-test-in/562428/

The above are some of the several news reports about the death of job aspirants while taking part in the physical endurance test (marathon/running). Though many of these unfortunate are weak and not maintaining good health, out of personal compulsions to get job to feed their families, they took part in the test and died due to heart attack, physical exertion, strain, etc. It is reported that in one state, the authorities changed the test timings from day time to morning 0500 hr so as to complete the test by 0830 hr.
The team of doctors available at the test centre can do little in case of persons already having medical problems suffer from exertion, chest pain, etc during the run test.
The purpose of the test can't be questioned as it is expected that only physically fit persons can withstand the tough requirements of police job. To avoid such deaths, all job aspirants should undergo true medical examination and are certified for the run. It requires both self assessment and medical examination as if we do not tell the doctor about our health problems, a realistic assessment can't be done unless a thorough medical checkup is done which costs a lot.
Apart from the above, today there is a news report (see the link below), wherein a person died after workout in the gym. It is reported that the person might have died because of chemical reaction of the tablet he took as pain killer for backache after the gym workout.
http://expressbuzz.com/cities/hyderabad/techie-dies-after-workout/336064.html

All above incidents point to straining oneself for different reasons and one should participate in test runs or have workout in gym or in such similar activities only after getting medical fitness examination and based on the advise of the physician.

BLEVE

In a report (http://www.homernews.com/stories/111611/news_fdef.shtml#.TsiKjT38Kxw), it is mentioned that a fire started in a residential garage eventually led to BLEVE (boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion) and fireball involving a fuel oil tank kept inside the garage. The fireball sucked the oxygen and led to containment of fire. The fire was noticed by a neighbor who cautioned the resident of the house to escape.

Due to this, the tank failed with main tank shooting of 150 feet through a wall into the field, while the tank bottom blew through a steel door. The blown tank flew between fire fighters and nobody suffered even any minor injury.

The wind pushed the flames towards the house from garage and some front portion got burnt.

It is reported that the fire fighters heard venting sound like a jet engine and shortly afterwards, the blast took place.

The panicked owner could not tell the fire fighters about the fuel tank inside, though she told about other flammables inside. Fire fighters were unable to see the tank because of flames and heat.

There are no state fire codes to prohibit storage of fuel tanks in residential properties, though such codes exist for commercial and multi-dwelling units.

The Chief of Fire Service is not sure of proper working of vent. It is said that the fuel oil tanks are not designed to hold pressure. It appears that the fuel oil tank is having oil only to some level as per the visible line showing where it was empty.

The Chief advised to keep the oil to the full so that the heat can be absorbed and that vapor build up will be less inside the tank thus preventing pressure rise and explosion. He also feels that the tanks should be kept in open area with ventilation instead of keeping them inside.

From this incident, we can draw following lessons:

1. Flammable storage tanks should be kept outside with proper ventilation and fencing.
2. It should have proper vent relief.
3. It should have properly designed water sprinkler system.
4. It should be fenced to prevent others coming closer to it.
5. The whistle/jet engine sound from a tank exposed to fire is an indication of blast / explosion / BLEVE in a short time and all people including emergency responders should vacate the area to a safe distance.
6. No other flammable/combustible materials should be stored in the area.
7. The safe distance depends upon the maximum capacity of the storage tanks exposed to fire, the distance up to which blast fragments can travel, the distance up to which thermal radiation from a resulting fire ball can cause first degree burns, the distance up to which the over pressure can cause damage to the glass panes.
8. The name plate containing the details of the contents, capacity, design pressure, safe distance in case of fire along with emergency contact numbers should be displayed at a place easily visible and accessible, away from the storage area.
9. Periodical mock drills should be conducted to take prompt action in a real emergency.

Rail fracture - alert villager saves 1200 lives

An alert villager sleeping in a house near the railway track heard loud sound and found 35 mm crack on the rail during the inspection. A train passed over the track few minutes earlier and found another train coming on the same from the light focus in the night. He could alert and stop the train by waving red cloth. It is reported that such cracks are possible due to temperature variations and do occur during the time of the year (winter?).

The brother of the alert villager also alerted the authorities about similar fracture just 72 m away from the place of this incident.

The news paper report can be found here.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Villager-with-a-keen-eye-prevents-train-crash/articleshow/10798150.cms

If this is the case, entire track should be checked for its integrity without waste of time. If the cracks are common as reported, then whether the cracks are appearing only in this section of rail track or all over the country should be found and quality checks of the rails and review of rail specifications should be done immediately. A decision also needs to be taken to replace the tracks at regular intervals, if the cracks do appear after certain length of service.

The alert villager needs appreciation and be recognized in public forum for his service.