Tech strives to raise awareness, minimize risks after series of laboratory explosions | Lubbock Online | Lubbock Avalanche-Journal

Tech strives to raise awareness, minimize risks after series of laboratory explosions | Lubbock Online | Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
http://www.diamondbackonline.com/news/chem-labs-now-stricter-to-prevent-accidents-1.2761539#.TzaJS8Xro2c

After three incidents in the university laboratory, several measures like forming a lab safety committee, regular meetings, forming guidelines to handle the chemicals safely, safety inspections, identification of hazards, identification incompatible chemicals and disposal, labeling of chemicals, location of chemicals at proper places, color coding, disposal of unused chemicals lying for a long time, enforcing use of full hand lab coat instead of apron while working in lab, having full shoe, emergency plan, linking safety awareness to career progress, etc were taken to avoid future accidents.
LINK

Lab safety: Stringent safety measures in place to avoid life-threatening accidents

ISAT: Stringent safety measures in place to avoid life-threatening accidents - The Breeze: News

The above is an article about lab safety. Many do not think of following safety rules while working or doing experiments in a laboratory. But, we have to understand that those working in the laboratory do not have any practical knowledge and are unable to assess the magnitude of the danger which they will be exposed to. Many universities developed lab safety procedures. But many more do not consider safety in lab as an essential practice.

Job-related injuries and illnesses estimated to cost nation $250 billion per year

Job-related injuries and illnesses estimated to cost nation $250 billion per year

The cost is several times more than that of cancer, diabetes, strokes.

Sizing up a world of 7 billion people

Offbeat math: Sizing up a world of 7 billion people - Technology & Science - CBC News

LINK

No emergency doors - 2 die in a pharma fire

In a fire in a pharma factory two persons were charred to death. One of the died persons is a partner in the company. The incident occurred on a sunday evening. The fire resulting from a reactor explosion spread to neighboring areas. The fire was brought under control after five hours of struggle by fire services. It is said that the absence of emergency escape doors led to the deaths of the two persons. The deaths were identified only when the two did not return home and the police went to the factory and saw the skeletons. As usual, the reason stated for explosion is electrical short circuit.

As per Factory Rules, there should be atleast an emergency exit for every 22.5 m (75 feet) distance and the exit doors should open outward. There should not be any stairs immediately outside the emergency doors. These doors should not be locked and the escape routes should be free from any obstruction. The exit routes should be clearly identified and marked. The routes should be illuminated sufficiently.

Generally, we see the fire hydrants, fire extinguishers, emergency escape routes locked or blocked or covered thus making it a life and death question in times of emergency.


http://www.andhrawishesh.com/movies/Hyderabad/22542:two-killed-in-fire-at-rantus-pharma-factory.html

Fire in under-construction hotel

In a fire incident during the early hours in an hotel under construction, two construction workers became unconscious. It is suspected that a cigarette butt thrown by some worker or short circuit aided with presence of lot of decorative material and construction wood, etc led to this incident. Little care is taken generally during construction phase as such incidents occur regularly in various parts of the world. Electrical connections used for portable tools are generally without any plug and socket arrangement, no proper earthing, damaged/twisted cables, etc and it is accepted as a practice in the construction industry. People also store paint and thinner tins, wood, etc in a congested room and this can lead to fire incidents.

http://www.hindu.com/2010/11/20/stories/2010112064960700.htm (with photo)
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-11-29/hyderabad/30454315_1_fire-safety-major-fire-short-circuit
http://expressbuzz.com/topic/fire-mishap-in-fivestar-hotel/338176.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P64aZ1i6y1I
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraj_Al_Bait (a fire incident involving construction wood)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bally's_Las_Vegas (85 deaths in the fire incident that caused improvements in hotel fire safety worldwide)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Salle_Hotel (61 deaths in the fire leading to development of new codes for hotels in Chicago)

Blast during cleaning of dryer unit in a bulk drugs company

In an incident at about 0615 hr, a chemist and two helpers received 85% burns during the cleaning of a dryer unit in a pharma firm that makes bulk drugs. A worker of the factory said that such incident never took place in the dryers of the pharma units in the industrial area.
A fire resulting after the explosion spread quickly due to chemicals and solvents in the area. The reason could for the incident could not be ascertained.
As it happened during dryer cleaning, the reason could be the static electricity and dust explosion. As solvents in the area caught fire, it is presumed that the workers might have used some solvent to clean the dryer. It is likely that the static electricity produced during cleaning might have discharged in the form of a spark. The dryer unit might have lot of loose particles in the form of dust and any disturbance during cleaning might have caused the dust airborne and to catch fire from the discharge of static electricity leading to dust explosion. Or, if they used large quanity of solvent inside the dryer, the vapors also might have caught fire leading to explosion in the confined space.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIqbwSmd_LY
http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2011-11-28/news/30450554_1_blast-three-persons-facility

A report on explosion in West Pharmaceutical Services can be read here.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Pharmaceutical_Services_explosion