Ammonia tanker stuck up under flyover, valve damage, 5 deaths, 140 injured near Ludhiana

In an incident of liquefied ammonia tanker driver trying to go through under a flyover, at 11.00 PM, the lid and the valves at the top got damaged, causing release of ammonia affecting several persons nearby.
See the photo here.
5 persons died and 156 got injured in the incident.

It appears that there are no warning signs or no height barriers to prevent overheight vehicles going under the flyover.

The tanker was carrying 22 T of anhydrous ammonia.

Police and fire brigade officials reached the spot to control the situation. 

Some of the affected had breathlessness, eye irritation, choked voice, etc. Few had bleeding from mouth and nose.

A senior police official and others controlling the situation were also affected in the incident as per the reports.

Tanker was moved to a vacant plot.  

Ammonia solubility in water is very high and is instantaneous at temperatures below atmospheric. Water was used to absorb leaking ammonia.

The odour was present for more than eight hours. The affected areas was about four kilometer radius around.

Dead animals/birds and vegetation/plants were seen.

Heavy rain later subsided ammonia in the environment by absorbing and washing.

A case was registered under Sec 304 of IPC (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) on the absconding driver.

http://www.ibtimes.co.in/ludhiana-ammonia-gas-leak-tanker-kills-6-over-100-affected-635709

Toxic gas leak from neighbor factory affects 60 in a garment factory

Some workers of a garment factory sensing strong smell of a gas tried to runaway from workplace but fainted before reaching the gate. A taxi driver outside, seeing them call the help services. Security guards from neighboring factory said that there was a gas leak. About 60 persons were affected in this incident.

From the above, it is important to all persons working in a cluster of factories to know about hazards and emergency actions not only from their work place but from surrounding factories also.

Ammonia leak from food freezing system from the neighboring factory is suspected in this incident.

http://www.thanhniennews.com/society/60-garment-workers-faint-in-southern-vietnam-after-toxic-gas-leak-43833.html

http://www.thanhniennews.com/society/52-garment-workers-hospitalized-again-one-day-after-toxic-gas-leak-in-vietnam-43906.html

For information - safety statistics by ILO from The Nation, Nigeria

The link to the information is here.

http://thenationonlineng.net/new/6000-die-daily-in-work-related-accidents/

As per ILO, following are the work place related injuries, deaths, accidents and loss.

1. Every second 15 persons die, 6000 a day and 2 million a year due to accidents/diseases. This data is from reported data. There can be many more.
2. In addition, 268 million non-fatal accidents and 160 million new cases of work related illness also occur.
3. The direct and indirect loss due to accidents and diseases is 4% of global gross domestic product or USD 2.8 trillion.

Bus accident

During bus driving, a driver wants to spit by bending outside his side window. With his unsafe behavior, he loses control over the bus and rammed a lorry coming opposite. In this accident, 4 persons died and few passengers received injuries. Generally, vehicle drivers keep chewing betal leaf or pan masala, particularly during night driving.

Driver should have observed before spitting outside. Some drivers keep a bottle/tin with them to spit instead of doing the same outside.

Professional hazards - thief trapped in chimney

In a local newspaper, it is reported that a thief tried to enter a locked house through the chimney and got trapped. 

The residents came next day morning and found the person trapped inside.

The chimney was broken to rescue and handed over to police.

Liquor bottle in trouser pocket breaks - person dies

A person kept liquor bottle in his trouser pocket. He ran when it rained and fell. Liquor bottle broke and its pieces injured private parts. Person died while undergoing treatment.

Source: Times of India, 18.05.2015

Sometimes, it may not be possible to assess the hazards. Atleast one can learn from others experience.

Gas leak

Dupont is cited by US for gas leak that killed four persons, with fines totalling USD 99,000.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/us-cites-dupont-gas-leak-killed-workers-31056772