Dr.

B R Ambedkar National Institute of Technology, Jalandhar

OPEN ELECTIVE ASSIGNMENT

On the

TOPIC

OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY IN CHEMICAL INDUSTRIES; PLAN

PREVENTION AND CONTROL

SUBMITTED TO

Dr. Phibe Khalkho

SUBMITTED BY

Hardik Maheshwari (21112025)

Akshdeep Singh (21112004)

Maheep Nigam (21112042)

Anurag Saini (21112010)

BRANCH
 Chemical (2021-2025)

Occupational Safety in Chemical Industries:

Plan, Prevention, and Control

Introduction
We need to talk about workplace safety and health in transitional economies'
chemical sectors. The introduction of new technology, the growth of current
industries, and the development of new industries all put the environment and
human health at danger. History has demonstrated that the pace of industrial
progress is rarely equaled by the matching preservation of the environment and
society. According to the International Labor Organization, there are over 200,000
work-related fatalities worldwide each year. Furthermore, many employees suffer
from diseases and accidents connected to their jobs. In light of this, the extremely
complex substances that are encountered in the workplace require ongoing
attention through an occupational health program in order to give choices a
scientific foundation.

Chemicals are now an essential component of human existence, supporting growth

and activity, preventing and managing a wide range of illnesses, and boosting
agricultural output. Despite their advantages, chemicals can have a negative impact
on human health and the integrity of the environment, particularly when they are
overused. In this context, it is acknowledged that one of the top objectives in
achieving the principles of sustainable development is the assessment and
management of hazards resulting from chemical exposure.

There are many phases involved in the risk assessment process. Identifying the risk
factor (what is harmful) and describing the health repercussions (what kind of
damage) are the first steps. It is therefore necessary to describe effect-modifying
factors and explain the mechanism of detrimental consequences, or how harm is
created (i.e., does the damage increase or decrease in the presence of other
factors?). Exposure-effect and exposure-response connections (i.e., how much
exposure results in how much harm; what is the "safe level") must also be used to
determine the "severity" of the hazards. Lastly, extrapolation to the workplace is
done to determine the extent of the issue (the number of disease cases). The
persistence of traditional occupational ailments indicates that we have not used our
prior knowledge. There might not be any further research needed for this.
However, we still lack a thorough understanding of a wide range of occupational
dangers.

Setting acceptable levels of workplace risks is one of the strategies employed in

occupational health to prevent worker health damage, according to occupational
hygiene. The definition of "permissible level" has been established. In essence, it is
a quantitative hygienic norm for a concentration for a certain average duration at a
level deemed safe. Instead of using permitted level, the World Health Organization
now prefers to use "recommended health based occupational exposure limit." This
phrase describes concentrations of dangerous chemicals in the air at work when
there is little chance of serious health consequences.

Too frequently, we rely on acceptable levels that have been taken from wealthy
countries without any changes, rather than setting practical occupational exposure
limits based on local conditions. The creation of health-based recommended
exposure limits, which are established solely on the basis of scientific data, must be
taken into consideration before converting these exposure limits into operational
limitations.

Importance of Occupational Safety in Chemical Industries

A decrease in diseases and injuries: Employee exposure to chemicals is less
likely to result in injury or death when a firm has a strong chemical safety policy in
place and properly handles its chemicals. Workers who handle chemicals carefully
will also be protected from diseases or injuries that might result from injections,
ingestion, skin contact, or inhalation.

Reduce costs and boost output: Companies will save money by reducing
accidents and illnesses since chemical exposure has no direct or indirect expenses.
An employee's injury will probably prevent them from working, therefore your
business will have to train a substitute or recruit someone else. Productivity will be
lowered as it takes time for a new employee to understand the tasks performed by
an experienced employee. The time and effort needed to finish an incident
investigation and put remedial measures in place are additional indirect costs
associated with a chemical exposure accident. The employee's exposure-related
medical expenditures would be considered direct costs. Reduced possibility of
property damage The danger of property damage will be minimal if your
organization prioritizes chemical storage safety best practices.

Incompatible chemical storage, however, can result in explosions or fires that

inflict property damage worth millions or even billions of dollars. You will be
unable to manufacture the goods and will suffer a large financial loss due to a lack
of production if your company's facility burns down. Improved communication,
knowledge, and morale among employees Employee morale is raised when you
have a strong chemical safety program. Workers are aware of the many kinds of
chemicals they work with and are trained in self-defense techniques.

Employees feel safer at work when they are aware of the substances they are
consuming and the safeguards put in place to keep them healthy. Employees who
are knowledgeable about the substances they handle will not only feel safer but
also know what to do in case of an emergency. Assume, for instance, if a chemical
alert were to sound. Then, depending on the circumstances and kind of chemical
warning, knowledgeable staff will know how to either take action to turn off
machinery or leave the facility. They will know exactly where to wait for more
instructions once they are outdoors.

-HARDIK MAHESHWARI (21112025)

Planning for Occupational Safety
Important Topics to Pay Attention to:

1. Risk amount and hazard labeling (HIRA):

 To find attainable risks to a degree synthetic uncovering, fire, eruption, and
supplies disappointment, do inclusive evaluations.
 To determine the total risk level, determine each hazard's prospect and
danger. Set extreme-risk neighborhoods as a preference and set control
methods working.

2. Controls in metallurgy:
 Put in place processes for Process Safety Management (PSM).
 Make use of effective fresh air structures.
 Keep spills held and separate hazardous movements.
 Install Emergency Shutdown Systems (ESD) that are reliable.
 Put in place fire security measures.

3. Controls in presidency:
 Create Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) that are clear.
 Regularly train and experience public.
 For extreme-risk tasks, use a permit-to-work plan.Make routine checks.

4. PPE, or private guarding supplies:

 Choose the right PPE similarly risk appraisals.
 Employees bear acquire information about the disadvantages of PPE.

5. Planning for Emergency Response:

 Create all-encompassing plans for crisis backlash.
 Perform drills on a normal base.
 Make sure you have enough crisis equipment.

6. Protection of the Environment:

 Implement productive waste administration patterns.
 Plan for the stop, control, and cure of spills (SPCC).Respect material
regulations and licenses.
 7. Constant Enhancement:
 Conduct meticulous examinations of accidents. Monitor security
accomplishment versification.

Encourage a healthy security education. Chemical businesses grant permission

considerably advance employee guardianship, business security, and material
impact by favorably determining these issues.

-MAHEEP NIGAM (21112042)

Control Strategies for Workplace Hazards
When stop measures are not adequate, control methods help lighten the impact of
hazards.

1. Hierarchy of Controls The ranking of controls includes:

• Elimination: Removing the hazard entirely (for example, substituting dangerous

matters accompanying more reliable substitutes).

• Engineering Controls: Installing tangible barriers or seclusion arrangements.

• Administrative Controls: Limiting trader uncovering through preparation,

slating, and scrupulous processes.

• PPE: Ensuring all workers are outfitted accompanying appropriate gear.

2. Monitoring and Detection Systems Real-period announcements for leaks,

pressure changes, and supplies losses maybe determined via complex plans like
vapor detectors and Internet of Things-authorized sensors. Employees can respond
promptly and prevent disasters thanks to early alerts.

3. Regular Audits and Reviews Frequent security checks guarantee devotion to

security requirements. To find the latent causes and stop repetition, trades concede
possibility also act post-occurrence reviews.

Case Studies of Safety Incidents and Lessons Learned

1. Bhopal Gas Tragedy (1984)

 The Accident occured on December 3, 1984.

 The Bhopal plant is in the state of Madhya Pradesh in central India.
 The plant was partially owned by Union Carbide and partially owned
locally. Nearest civilian inhabitants were 1.5 miles away when the plant was
contructed. Because the plant was the dominant source of employment in the
area.
  The plant produced pesticides. An intermediate compound in this process is
MIC methyl isocynide.
 MIC is extremely dangerous compound , it is reactive, toxic, volatile and
flammable.
 Its boiling point is 39.1 degree celcius. at atm conditions. The vapour is
twice as heavy as air , ensuring that the vapour will stay close ground once
released.
 MIC reacts exothermally with water. MIC storage tanks are typically
refrigerated to prevent this problem.
 The unit using MIC was not operating because of local labor dispute.
 Somehow storage tank containing large amount of MIC became
contaminated with water. The temperature exceeds the boiling point to 400
degree celcius.
 The MIC vapour travelled through a pressure relief system and into a
scrubber and flare system installed to consume the MIC in the event of
release.
 Unfortunately scrubber and flare system were not operating. Estimated 25
ton of MIC released.
 The toxic cloud spread to adjacent town, killing over 2000 civilians and
injuring an estimated 20000 more.

Knowledge Acquired: Disaster prevention requires strong safety measures,

efficient alert systems, and routine maintenance.
2. Texas City Refinery Explosion (2005)

The morning of March 23, 2005, started like some other at the BP lubricate purifier
in Texas City, Texas. However, a agenda would unravel that would endlessly
change the course of the purifier and the lives of many. A catastrophic discharge
tore through the isomerization part, demanding 15 lives and injuring over 180
public. This industrial trouble dressed as a bare warning of the potential
instabilities owned by the refining manufacturing and the detracting significance of
healthy security agreements.The explosion was the result of a cascade of
disappointments, at the time of the satiation of the raffinate splitter tower. This
influenced to the release of new hydrocarbon liquid and vapor into a blowdown
beat, that fast surpassed allure competency. The resulting fumes cloud kindled,
prompting a large discharge that leveled the isomerization unit and shipped
shockwaves through the encircling society.The root causes of the eruption were
versatile and unprotected a culture of contentment and disregard for security inside
the purifier.
The Chemical Safety Board (CSB) analysis labeled several key determinants:

Process Safety Management (PSM) Failures: BP's PSM plan was erect expected
incompetent, with a lack of persuasive hazard labeling, risk estimate, and
administration of change processes.

Organizational Culture: A breeding of shortcuts and complacency had grown

inside the purifier, place security was often weakened probable result aims.

Maintenance Deficiencies: The purifier's perpetuation program was ineffective,

superior to supplies breakdowns and raised risk.

Human Error: Human wrong risked a significant act in the casualty, containing
mistakes created all the while the startup of the isomerization unit and the
deficiency to correctly monitor and control the process.

The discharge had a deep affect the society of Texas City. Families lost desired
one, and many survivors endured growth-changing injuries. The financial impact
was more meaningful, accompanying the purifier close up for an extended ending
and abundant trades afflicted apiece accident.In the aftermath of the explosion, BP
confronted many lawsuits and supervisory investigation. The guest was fined
billions of greenbacks and was strained to implement wide-ranging changes to
allure security breeding and procedures. The U.S. Chemical Safety Board
circulated a succession of pieces of advice for fear that comparable accidents in the
future, containing the need for more forceful supervisory supervision, enhanced
manufacturing standards, and raised importance on security idea.The Texas City
purifier eruption remains individual of the the most virulent mechanical accidents
in U.S. annals. It serves as a piece of advice about the dangers of contentment and
the significance of prioritizing security. The communication well-informed from
this disaster must be applied for fear that future accidents and guarantee the
happiness of employees and communities.

Knowledge Acquired: Advanced monitoring systems, efficient process

management, and thorough training are essential for safety.

-AKSHDEEP SINGH (21112004)

Future Directions for Enhancing Safety
1. Proactive Safety Planning

 Implement AI and IoT real-period hazard discovery and risk guess.

 Use data data for correct security audits and faster answer occasions.

2. Prevention Through Automation and Robotics

 Increase mechanization in extreme-risk processes to humiliate human

exposure.
 Develop unending preparation programs to hold peasants modernized on
security practices.
 Innovate more reliable chemical compound and equipment to underrate the
risk of accidents

3. Advanced Control Measures

 Introduce predicting support methods to monitor supplies energy and

discover failures early.
 Enhance individual securing supplies (PPE) to supply better security and
comfort. Ensure agreement accompanying more accurate regulatory
security flags to select healthy security pacts.

4. Stronger Safety Regulations

 Regulatory materials will prosecute more stringent security standards, bright

activities to select leading security measures.
 By focusing on preparation, stop, and control, the synthetic manufacturing
can considerably embellish institution security and minimize risks.
Conclusion
In the chemical industry, workplace safety is crucial for ensuring company
continuity, environmental preservation, and life safety. Businesses can greatly
lower workplace dangers by putting in place efficient planning, preventative, and
control strategies. Safer industrial operations will be made possible by constant
improvement, adherence to safety regulations, and the incorporation of cutting-
edge technologies.
Advanced electronics like AI and IoT help anticipate and discover hazards in
evident-period. - Proactive risk assessments mix security measures into each stage
of result. Data-compelled preparation corrects accountable and security audits.
Automation and robotics weaken human uncovering to perilous tasks, underrating
accidents. Safer projectiles for weaponry and matters defeat the risk of spills, leaks,
or discharges. Continuous training guarantees employees are modernized on
security practices and new sciences. Predictive sustenance plans monitor supplies
well-being and prevent losses before they increase. Enhanced PPE guarantees
better security and comfort for employees in dicey atmospheres. Stricter
supervisory flags drive industries to select stronger security measures. A inclusive
approach merging preparation, stop, and control will stretch to reduce business
risks. Advances in electronics, fabrics, and security codes will reinforce overall
security. By putting on these regions, the chemical manufacturing can guarantee a
more reliable, bearable active surroundings.

- ANURAG SAINI (21112010)