Case Study Bohpal Incident and CH 25 Vibration and Noise: by DR Shagufta Ishteyaque

Case Study Bohpal incident and
Ch 25 Vibration and Noise

By Dr Shagufta Ishteyaque
Bhopal Desaster--Case study
• Bhopal Gas leakage (5 lac people exposed to
that environments)
Why Bhopal is relevant even today
•Yes, the Bhopal incident sent shock waves across the
world
•It brought about major improvements in R&D,

legislation, and implementation of safety
–But has enough been done?
–Has the chemical process industry learnt its lesson

well?
•Those who forget history are condemned to repeat it
•Lest we forget…
Case Study Bohpal incident
May 1984
Relief valve vent header and the process vent header of the MIC
(Methyl Iso Cyanide)storage tank connected
•October 1984
Refrigeration system of the MIC tank shut down to save costs

Vent gas scrubber to neutralize MIC vapours put in passive mode
•November 1984
Operater s attempt to transfer MIC from tank 610 to the processing

facility, but the tank fails to pressurize, indicating a leak
•December 2, 1984
Another failed attempt made to transfer the MIC from tank 610;
plant supervisor orders washing the lines to clear the blockage
Slip blind required for isolation not inserted
Valve reseated between 02.00 and 02.30 HRS
By then, 40-45 tonnesof MIC had leaked
So the MIC leaked And the after-

effects are being felt till today
And will be felt for generations to
come
Failures in the line of defense
•Refrigeration unit of the MIC storage tank
shut down
•Vent gas scrubber system turned down
•Flare tower taken out of service
•High temperature alarm was faulty, as
was the pressure controller and level
indicator
•Siren which was to warn the public
delinked from the in-plant siren
Some Important parameter of MIC
• Highly volatile
• Sharp odour
• Colorless liquid
• Boiling point=39.10C
• Flammable
If not taken all safty legislation it has catostraphic
accident in case of small leakage since it
exothermic reaction with increase in temp and
pressure.
Even the UCC managemen(Mr Warren
andrson ,Chairman UCC)t got carried away by their
own misrepresentation of facts:
•A few days before the Bhopal tragedy, on the

prompting of UCC, the Minister had declared that the
Carbide plant is totally safe because the phosgene
they use isn’t poisonous !
•On being woken up from sleep to be informed of the

MIC leak, a top UCC executive had blurted out, “The
leak can’t be from our plant because our
plant is totally safe!”
Impact of Bhopal on
process safety
legislation
Why Bhopal is relevant even today • Yes, the
Bhopal incident sent shock waves across the
world
• It brought about major improvements in
R&D, legislation, and implementation of safety
– But has enough been done? – Has the
chemical process industry learnt its lesson
well?
• Those who forget history are condemned to
repeat it
The Bhopal incident sent shock waves across the
world and brought about major improvements in
R&D, legislation, and implementation of safety
India, too, has enacted elaborate legislation
• Identified hazardous chemicals and fixed their

threshold handling quantities
• Made risk assessment, safety audit, accident

postmortem, public education, onsite-offsite
emergency preparedness etc.should be
mandatory
Incidents in India over the decades
Jaipur fire, 2009 29 October 2009, Jaipur, India Indian

Oil Corporation’s oil depot after implementation of
safty laws in India:
• 12 killed
• 200 injured
• $ 32 million worth of damage caused
Special challenges for disaster management in developing countries:
as magnified in the Bhopal tragedy
•Densely populated areas around the plant
•Absence of a proper road network. Rescue workers had to move on

foot through densely populated areas
•Poor communications
•Lack of effective emergency medical facilities

•Inadequate transport for emergency evacuation
•People sleeping on pavements/railway platforms
•Unidentified dead bodies, creating difficulties in identification of
religion (Hindu/Muslim) and also creating medico-legal problems
•Along with humans a large number of animals, mostly cattle, perish
in disaster. Their disposal became a serious health problem
•Relief operations became difficult as the disaster caused enervation
Ch 25 Vibration and Noise
Kinds Of Noise
1.Varaible Nose(in manufacturing
plant etc)
2.Impulse
Noise(unwanted,Instanteneous
sharp etc)
3.Continuous Noise(Fans,Boilers etc)
4.Intermittent Noise(Mixture of
different levels of sound eg in
gathering)
Noise damage ear
• 85 Db Hazardous level
• 140 Db Dangerous
• Eg Power tools 85 dB
• Compressor 100Db
• Air plane -150 Db
Effects of exposure to loud noise
Exposure to loud noise will

inevitably cause hearing loss
over time.
Loud noise damages or destroys

the nerves in the inner ear.
Another effect can be “tinnitus”

or permanent ringing in the ear.
2
When is Noise Too Loud?
Noise is measured in units called

“decibels” or “dB”
If two people 3 feet apart must shout
to be heard, the background noise is
too loud (above 85 decibels).
•Noise above 140 decibels causes pain

and immediate hearing loss.
3
What is Too Much Noise Exposure?
Damage from noise
exposure depends on the
loudness and length of
exposure.
Scientific studies have

shown that hearing loss can
occur when 8-hour average
noise exposure exceeds 85
decibels.
8
What is Too Much Noise Exposure?
The risk of hearing loss

increases dramatically as noise
levels increase.
Exposure to noise levels above

115 decibels for even five
minutes is very risky.
Impact or banging noise above

140 decibels will cause
immediate damage to nerves
in the ear.
9
Daily Allowable Exposure Times to Noise
The table below shows noise levels and how long a
person can be exposed without hearing protection
before there is damage to the ear.
Noise Level Allowable Exposure Time
85 decibels 8 hours
90 decibels 4 hours
100 decibels 1 hour
105 decibels 30 minutes
10
Examples of Noisy Equipment
Equipment Noise Level

Back Hoe 85-95 decibels
Chain Saw 110 decibels
Front-end Loader 90-95 decibels
Gunshot 140 decibels
Jackhammer 112 decibels
Lawn Mower 90 decibels
Tractor 95-105 decibels
Circular Saw 90-100 decibels
11
Types of Hearing Protection
There are three types of

hearing protection – ear
muffs, earplugs and ear
caps.
Ear muffs and earplugs provide

about equal protection, ear
caps somewhat less.
earmuffs
earplugs 14 ear caps

Hearing Protection – Ear Plugs
Earplugs are made of foam,

rubber or plastic and are either
one-size-fits-all or in sizes
small, medium and large.
Some are disposable, some are
reusable.
They are lightweight, and
require no maintenance.
They are inserted into the ear
canal.
16
Ear Plug Comfort
Some people may find ear

plugs uncomfortable to wear
for long periods at first.
Ear plugs rarely cause infection
or prolonged irritation of the
ear canal.
Most people can find a
comfortable fit by trying
several different sizes, types or
brands.
Custom-molded earplugs can
be obtained for maximum custom molded
comfort. earplugs
17
Ear Muffs
Ear muffs cover the whole
ear and are preferred by
some people.
They have replaceable

pads and some high-tech
styles filter out specific
noise pitches.
They last longer than most

plugs.
20
Ear Caps
Ear caps are like

earplugs, except they
do not go into the ear
canal, they only block it.
They are good for

occasional use or for
people who find
earplugs uncomfortable.
They are not as

protective as earplugs
or muffs.
23
OSHA STANDARDS
• 1926.101(a) Wherever it is not feasible to
reduce the noise levels or duration of
exposures to those specified in Table D-2,
Permissible Noise Exposures, in 1926.52, ear
protective devices shall be provided and
used.1926.101(b) Ear protective devices
inserted in the ear shall be fitted or
determined individually by competent
persons.1926.101(c) Plain cotton is not an
acceptable protective device.
Table 2. Workers Potentially Exposed to Hand-Arm Vibration
No. of Workers Industry Type of Tool

500,000 Construction Handtools
200,000 Farming Gasoline chain saws

14,000 Metal working Handtools
Furnace cleaning using powered
54,000 Steel
handtools
30,000 Lumber and wood Gasoline chain saws
34,000 Furniture manufacturing Handtools
100,000 Mining Pneumatic drills
Truck and auto
250,000 Handtools
manufacturing
64,000 Foundries Handtools
Total 1,246,000
Safe 5120 Industrial Hygiene

Controls
• Anti-vibration tools
• anti-vibration gloves
• Proper work practices
– Keep hands warm
• Medical Surveillance

Average Vibration
• Average Vibration: 9.0 m/sec2 -Jackhammer

(Time Limit?)

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Case Study Bohpal incident and

Ch 25 Vibration and Noise

•It brought about major improvements in R&D,

–But has enough been done?

–Has the chemical process industry learnt its lesson

Refrigeration system of the MIC tank shut down to save costs

Operater s attempt to transfer MIC from tank 610 to the processing

By then, 40-45 tonnesof MIC had leaked

So the MIC leaked And the after-

•A few days before the Bhopal tragedy, on the

•On being woken up from sleep to be informed of the

• Identified hazardous chemicals and fixed their

• Made risk assessment, safety audit, accident

Jaipur fire, 2009 29 October 2009, Jaipur, India Indian

•Absence of a proper road network. Rescue workers had to move on

•Lack of effective emergency medical facilities

Exposure to loud noise will

Loud noise damages or destroys

Another effect can be “tinnitus”

Noise is measured in units called

•Noise above 140 decibels causes pain

Scientific studies have

The risk of hearing loss

Exposure to noise levels above

Impact or banging noise above

Equipment Noise Level

There are three types of

Ear muffs and earplugs provide

earplugs 14 ear caps

Earplugs are made of foam,

Some people may find ear

They have replaceable

They last longer than most

Ear caps are like

They are good for

They are not as

No. of Workers Industry Type of Tool

200,000 Farming Gasoline chain saws

Safe 5120 Industrial Hygiene

Safe 5120 Industrial Hygiene

• Average Vibration: 9.0 m/sec2 -Jackhammer

Safe 5120 Industrial Hygiene

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