International Islamic University Islamabad

Health Safety and Environment

Assignment: 01

Department BS Mechanical

Submitted to

Sir Asad Janjua

By

Uzair Ali
918-FET/BSME/F20
 Title: Types of industrial accidents through real-life examples that
have occurred in past in the world.

Abstract:
An industrial accident is an unplanned event that occurs in a workplace or
industrial setting, resulting in injuries, fatalities, property damage, or environmental
harm. Industrial accidents can occur in various industries, including manufacturing,
construction, mining, transportation, and energy production. These accidents can have
severe consequences, not just for workers but also for the wider community and
environment. Industrial accidents can be caused by a range of factors, including human
error, equipment malfunction, and inadequate safety measures.

Therefore, it is crucial for employers to implement effective safety protocols and

training programs to prevent industrial accidents from occurring. There are different
Types of industrial accidents through real-life examples that have occurred in past in
the world.

We are using the flowchart to help the industrial accident in recent past.
1. Chemical Accident

Chemical accidents occur when hazardous substances are mishandled or

improperly stored, leading to explosions, fires, or toxic releases. One example of a
chemical accident is the Bhopal disaster, which occurred in India in 1984. A gas leak
from a pesticide plant owned by Union Carbide resulted in the deaths of thousands of
people and long-term health effects for many more.

There was a big factory that made a chemical called "pesticide" which helps to
keep bugs away from crops. But something went wrong, and a gas came out of the
factory and spread around the city. Many people got very sick and some even died. It
was very scary and sad for everyone. It's important to be careful and follow safety rules

so that accidents like this don't happen again. Oppau,Germany-September 21

1921:
 Workers at BASF’s Oppau site, in Germany, decided that the best course of
action to loosen a 4,500 tonne mound of ammonium nitrate (AN) and ammonium
sulfate that had solidified was to detonate several dynamite charges.

Unfortunately, the use of this tried-and-true method was not suited to the
explosive nature of AN, resulting in a massive 125m (410ft)-long and 19m-deep crater
and the deaths of more than 500 people.

The accident destroyed around 80% of the homes in Oppau and ripped the roofs
off houses as far as 25km (10 miles) away.

Bhopal disaster is an Internal, Major, Fatal, Permanents and Partial industrial

chemical accident where more than 3,000 to 4,500 people were suffered and more than
300-700 people were died. More than that those people whose are working in UCIL
were disable with lots of diseases. This accident is the biggest accident after Mumbai
attacks and Automobile Engine Industry.

Reference: Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL). (n.d.). The Bhopal gas tragedy: A
chronology of events. Retrieved from

https://www.icis.com/explore/resources/news/2008/10/06/9160653/a-guide-to-

major-chemical-disasters-worldwide/

https://www.bhopal.org/the-bhopal-gas-tragedy-a-chronology-of-events/

https://www.indianews.in/the-bhopal-gas-chemical-severity/

2. Structural accidents:

Structural accidents occur when buildings, bridges, or other structures fail,

leading to collapses or other disasters.

Ponte Das Barcas Bridge(Portugal):

 The deadliest bridge collapse was in 1809, when the Ponte das Barcas bridge in
Porto, Portugal, collapsed, leading to the deaths of at least 4,000 people. The Ponte das
Barcas bridge collapsed due to the unique way it was designed, using wooden boats
that connected together to create a bridge. The bridge was designed this way so that it
could be easily disassembled and reassembled. When the French attacked Portugal on
March 29, 1809, thousands of people tried to escape by crossing the Pontas das Barcas,
and the bridge collapsed under the weight of too many people.

Rana Palaza (Bangladesh):

One example of a structural accident is the collapse of the Rana Plaza garment
factory in Bangladesh in 2013. The building, which housed several clothing factories,
collapsed, killing over 1,100 workers.

The Collapsing of Rana Plaza Garment Factory is an internal, major, partial, temporary,
fatal with large number of collapsing of shops around factory at the large scale of
property damage as well as garment stock. Before Rana Plaza Collapsing, its is the
highest exporting clothes industry with a more demandable shops of Garment in
Bangladesh. Reason for this tragedy is the impact loading which is constant placed on
it top of building made crack in entire structure and surface. There are also cracks due
to earthquake in 2011 recent which made the part in deconstruction.

Reference: BBC News. (2015, April 24). Bangladesh Rana Plaza collapse: 41 charged
with murder. Retrieved from

https://forneyvault.com/deadliest-structural-failures-all-
time/#:~:text=The%2010%20Deadliest%20Structural%20Failures&text=The%20Pont
e%20das%20Barcas%20bridge,1963%20left%202%2C000%20people%20dead.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-32498838

https://www.banglanews.com/badly- rana-plaza-collapsing

3. Machinery accidents:
 Machinery accidents occur when workers are injured by equipment or machinery
that is not properly maintained or operated. One example of a machinery accident is
the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010. The explosion and
subsequent oil spill were caused by a faulty blowout preventer, which was designed to
prevent oil from escaping the well.

The Deepwater Horizon oil spill was one of the biggest environmental disasters
in the history of the United States. It occurred on April 20, 2010, in the Gulf of Mexico,
where an oil rig known as the Deepwater Horizon exploded and caught fire, resulting
in the death of 11 workers and injuring many others. The rig was owned by BP, one of
the largest oil companies in the world. The explosion caused an oil well to rupture,
leading to a massive oil spill that released millions of barrels of oil into the Gulf of
Mexico.

The Deep-water spill is an external, major, total, permanent, and fatal type of
accident. The spill caused severe damage to marine life and the environment, and it
took nearly three months to fully contain the spill. The disaster highlighted the risks
associated with offshore drilling and the importance of safety regulations in the oil
industry. The Deepwater Horizon oil spill resulted in significant economic and
environmental damage, and its effects are still being felt today.

Reference: U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board. (2016). Deepwater
Horizon explosion and oil spill. Retrieved from

https://www.csb.gov/deepwater-horizon-explosion-and-oil-spill/

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). (2010). Deepwater

Horizon BP oil spill. Retrieved from https://www.noaa.gov/deepwater-horizon-bp-oil-
spill

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). (2010). BP Deepwater Horizon. Retrieved

from https://www.epa.gov/enforcement/bp-deepwater-horizon

National Wildlife Federation. (2010). Gulf oil disaster. Retrieved from

https://www.nwf.org/What-
We-Do/Protect-Habitat/Gulf-Restoration/Oil-Disaster
CNN. (2018). Deepwater Horizon

4. Electrical accidents:

Electrical accidents occur when workers are injured or killed by electrical shocks
or fires caused by faulty electrical equipment.

126 workers died from exposure to electricity in 2020.

By occupation, workers in construction and extraction occupations (44% of

total) accounted for the largest number of deaths, followed by those in
installation, maintenance, and repair occupations (20%) and building and
grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations (13%).

Slightly more than three in five (645) fatal injuries from direct exposure to
electricity occurred while workers were engaged in constructing, repairing, or
cleaning activities.

One-third (33%) of the fatal injuries occurred at a private resident while another
31 percent took place at an industrial site.

Almost three in five injuries (56%) were caused by direct exposure to electricity,
defined as injuries caused by direct contact with the power source, such as
direct contact with a live electrical wire or when the victim is struck by an
electrical arc.

One example of an electrical accident is the Pike River Mine explosion in New
Zealand in 2010. The explosion, which killed 29 workers, was caused by a spark from
faulty electrical equipment.

The Pike River Mine accident occurred on November 19, 2010, in New Zealand's
West Coast region, resulting in the death of 29 miners. The incident took place in the
Pike River Mine, where an explosion occurred, trapping the miners underground. The
New Zealand Government established a Royal Commission of Inquiry to investigate the
causes of the accident and make recommendations to prevent similar incidents from
happening in the future.
 The Pike River Mine accident that occurs is an external, minor, total, temporary,
and fatal. The Commission's report found that the accident was caused by a series of
systemic failures, including inadequate regulation, poor safety practices, and
ineffective management.

Reference: New Zealand Government. (2012). Pike River Royal Commission report .
Retrieved from https://pikeriver.royalcommission.govt.nz/Final-Report
Radio New Zealand. (2020). Pike River Mine disaster: What happened? Retrieved from
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/431121/pike-river-mine-disaster-what-
happened

The Guardian. (2012). Pike River mine tragedy: New Zealand PM apologises for official
failings. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/nov/05/pike-river-
mine-tragedynew-zealand

https://www.nfpa.org/News-and-Research/Data-research-and-tools/Electrical/Fatal-
electrical-injuries-at-work

5. Radiation accidents:

Radiation accidents occur when workers or the public are exposed to harmful
levels of radiation due to accidents at nuclear power plants or other sources. One
example of a radiation accident is the Chernobyl disaster in Ukraine in 1986. A reactor
at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant exploded, releasing large amounts of radioactive
material into the air, and causing widespread health and environmental damage.
The Chernobyl disaster was a catastrophic nuclear accident that occurred on April 26,
1986, at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine (then part of the Soviet Union). The
explosion and subsequent fire released a large amount of radioactive material into the
atmosphere, causing widespread contamination and numerous health problems for people
in the surrounding areas.
The incident was one of the worst nuclear disasters in history and had significant
environmental, health, and political impacts. The Chernobyl disaster continues to be the
 subject of ongoing research, media coverage, and discussion about the risks and benefits
of nuclear energy.
Reference: World Health Organization. (2016). Chernobyl: The true scale of the accident.
Retrieved from https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/chernobyl-the-true-scale-of-
theaccident
United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR). (2008).
Sources, effects, and risks of ionizing radiation. Retrieved from
https://www.unscear.org/docs/reports/2008/11-80076_Report_2008_Annex_D.pdf

National Geographic. (2019). Chernobyl disaster. Retrieved from

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/2019/05/chernobyl-disaster-causes-
impactstoday/