Chemical Disaster

As a consequence, much of the public has come to believe that most chemicals are hazardous. A recent poll by the Roper Organization revealed that two out of three American citizens expect a major chemical disaster, resulting in thousands of deaths, within the next 50 years. The poll also found that a high proportion of the public lacked confidence that industry would deal openly with them. A public attitude toward exposure to chemicals is developing that can be summed up by the words, "no risk." But, as a judge recently stated, "In the crowded conditions of modem life, even the most careful person cannot avoid creating some risks and accepting others. What one must not do, and what I think a careful person tries not to do, is to create a risk which is substantial." ... 

THE ROLE OF CLINICAL TOXICOLOGY IN MINIMIZING ADVERSE HEALTH EFFECTS RELATED TO CHEMICAL DISASTERS... 

Chemical disasters continue to be a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Such disasters include ... 

Chemical disasters are not very easy to predict and prevent. Depending on the extent of the accident, they may produce the following health manifestations asphyxiation, central nervous system depression, defeating dermatitis, aspiration pneumonitis, myocardial sensitization and irritability and hepatorenal toxicity. 

Along with the constant threat posed by fire, there are also chemical disaster situations that can occur due to human error in system operation and/or a malfunction... 

Again, it is also important to remember that chemical emergency situations can easily reach beyond the boundaries of any industrial plant. This is to be expected, especially in this age of population explosion with its characteristic urban sprawl. It is not unusual to find, for example, a chemical industrial plant site or other industrial plant that originally was isolated from city dwellers but later became surrounded on all sides by neighbors. The point is that when a chemical spill or chemical disaster occurs in an isolated area there may be no cause for general alarm however, when such a deliberate disaster occurs in the plant site as described in the sugar plant incident, it should be clear that the purpose of PSM, RMP, the Patriot Act, Homeland Security directives, OSHA s Combustible Dust NEP, and other safety/security factors is far-reaching—and absolutely critical to the survival of a free society. 

Sidebar 4.1. Toxic or Flammable Chemical Disaster Scenarios... 

The worst chemical disaster in history occurred on December 3, 1984, in Bhopal, India, a city of some 1.6 million people in the state of Madhya Pradesh. On that date in the middle of the night, a tank at the Union Carbide India Ltd. plant leaked between 25 and 40 tons of methyl isocyanate, a volatile colorless liquid, into the atmosphere of Bhopal. This highly toxic gas settled onto the city and its inhabitants in a silent, if odorous, cloud. The results were horrific some 3800 people died and another 2700 experienced total or partial permanent disability. By some estimates, more than 10% of the population of Bhopal—170,000 people—suffered some adverse effect from the methyl isocyanate leak. 

Process intensification drastically increases the safety of chemical processes. It is obvious that smaller is safer. In Table 2 some of the more severe chemical disasters of the past century are listed. The table shows clearly how disastrous consequences may arise from the large inventories when something goes wrong. And of course, one may not claim that process intensification would have prevented all those tragedies. Yet a study done at AIChE showed that methyl isocyanate (MIC),... 

A large number of chemical disasters around the world have reminded us of the importance of knowing the basic requirements to achieve chemical safety. Of all the countries of the world, the United States is considered the largest... 

TABLE 2-1 Chemical Disasters in Different Countries of the World... 

Bertazzi, P. A. Long-term effects of chemical disasters. Lessons and results from Seveso, The Science of the Total Environment, 1991,106(1-2), 5-20. 

Tens of thousands of tonnes of different chemical substances are manufactured, used, transported, stored, and disposed of in different countries around the world. The number of accidents, health hazards, and chemical disasters has been increasing. Although most of these accidents occur at fixed facilities where the chemical hazards are known, emergency medical personnel are increasingly more likely to be involved in incidents in which occupational workers and victims have been exposed to an unknown or incorrectly identified chemical hazard. Emergency medical technicians, therefore, must learn to deal with presenting symptoms and provide basic supportive medical care for complications (respiratory, cardiovascular, and neurological) that are most likely to cause a serious threat to life and end in human fatalities. 

Students and workers in laboratories should always remember three important words—danger, warning, and caution (or A, B, C)—while handling flammable liquids to avoid health effects and chemical disasters ... 

Certain hazardous chemicals when stored or mixed together react violently. These chemical substances are unsuitable for mixing and are incompatible. During storage, classes of incompatible chemicals should be segregated from each other according to hazard class. In chemical laboratories, more often than not chemicals are stored alphabetically. This has led to the occurrence of several chemical disasters and explosions. It is important that incompatible chemical substances be handled, stored, and disposed of with care and caution and that no contact is made from one chemical to the other. The following are a few selected incompatible chemical substances. Chemicals in coiumn A should not come in contact with chemicals in coiumn B ... 

Occupational workers frequently use, store, and dispose of toxic chemicals without knowing the possible consequences, both for the workplace and the environment. Improper use or misuse of chemical substances can result In health disorders, fatalities, or chemical disasters. Safe Use of Chemicals A Practical Guide presents quick and comprehensive instruction to those who work with potentially dangerous substances and provides them with the information they need to avoid the hazards associated with handling these chemicals. 

Chemical substances have become an essential part of human activities. Proper use of chemical substances help human society protect itself from hunger, thirst, famine, disease, and infection with good grains, fruits, and vegetables. Synthesis, formulations, and proper use of newer drugs and pharmaceuticals have offered the benefits of improved health care to society. In short, proper and judicious application of a variety of chemical substances has improved the quality of life. In contrast, improper use or misuse of chemical substances has resulted in health disorders and fatalities. Furthermore, improper use has caused chemical disasters both at the workplace and in the environment. 

Chemical disasters may result from accidental exposure, industrial accidents, or an intentional terrorist act. 

Chemical disasters create fear and panic and will cause widespread social disruption. 

A chemical disaster will create a surge of patients seeking care and has the potential to overwhelm the health care system. 

Chemical disasters may result in multiple ill individuals with similar complaints seeking care atthe same time. 

ROLE OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH NURSE IN A CHEMICAL DISASTER... 

As we shall see later in the book, chemical disasters have occurred as a result of unsafe practices or of misuse. This brings me back to an earlier point chemicals must be used with respect. 

Okumura, T., Ninomiya, N., Ohta, M. (2003). The chemical disaster response system in Japan. Prehospital Disaster Med. 18 189-92. 

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