Chemical safety, vol 4 No.1: 4-6 May 1997System for the control of major accident hazards in Indiaby S.K. Saxena |
Background
Because of its relatively low accident rate, the chemical industry was generally assumed to be safe. This impression, however, was proved unfounded by the explosion in Flixborough, UK in 1974, which killed 28 workers, injured many others and devastated the plant, and by the toxic release in Seveso, Italy in 1976, which caused extensive damage to the surrounding environment. It has since been recognized that certain industrial activities where hazardous chemicals are handled in large quantities have the potential to cause major accidents.
The worst industrial accident ever, involving the catastrophic release of extremely toxic methyl isocyanate from a pesticide manufacturing factory, occurred in Bhopal, India on 3 December 1984, killing more than 2,500 people and affecting the health of several thousand people. The incident drew much attention to the problem of major hazards associated with the operation of certain chemical plants. In India, a strong need was felt to prevent the recurrence of such accidents by strengthening the country's occupational safety and health system. The Government initiated work to assess the existing safety measures in the chemical industry and to suggest remedial measures. The prevention and control of major accident hazards became a pressing issue.
The ILO mission
The Chief of the Occupational Safety and Health Branch of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), Geneva visited India in February 1985 in the context of the Bhopal accident. He held discussions with senior officers of the Ministry of Labour, the Government of India and with other departments, and broadly assessed the activities for which the ILO could arrange technical co-operation and assistance. It was agreed that, in the field of controlling major accident hazards, India required some immediate assistance and would later need further assistance on a mediumterm basis.
At the request of the Government of India, the ILO sent a mission to India in April 1985 to identify and advise the Government on the early priorities for establishing a system for controlling major accident hazards in the country. The mission, consisting of two experts, carried out a rapid survey of some representative chemical factories in different parts of India, assessed the prevailing situation in the chemical industry and prepared a report.
The mission recommended that
a list of hazardous chemicals and flammable gases should be established, each having a specific quantity such that any factory handling any substance above the stated quantity should be a major hazard works by definition,
an inventory of major hazard works should be obtained for each state, and
the list of hazardous chemicals and the inventory of the major hazard works should be maintained in a computerised data bank.
ILO project on controlling major accident hazards in India
The Indian Ministry of Labour, implemented the ILO project on establishment and initial operation of a system for controlling major accident hazards first in 12 selected states. The Directorate General Factory Advice Service and Labour Institutes (DGFASLI), an office subordinate to the Ministry of Labour, conducted this work from December 1986 to December 1990 in the manufacturing sector (i.e., factories) and later extended the project to the port sector, where work was conducted from January 1991 to April 1993. The Central Labour Institute (CLI), Mumbai, the three Regional Labour Institutes (in Calcutta, Chennai and Kanpur) and the Inspectorates of Dock Safety the subordinate offices of the DGFASLI and the Inspectorates of Factories of the 12 states participated in implementing the project.
The immediate objective of the project was to strengthen the national system for preventing occupational accidents in certain industrial activities. This was done through identification, analysis and control of industrial activities involving hazardous chemicals and processes which have the potential to cause major accidents.
The system for controlling major accident hazards in India, as established under the ILO project, consists of the following elements:
Three-technical organisation on major accident hazards control
A three-tier technical organisation, incorporating the national, regional and state levels, was set up to control major accident hazards. At the national level, a multidisciplinary advisory division to control major accident hazards, staffed with relevant specialists, was set up in the Central Labour Institute, Mumbai. At the regional level, cells to control major accident hazards were set up in the three Regional Labour Institutes, i.e., in Calcutta, Chennai and Kanpur. Similarly, at the state level, specialist cells were set up in the headquarters of the Inspectorates of Factories.
The advisory division and the cells function as the resource centres for the control of major accident hazards. Among other work, they provide technical advice and guidance on hazardous chemicals to industry; they investigate major accidents; they inspect major accident hazard works; they develop technical guidelines and training material, and conduct specialised training programmes on the control of major accident hazards and chemical safety to different target groups; and they conduct studies and safety audits of hazardous operations.
Rules for the control of major accident hazards
Draft regulations on the control of major accident hazards were first prepared as model rules that were then notified to the states under the Factories Act of 1948. Through extensive consultations between the Ministry of Labour and the Ministry of Environment and Forests, these regulations were later harmonised with the draft rules prepared by the Ministry of Environment and Forests. The Ministry of Environment and Forests included the rules, as the "manufacture, storage and import of hazardous chemicals rules, 1989" under the Environment (Protection) Act of 1986.
These rules to control major industrial accident hazards aim at preventing major accidents in certain industrial activities. In all, eleven authorities have been entrusted with the responsibility of enforcing the provisions into their respective fields. For example, the Chief Inspectors of Factories were assigned the duty of enforcing the relevant provisions of the rules in factories and the Chief Inspector of Dock Safety in ports. These rules are also being included under their respective workplace-related legislation, such as the Factories Act of 1948.
Computerised data bank
Computerised data banks having appropriate databases on the control of major accident hazards were established in the Central and the three Regional Labour Institutes. These data banks enable the storage, retrieval and dissemination of information. The databases so far created include: the inventories of the hazardous chemicals; the major accident hazard works/sites and the specialists in the field of major accident hazards control; the CIS database on occupational safety and health; the incidents involving major accident risk; and the details of the specialised training programmes conducted for the control of major accident hazards among the seven target groups within the enforcement authorities and industry. The databases on the inventories of the hazardous chemicals, the major accident hazard sites/works and the incidents of major risk are updated continuously.
(PHOTO) The computerised data bank at the Central Labour Institute.
The data banks are equipped with, e.g. the WHAZAN software for models of the consequences of accidental release of toxic and the flammable gases, and with EPACHEM, containing information on 350 hazardous chemicals. These databases constitute an important element of the system, providing information and guidance to both the enforcement authorities and industry. The advisory division for the control of major accident hazards and its cells have prepared technical guidelines on various aspects of hazard control. Important examples are checklists for the Inspectors to use when performing inspections of bulk storages of ammonia, chlorine, and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). Similarly, guidelines on the provision of medical care in emergen cies involving the ten most common hazardous chemicals were prepared in English and Hindi, and distributed to the management at major accident hazard sites.
Strengthening of the Labour Institutes and Inspectorates of Dock Safety
The Central and the three Regional Labour Institutes and the Inspectorates of Dock Safety have been strengthened in the field of chemical safety and the control of major accident hazards by recruiting/deploying officers with qualifications and experience in chemical engineering. The technical competence of these officers and other specialists was developed by providing them with appropriate training in the control of major accident hazards in India and/or abroad. This has enabled the Institutes and the Inspectorates of Dock Safety to develop technical guidelines and training materials, to carry out joint inspections with Inspectors of Factories, to perform studies and safety audits of hazardous operations, to conduct training programmes for the Inspectors of Factories, Inspectors of Dock Safety, and technical personnel from the industry, and to provide technical advice to the major accident hazard sites/works.
Strengthening of the Inspectorates of Factories
The Inspectorates of Factories of the states having a considerable number of major accident hazard factories were strengthened in the field of chemical safety by recruiting Inspectors with chemical engineering qualifications. All the Inspectors were trained in the control of major accident hazards abroad and/or in India. In addition, the Inspectors were given specialised in-service training in inspecting major accident hazard sites, and criteria were developed for prioritising the major accident hazard sites. Development of the technical competence of the Inspectors and equipping the Inspectorates with the necessary instruments have thus enhanced their preconditions to execute their tasks.
Training strategy
Keeping in mind the greater emphasis laid in the project on training, a three-pronged training strategy was developed. The three focal points are to identify the target groups, to develop appropriate training material, and to conduct training programmes.
The following target groups needing specialised training in the control of major accident hazards were identified: Inspectors from the Inspectorates of Factories and of Dock Safety; senior executives; safety officers; workers who are members of safety committees; supervisory trainers from the major accident hazard works and port authorities; and trade union leaders at both the national and regional levels. Training manuals were developed to provide the background reading material needed by these training programme participants. There are now manuals on techniques of inspecting chemical plants and on the control of major accident hazards that are meant for the senior Inspectors of Factories, as well as manuals on the control of major accident hazards that are meant for safety officers, supervisory trainers and workers who are members of safety committees.
Over 100 specialised training programmes and seminars have been held, with nearly 3,500 participants from the various target groups. A notable feature is the input of several ILO experts in various aspects of the control of major accident hazards in these seminars and training programmes. The training material developed by the Central and the Regional Labour Institutes is highly significant, as it helps other institutions and bodies organize training programmes on the control of major accident hazards, which is essential as there are so many people to be trained.
(PHOTO) A training session in progress at the Central Labour Institute in Mumbai.
Conclusion
The system for the control of major accident hazards was established in India by means of an ILO project. India thus has the distinction of being the world's first developing country to have successfully embarked on establishing the system. Although the project came to an end in 1993, the system has taken roots and efforts are continuing to reinforce and extend it to the chemical industry as well. It may take a long time before the system has a strong base, especially in a developing country, such as India, where there are various constraints. It is hoped that labour administrators' strong commitment to preventing major accidents, competent safety specialists and inspectors provided with adequate and comprehensive legislation, and the chemical industry's full awareness of the negative consequences of major accidents will help India achieve this goal soon.
S.K. Saxena, Director General
Directorate General Factory Advice
Service & Labour Institutes
Ministry of Labour, Government of India
Mumbai 400 022, India