it is about how lack of management and safety policies, an industry can suffer a disaster and the general population gets affected.

1. BHOPAL GAS TRAGEDY
(1984)
BY
NIKITA KAUL
MA INDUSTRIAL PSYCHOLOGY

2. An Industrial disaster of an incomparable
magnitude of all time

3. CONTEXT
• Introduction
• Chronology of Events
• Safety Systems at UCIL
• Events Prior to Tragedy
• UCIL Plant after Tragedy
• After Effects
• What could have been done?

4. •The Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL)
was established in 1969
•51% owned by Union Carbide Corporation
(UCC) and 49% by Indian Authorities
•The factory produced a pesticide which
UCIL branded as SEVIN
•A chemical called Methyl Isocynate (MIC)
was used for producing this pesticide SEVIN
•Therefore, this factory stored a large amount
i.e., 42 tonnes of MIC in it’s premise.

5. CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS
•On the night of 2nd December, 1984,
everything went like a routine day at
UCIL Factory in Bhopal.
•And MIC was stored in an Underground
Tank
UNTIL...

6. At 9.30 p.m.
• Employees started Pipeline
washing as a
routine maintenance
operation

7. Around 10.30- 11 p.m.
•Workers engaged in Pipeline washing became
aware of a leak
•Little Attention was paid considering as a normal
leak
•A casual attempt was made to trace the source of
the leak, but was of no use

8. Around 12.15 a.m.
•Water began to enter into the tank E610
containing 42 tonnes of MIC
•The pressure in the MIC tank rocketed to
55 pounds per square inch(psi)
•The resulting Exothermic reaction increased
the temperature in the tank to over 200 ° C
•An Operator saw the concrete above the
tank was cracking

9. About 12.30 a.m.
•MIC gas was exposed into the atmosphere.
•The workers at the factory realised the risk
of a massive disaster.
•They tried activating the safety systems
available at the factory

10. SAFETY SYSTEMS AT
UCIL
There were three Safety Systems at UCIL:
1. Vent Gas Scrubber
2. Flare Tower
3. Vacant Tank next to Tank E610

11. VENT GAS
SCRUBBER

12. FLARE TOWER

13. E619 TANK

15. EVENTS PRIOR TO TRAGEDY
•On 25th Dec 1981, a Plant Operator killed by phosgene
gas leak
•In a report by Americans in 1982 by UCC, poor
adjustment of certain devices were excessive
•1983 onwards, all energy concentrated on cost
cutting and 200 workers were asked to resign
•All safety systems were shut down. In 1984 the cooling
unit was shut down, which was used to bring down the
temperature of the MIC tank.

16. UCIL PLANT AFTER TRAGEDY

17. AFTER EFFECTS

19. •More than 1 lakh people were the chronic
survivors
•People faced:
1. Respiratory Problems
2. Ocular Problems
3. Reproductive Problems
4. Gastro-Intestinal Problems
5. Neurological Problems
• There was a Genetic Damage to plants
•Rivers, lakes were polluted destroying acquatic
animals and
and other animals relying on these sources
•Soil was polluted leading to

20. WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN
DONE TO AVOID
THE DISASTER?

21. THANKYOU