Technological and industrial disasters are two of the most important man-made disasters that can occur as a result of misuse of technology or accidents in industry. These disasters have no predictability as they can occur suddenly due to human error, lack of proper safety measures or training. Some of the worst technological/industrial disasters include the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy, the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster, and fires and explosions at industrial sites. Chemical, nuclear, biological, and industrial accidents pose major risks if safety procedures are not followed.

1. Man Made
Disasters
Sanchit Kanwar
IX-B
Roll No-25
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2. Most important man made disasters are technological and industrial. Both of
these occur as a result of misuse of technology, accidents etc. All the
technological innovations have some risk which may cause hazards. Both of
these disasters have no predictability as they occur suddenly. These are mostly
attributed to human error. The causes of technological and industrial disasters
may be lack of proper installations, lack of adequate training, lack of awareness,
lack of safety measures, deactivation of safety system, sabotage from inside or
outside. From the technological hazard point of view, 1984 was the worst
year(Bhopal tragedy).
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3. CHEMICAL
INDUSTRIAL
FIRE
NUCLEAR
BIOLOGICAL

4.  CHEMICAL
 Chemicals can be corrosive, toxic, and they may react, often explosively.
 By their nature, the manufacture, storage, and transport of chemicals are accidents waiting to happen.
 The impacts of chemical accidents can be deadly, for both human being and environment.
 Chemical disasters are also caused by industrial accidents.
Eg:Bhopal gas tragedy(1984)
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5. NUCLEAR
A nuclear explosion is an explosion that occurs as a result of the rapid release of
energy from a high-speed nuclear reaction. The driving reaction may be nuclear
fission, nuclear fusion or a multistage cascading combination of the two, though to
date all fusion based weapons have used a fission device to initiate fusion, and
a pure fusion weapon remains a hypothetical device.
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6. INDUSTRIAL
Industrial disasters or accidents, which are disasters caused by industrial companies,
either by accident, negligence or incompetence. They are a from of industrial
accident where great damage, injury or loss of life are caused.
Other disasters can also be considered industrial disasters, if their causes are rooted
in the products or processes of industry.
Eg: Great Chicago fire(1871, October 10).

7. BIOLOGICAL DISASTER
 These are referred as poor man’s nuclear bomb as these are easy to
manufacture, transport and have the ability to kill hundreds and thousands
of people.
 They are delivered using dusting airplanes or small perfumes atomizers. They
have ability to generate immediate effects.
 1)Sverdlovsk Anthrax Leak, Russia (1979)
2) Anthrax Attack, USA (2001)
3) Plague bacilli Attack, China (1932-45)
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8. A few virus which can be used for biological
disasters:-
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9. FIRE
Fire is caused when a source of fire like naked flame, cigarette , electric spark or any
source of ignition comes into contact with inflammable material. Bush fires, forest
fires, and mine fires are generally started by lightning, but also by human negligence
or arson. They can burn thousands of square kilometers. If a fire intensifies enough to
produce its own winds and "weather", it will form into a firestorm. A good example of
a mine fire is the one near Centralia, Pennsylvania. Started in 1962, it ruined the town
and continues to burn today. Some of the biggest city-related fires are The Great
Chicago Fire, The Peshtigo Fire (both of 1871) and the Great Fire of London in 1666.
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10. Bhopal disaster
The Bhopal disaster, also referred to as the Bhopal gas tragedy, was a gas
leak incident in India, considered the world’s worst industrial disaster. It
occurred on the night of 2–3 December 1984 at the Union carbide India
limited (UCIL) pesticide plant in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. Over 500,000
people were exposed to methyl isocyanate gas and other chemicals.
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11. Chernobyl disaster
The Chernobyl disaster was a catastrophic nuclear
accident that occurred on 26 April 1986 at the Chernobyl
nuclear power plant in Ukraine (then officially the Ukrainian
SSR), which was under the direct jurisdiction of the central
authorities of the soviet union. An explosion and fire released
large quantities of radioactive particles into the atmosphere,
which spread over much of the western USSR and Europe.
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12. Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
The atomic bombings of the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan were conducted by
the United States during the final stages of world war 2 in August 1945. To date the two
bombings are the only instance of the use of nuclear weapons in wartime.
Following a firebombing campaign that destroyed many Japanese cities, the allies prepared for
a costly invasion of japan. The war in Europe ended when Nazi Germany signed its instrument
of surrender on May 8, 1945, but the pacific war continued. Together with the United Kingdom
and china, the United States called for the unconditional surrender of the Japanese armed
forces in the Potsdam declaration on July 26, 1945
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13. Endosulfan
Endosulfan is an off-patent organ chlorine insecticide and acaridae that
is being phased out globally. The two isomers, endo and exo, are known
popularly as I and II. Endosulfan sulfate is a product of oxidation
containing one extra O atom attached to the S atom. Endosulfan became
a highly controversial agrichemical due to its acute toxicity, potential
for bioaccumulation, and role as an endocrine disruptor. Because of its
threats to human health and the environment, a global ban on the
manufacture and use of Endosulfan was negotiated under the Stockholm
convention in April 2011.

14. Fukushima nuclear disaster
The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster was a catastrophic failure at
the fukushima nuclear power plant on 11 March 2011.
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15. For informative purpose
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