CONSEQUENCES OF DECISIONS IN THE INDUSTRY

Lady Jazmin Bello Rocha

May 23, 2019

The chemical industry created to improve the quality of life of people and it used to produce
solutions to problems in areas such as pharmaceutical, agricultural, fuel, etc. It may have
the opposite effect, if you do not take into account in the creation and operation of the
processes, factors such as economic, social, environmental and security. An example of this
is the chemical catastrophe that occurred in Bhopal in 1984 due to the leakage of a toxic
gas which it caused death of more than 600,000 people and health injuries to 30,000. This
factory had the function of producing an herbicide called SERVIN which it helped to retain
pests such as aphids and moths around the world, this helped a large population of farmers
who they lost their crops. For India, a country in which its population is growing, and poverty
rates are very high, this product was a solution not only for the peasants but also at the
labor level for the Bhopal population.

Understanding the context of this terrible accident will show us the factors that influenced
what it happened. In 1957 the entomologists Harry Haynes and Herbert Moorefield and the
chemist Joseph Lambrecht developed the SERVIN, a non-toxic herbicide that it was
eliminating the main pests that infest the fields such as cotton, corn and rice, as well as, it
could replace the DDT (highly toxic herbicide). The SERVIN was started to be produced by
Unión Carbide in a facility in South Charleston, united states, with a production capacity of
30,000 tons per year that exported to around 40 countries. However, this process had to be
under strict safety levels due to the dangerous substances with which it handled, since the
main compound of SERVIN was methyl isocyanate (MIC) produced of the reaction of Gas
phosgene and Monomethylamine is one of the most toxic compounds at industrial level.

In 1966 due to the great difficulties that India had with pests in the rice crops that it was
leading the peasants to extreme poverty, it was decided to use the SERVIN as an herbicide.
For which Corbide sends one of its best commercial promoters, Eduardo Muñoz, who he
agrees to send 1200 tons and the construction of a plant in the next 5 years. Hence Bhopal
is chosen as the location of the plant due to its centrality, good transportation and cheap
labor. However, India had climatic uncertainties and persistent droughts that it may sharply
reduced demand and it prevented a regular output of the products according to the
Muñoz’s commercial calculations. These provided for an annual sale of two thousand tons
which was against the ambitions of Corbide that it was five thousand tons. Muñoz proposes
as a solution, the implementation of a factory that it works only in periods in which there is
a need for SERVIN in the sales network, in order to avoid the storage of huge quantities of
MIC which it was required in a continuous production, but this request was denied. This
being the first fault.
Subsequently, the esplanade was chosen as location for the plant, which it is close to Bhopal
city and in which the formulation building was kept. This was close to the shanty towns
where the poorest population of the city is located and where the Nadar family is located,
one of many displaced by poverty in the fields and lack of work, but also one of those that
It is benefited by the arrival of the "beautiful factory" in the region and they see in this a
light of hope to they improve their quality of life.

After its construction, the families of the shanty towns are the first to notice the toxic leaks.
The death of cattle is the first sign that the security system is failing. As the years go by, the
situation worsens and, due to droughts, the sales of SERVIN diminish causing an economic
crisis in the plant. In 1983 Chakravarty and Mukund directors of the plant began to make
budget cuts, reductions of approximately one thousand jobs are made amount operators,
technicians and specialists, they leaving less than half of the jobs, the budget for
maintenance was also reduced, such as change of valves, change of materials etc., Finally,
it was decided not to operate the factory and only produce for certain periods. All these
changes influenced that the people in charge of the plant did not have good security systems
or the knowledge necessary for their management.

By December 3 of 1984, the plant was not operating, so the cooling and control systems
were disconnected in the event of leaks, without considering the 60 tons of methyl
isocyanate stored which it caused a reaction and leakage of this toxic cloud.

Finally, we can conclude that a catastrophe of this magnitude is built with the sum of bad
decisions, which can start from the design to the operation of a process, so we as engineers,
we must analyze every decision we make and it not only from the technical point of view,
but also social, environmental, economic and security. As we must develop a critical nature
on the risk factors that it can be had and how to deal with them.