The Bhopal tragedy: Its influence on process and community safety as practiced in the United States

Document Type

Conference Proceeding

Publication Date

7-1-2005

Abstract

The chemical accident at 12:45 AM on December 3, 1984 in Bhopal India had a profound effect on the practice of chemical process safety in the United States. Fearing the possibility of similar events occurring in the United States, the United States Congress convened several hearings and investigations into the causes of the disaster. The inquiries focused both on the state of process safety within the US chemical industry and on the readiness of communities located near chemical operations to respond to sudden and dangerous toxic discharges. Of equal significance were concerns over the safety of workers in chemical plants. This paper reviews the major legislative, academic, and industrial changes initiated in the area of process safety after the event, their influence on saving lives, and on improving living conditions surrounding chemical complexes in the United States. © 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Publication Title

Journal of Loss Prevention in the Process Industries

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