MAJOR ACCIDENT HAZARDS CONTROL – A NATIONAL
PRESPECTIVE
1. INTRODUCTION
More emphasis on efficiency, production,
growth and progress puts a strong
commercial pressure on the chemical
industry to use modern technology, large
size plants, larger inventory of materials and
faster processes of production. In order to
meet the demand and keep the production
costs as low as possible, many large
processing and storage plants have been
constructed and complex processes
developed which sometimes operate under
extreme processing conditions. Of all the
industries, chemical, petorchemical and
allied industries have tbe potential of
causing major accident hazards leading to
serious consequences to the plant
installations and neighbouring community.
Proliferation of human settlements
surroundings such industrial nuclei cause
serious concern for human safety, protection
of other life, property and the environment.
Today industrialisation is no more viewed
as a harmless tool for progress and
prosperity. The world’s worst industrial
tragedy of Bhopal, recent fire in a refinery
in Visakhapatnam and several other
incidents involving release of toxic and
flammable gases in different parts of the
country have raised considerable doubts in
the minds of public about the safety and
reliability of chemical process industry.
Therefore, a strong need was felt necessary
that the existing system of safety should be
strengthened and a nationwide awareness
and competence building developed to
contain major emergencies arising out of
industrial accidents.
2. MEASURES TAKEN BY THE
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
Before the Bhopal tragedy and also as an
aftermath of it, a series of legislative and
organisational measures have been instituted
by the Government of India to control major
accidents and safeguard public life and
property from hazards of the chemical
industry.
2.1 Legislative Measures
The concern of the Government of India has
been reflected in amending the Factories
Act, 1948 in 1987 and enacting the
Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. The
following are the main three objectives of
the amendments besides strengthening many
other provisions of the Factories Act – (a) to
regulate the location of hazardous process
industry in such a manner that it does not
cause adverse effects to its neighbourhood;
(b) to involve workers in safety
management; and (c) to provide measures
for safe handling of hazardous substances.
Clause(iv) of Sub-Section 3(2) of the
Environment (Protection) Act lays emphasis
on the responsibility of the Central
Government for prescribing procedures and
safeguards for prevention of accidents
which may cause substantial damage to life
and to take remedial measures in case of
such emergencies. In view of this, an inter-
Ministerial Working Group was constituted
in October, 1986 by the Government of
India to discuss various related issues and
recommend necessary policies and
procedures for implementation.
Subsequently the following regulations
came into effect :
v The Manufacture, Storage and Import
of Hazardous Chemicals (MSIHC)
Rules, 1989 and its amendments in
1990 and 1994.
v The Chemical Accidents (Emergency
Planning, Preparedness and Response)
Rules, 1996.
v The Hazardous Wastes (Management
& Handling) Rules, 1989.
v The Environment Impact Assessment
Notification, 1994
The above Rules outline the role and
responsibilities for prevention and control of
major accident hazards by various Central
and State Government agencies and the
community.
v The Public Liability Insurance Act,
1991 and Amendment, 1992.
Some important provisions of the MSIHC
Rules, 1989 are –
Notification of sites, notification of major
accidents by the occupiers; preparation and
filing of safety report and safety audits by
occupiers; preparation of on-site and off-site
emergency plans; and collection,
development and dissemination of
information on hazardous chemicals.
The responsibility of emergency
management has been delegated to the
occupiers of the concerned for installation
preparation and the implementation of on-
site emergency plan and the District
Collector concerned for the preparation and
implementation of off-site emergency plans.
2.2 Establishment of a Major Accident
Hazards Control System in India:
Role of DGFASLI
The Ministry of Labour, Government of
India with the technical assistance of ILO
implemented a project on “Establishment
and Initial Operation of a Major Accident
Hazards Control System in India” during
1987-1991, initially in 12 States/U.Ts
through the Directorate General Factory
Advice Service & Labour Institutes
(DGFASLI). Important achievements of the
project are –
v Setting up under DGFASLI a three-tier
Major Accident Hazards Control
Advisory Division in Central Labour
Institute (CLI), Mumbai and its cells in
the Regional Labour Institutes,
Calcutta, Chennai and Kanpur.
v Identification of Major Accident
Hazard (MAH) Installations in
different States and Union
Territories and bringing them under
a programme of intensive
inspection.
v Establishing Computerised Data
Bank at CLI for storage, retrieval
and dissemination of information on
hazardous chemicals, MAH
installations, specialists on MAH
Control, Major Accidents, CIS
Database on OSH etc. The Data
Bank has two softwares WHAZAN
and TNO for calculation of physical
effects and consequence of release
of toxic and flammable chemicals.
v Expansion of the Factory Inspection
Services and enhancing their
capabilities through setting up of
laboratories and training of
inspectors.
v Training of the inspection and
advisory staff and key personnel
from industry to develop their
competence on HAZOP study, Risk
Assessment, Safety Audit, etc.
v Training of the inspection and
advisory staff and key personnel
from industry to develop their
competence on HAZOP study, Risk
Assessment, Safety Audit, etc.
v Extended the system of MAHC to
the port sector.
The project had succeeded in enhancing
general awareness of major accident hazards
control system at the national level and it is
now widely accepted and well-understood
by the policy makers, regulatory agencies,
industry and trade unions.
2.3 Identification of MAH
Factories/Installations
MAH Factories/Installations in India have
been identified based on specified
substances and their threshold quantities as
per the MSIHC Rules, 1989. As on date,
there are 1,212 MAH factories and 127
hazardous chemicals in those units. The
state-wise distribution of the MAH
factories, hazardous chemicals and on-site
emergency plans is shown in Annex.
2.3 Formation of Crisis Groups
Government of India launched a programme
of pocket-wise industrial hazard
identification and risk analysis with the
objective of risk reduction and development
of risk minimisation plans for MAH
installations in identified industrial pockets
in the country. This would enable the
Government to arrive at an acceptable and
pragmatic delineation of vulnerable zones
and develop suitable off-site emergency
plans.
A Scheme is under formulation for giving
training for first level responders of
emergencies. DGFASLI, has also been
requested to formulate the scheme.
The Government of India also initiated a
project for Nation-wide training of
personnel on Chemical Safety and
Emergency Preparedness.
All these measures taken by the Government
of India have succeeded in bringing about
an awareness at the national level in
industrial management and employers’ and
employees’ associations. But there is a need
for further percolation of the message to all
levels and all persons connected with
industry. This is possible only with the co-
operation and involvement of everyone in
the society.
2.6 Role of Industrial Management
In controlling major accident hazards it is
the industry to take a lead as they have the
means to prevent and control any major
incident at its source and at the inception
stage. The action at the individual
enterprise level is the ultimate objective of
the control system and its success will no
doubt be proportional with the extent of the
preventive measures taken. There has been
a considerable progress in the safety
management systems in the chemical
industry after the enactment of different
statutes. However, there are many areas
where management should put more efforts
to provide total safety and minimisation of
loss. Some of the important action areas are
- Hazard Communication System
- Risk Assessment in terms of damage
distances for various identified scenarios
- Operation and Maintenance of plant
- Emergency plans and mock drills
- Safety training
- Management Information System
2.7 Management Information System in
MAH Factories/Installations
In prevention and control of major accidents
adequate information regarding the
properties and characteristics of chemicals,
past experience such as the unwanted
emissions, their causes and control measures
adopted in similar units plays a vital role.
Therefore, in addition to analysing all the
incidents leading to major or minor
emissions, finding out the causes and
control measures adopted in similar units
plays a vital role. Therefore, in addition to
analysing all the incidents leading to major
or minor emissions, finding out the causes
and taking corrective actions, the
information must be categorised, indexed
and stored properly for retrieval, when
needed at short notice, for use of the plant
authorities and advising the District
Emergency Authorities in taking proper
action for any off-site emergency situations.
Such information should be regarding the
topography, the population surrounding the
installations, dispersion models worked out
for various chemicals constituting major
hazard for various weather conditions etc.
2.8 Role of NGOs/Voluntary
organisations
MAH installations in India are spread
throughout the country. Naturally the
control of hazards and emergency
response may sometimes become a
difficult task by the Government alone.
NGOs and voluntary organisations can
play a major role in this respect. Areas
where these can render their services are:
v Information, education,
communica-tion and mass-
awareness program-mme,
v Co-ordination with the ANNEX
District/Local Authorities in
emergency management STATE-WISE DISTRIBUTION OF
programme, and NUMBERS OF MAH FACTORIES,
HAZARDOUS CHEMICALS AND ON-
SITE EMERGENCY PLANS
v Rehabilitation and Reconstruction.
The Government of India is STATE MAH HAZARDOUS ON-SITE
encouraging NGOs and voluntary FACTORIES CHEMICALS EMER-
GENCY
organisations to take active part by PLANS
providing financial and technical
ANDHRA PRADESH 82 41 80
support. ASSAM 11 15 8
BIHAR 12 10 0
2.9 Community Involvement DELHI 15 5 15
GOA 6 8 5
GUJARAT 260 56 89
Community involvement of the HARAYANA 16 7 16
JAMMU & 7 4 0
community cannot be ignored while KASHMIR
planning for emergencies having KARNATAKA 34 11 34
potential for off-site consequences. A KERALA 31 20 28
MAHARASHTRA 322 57 249
good deal of interactions among the MADHYA PRADESH 73 16 71
industry, local authorities and NAGLAND 1 1 1
ORISSA 20 20 20
community is essential for drawing up an PONDICHERRY 7 3 7
emergency plan that works. By PUNJAB 31 8 27
involving community much of the RAJASTHAN 90 23 61
TAMIL NADU 86 34 86
misconceptions in public will also UTTAR PRADESH 43 13 23
disappear when they know what the WEST BENGAL 65 25 58
industry uses and manufactures, that it
has a good safety plan and safety 1. HAZARD & OPERABILITY
records, and that an effective emergency STUDY OF LPG STORAGE &
plan exists. HANDLING FACILITIES IN AN
AUTOMOBILE PARTS
3. CONCLUSION
MANUFACT-URING FACTORY
Manufacture and storage of hazardous
substances with a potential for major A HAZOP study of LPG storage and
accidents has become a matter of deep handling facilities in an automobile parts
concern to the Government, industry and manufacturing factory was conducted by the
public. The Government has taken several Major Accident Hazards Control Advisory
legislative and administrative measures to Division of the Central Labour Institute,
prevent and control major accidents. What Mumbai. Its objective was to critically
is needed today is an assurance from the examine the processes/operations and
occupiers of MAH installations that they engineering intentions and assess the hazard
have correctly identified and evaluated all potential due to maloperation and/or
the hazards, and taken adequate control malfunction of the individual items of
measures to prevent major accidents. This equipment/component available in the LPG
will greatly help in instilling a sense of storage facility. LPG is used as fuel in the
confidence in the public and community melting and holding furnaces and in laddle
preheater.

The HAZOP study covered the following

sections of the storage and handling
facilities :