MAN- MADE DISASTERS
MAN-MADE DISASTERS
Man-made disasters can include hazardous material spills, fires, groundwater contamination, transportation accidents, structure failures, mining accidents, explosions and acts of terrorism. There are actions that we can take to prepare to react appropriately to these events. The key to acting appropriately to these man-made threats is to find out what you need to do and what you need to have in advance of a man-made emergency and to prepare to respond appropriately.
Hazardous Material Incidents
Hazardous materials are chemicals that if accidentally released can cause damage to the environment and health. Many chemicals that used in industry, agriculture, medical research, and in our homes can become hazardous if properly used. Many hazardous materials are transported by rail or road and can be subject to accidental release.
Terrorism
No one is immune from terrorism. Terrorism can come from outside the United States (911) or it can be the result of the actions of other Americans (the Oklahoma City Bombing). Terrorism is designed to disrupt our lives and to scare us into making changes in our national goals. Terrorism does not always have to mean large number of causalities but as we have seen, terrorism can result in large numbers of deaths.
- The Bhopal disaster of 1984 has been called the worst industrial accident in history.
- The Gulf War oil spill in 1991 was the largest oil spill.
- The Camp Fire of 2018 was California's deadliest wildfire.
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Gas leaks tend to be some of the most dangerous disasters, because they seem innocuous until it’s too late. Gas can directly and indirectly poison people and the environment — spreading rapidly, being unobserved, potentially igniting, causing death. Unfortunately, gas leaks are preventable man-made disasters that stem from the world’s expanding reliance on gas. These disasters have resulted in an egregious amount of deaths.
The most serious gas leak occurred in Bhopal, India in 1984. Known as the Bhopal Gas Tragedy, it began with the leakage of methyl isocyanide (MIC), a colorless gas used in pesticides, from the Union Carbide of India Ltd. The gas formed a deadly cloud causing severe body irritation, coughing, lung swelling, bleeding, and even death from direct concentrated inhalation. It killed roughly 5,000 people, affected 50,000 more people, and left at least 1,000 blind.
Oil Spills
Oil spills are some of the most familiar man-made disasters, devastating to people, the environment, animals and global socioeconomics.
2010 saw the worst and largest oil spill: the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico. A sudden explosion on a BP oilrig not only ruptured a pipe, but left the well unregulated. The explosion killed 11 workers and injured 17 others. The underwater well leaked 40,000 to 162,000 barrels of oil a day into the Gulf until it was capped a full 89 days later. A disaster of this proportion makes it difficult to measure the amount of environmental damage, but it can be assumed to be quite extensive. Gulf fishing has not rebounded, large amounts of oil are still present, the surrounding environments have been choked to death, and at least 3,500 volunteers suffered liver and kidney damage from prolonged contact with the oil.
Besides the Deepwater spill, there have been 44 other oil spills globally since 1969.
Nuclear Meltdown
While nuclear energy is clean and sustainable, the consequences of a meltdown can be devastating and wide reaching.
One of the most famous nuclear meltdowns occurred in Chernobyl, Ukraine in 1986. One of the reactors in the power plant exploded, resulting in more fallout than the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombs combined. While 350,000 people were evacuated from the surrounding area, nearly 500,000 workers labored to end the meltdown, 31 of which died during the attempt.
Industrial Fires
Fires may be natural or man-made, depending on what originally caused the disaster. Lightning may cause a natural fire, but leaked gas or faulty mechanical equipment is considered a man-made cause.
For example, in 1944 leaked gas from a Cleveland gas company found its way into a sewer, where it ignited. The explosion blew manholes into the air and ignited funnels of fire, which set homes on fire. The disaster ended with 130 dead and many more homeless.
In 1991, a food chicken processing plant in North Carolina saw 25 deaths due to a fire caused by a faulty hydraulic piece. This fire was particularly eye-opening as the workers would have survived were it not for fire doors that were locked. The plant had operated for 11 years without submitting to a safety inspection. Hot work is one of the leading causes of industrial fires across all industries. Although hot work is commonly equated with welding and torch cutting, there are many other activities — including brazing, burning, heating, and soldering — that pose a fire hazard.
"OUR WORLD HAS NOW BECOME SO DANGEROUSE THAT WE CANNOT EVEN BREATH THE AIR FEARLESSLY." Lets try our best to Reduce these MAN-MADE disasters to the MAXIMUM.
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