Major Causes of Industrial Calamities

An industrial incident is an unexpected and unpredicted happening attributed to any cause that happen to a person when he or she is engaged in an activity related to their job (FPSES, 2004). Accidents are unintended and uncontrolled events whereby an action or an object reaction, a person, a substance, or even radiation may lead to personal injuries (Chand, 2016). An industrial incident usually causes employment injury to the person. Industrial accidents includes everything from bruises and minor cuts to vast calamities that affect a huge populace. About 120 million engineering mishaps happen in the work places globally per year (Online Lawyer Source, 2017). Roughly about 210000 of such accidents end in fatalness. Mining, transportation, construction and agricultural activities are some of the industries with the highest percentage of incidents (Online Lawyer Source, 2017). Construction mishaps account for about 15 % of all calamities and around 30 % of all mortalities in industrial work settings (Online Lawyer Source, 2017). It is therefore important to research about industrial incidents, find out how they happen and what causes them. Furthermore, a study of some of the incidents that have happened will help shed more light to the topic and therefore a study of the Chernobyl incident will be discussed from the time of occurrence, the impacts and current state.

Industrial accidents happen in the workplace environs or inside the work settings. According to Reddon (2017), some of the major bases of engineering calamities might contain poor lighting, fire, trips and falls, chemical leaks, radiation and toxic gas emission. Other sources of industrial incidents may comprise of human errors, organizational errors, machine failure and abnormal operational conditions.

Major causes of Industrial Calamities

Some of the primary reasons of industrial catastrophes include

• Human errors  such as  lack of ethics by engineers, failure and accidents
• design errors and  flaws  several of which are also  result from  unethical procedures
• Equipment and machine failures
• Extreme weather  conditions
• Combinations of more than one of the reasons listed above

The Swiss Federal Institute of technology conducted a study that investigated around 800 occurrences of mechanical failure.  About 500 individuals died, 590 were injured, and a lot of money was lost. The researchers categorized the sources of failure including the following illustration 

Figure 1: Sources of industrial Incidents. (Source: Schlager & Schlager, 1994)

Most engineering incidents result in adverse untold effects including deaths, vast loss of millions of dollars, equipment failure. Some like nuclear power plants release active radioactive elements which can affect the human populace for many years for example in the case of the 1986  Chernobyl incident that saw the released  radioactive elements affect over 30000 people years after the accident. The St. Francis dam failure disaster permitted the discharge of approximately 12 billion gallons of water in massive wave surge. The result was submerged properties and land where several entire families were stuck with minute chances of being rescued. The dam failure that occurred two years after completion resulted to 45o deaths (Scott, 2012). Engineering disasters cause adverse and horrible effects to society including death of people. It is therefore pertinent that engineers take caution and abide to their code of ethics maintaining integrity and honesty in their work roles for the safety of the general public. Regular inspections also need to be performed in case of leakage and matters of concern for all engineering sites and nuclear plants.

Chernobyl Incident: Time of Occurrence, Impacts and Current State

Foreseeing and precluding industrial accidents by using specific procedures and mechanisms is the paramount method to lessen and control work disasters (Schultz, 2012).

• Nuclear plants can implement spontaneous valves that can automatically shut themselves. They can then be mounted on the inlets.  The technology uses warm air to close the valves automatically when the heat raises above the predetermined temperature levels. The spontaneous closing therefore prevents leakage of contaminated fluids or vapors from leaky outbursts (Cooney, 2013).
• According to Schultz (2012), safety inspections including audits and observations on engineering worksites should be performed regularly. By investigating the work office assessment data, businesses are able to foresee situations with high accuracy rates. With this kind of information then, the businesses are therefore able to direct their assets to localities with the maximum risk of safety incidents.
• Scientific and technological advances can assist in disaster reduction. It is possible to reduce workplace disasters by applying technological advances (United Nations, 2017).

 In Ukraine, April 1986 the Chernobyl Power Plant exploded. The explosion triggered the spread of huge amounts of dangerous radioactive elements into the air which then spread over Russia and Europe.. Chernobyl power plan comprised of four reactors that were using the Reaktor Bolshoy Moshchnosty kanalny (RBMK) 1000 design lying approximately 130 km in Kiev, Ukraine. In between 1970 and 1977, units 1 and 2 were created. The third and the fourth units using a similar design were concluded in 1983. During the time of the accident, more than one RBMK devices were still under construction.  About 350,000 individuals were displaced and emigrated from the contaminated areas (The Engineering, 2013). The catastrophe originated in the course of a system test when a power surge transpired trailed by a crisis blackout and a huge power outage. Reactor containers shattered with steam outbursts. The graphite moderator was uncovered mixing with the air and then spiking ignition. The subsequent fire generated a cloud of extremely radioactive upshot into the atmosphere over a wide and extensive geographical area. The Chernobyl incident is among the most horrible energy incidents in history. It is estimated that above 31 and not more than 64 deaths are directly ascribed to the incident, with estimations of above 4,000 deaths resulting from high levels of radiation exposure. Amongst those living in the broader topographical zones, about 30,000 were affected resulting to closely a million untimely cancer deaths. The figure below shows the impaired reactor structure. 

 

Figure 2: The damaged Chernobyl unit 4 reactor building.

[Source: World Nuclear Association]

Major industrial incidents are caused by unsafe acts and conditions. There are many causes of industrial accidents including insufficient protection, slippery floors, temperature exposure, and insufficient protection while using machinery or risky tools, unsteady structures, problems with electricity, machine failure or malfunctioning and many others. Other reasons of industrial incidents involving hazardous acts may comprise of failure to perform as required which resulting to injury. This is usually caused by staff carelessness though organizations, proprietors, and producers could also be responsible for industrial calamities. Industrial mishaps may occur in the work settings. Outward causes that cause   engineering calamities can include chemical slicks, fire, radiation or poisonous air emissions. These can be caused by human errors, natural disasters, machine failures or   abnormal operational conditions. Internal factors that may cause industrial accidents include human errors, toxic chemicals and equipment malfunction. The Chernobyl reactor was graphite qualified and air-conditioned by water. According to World Nuclear Association (2016), the explosion could have been caused by political factors, design errors, management faults and errors by the operational staff.

Engineering Ethics and the Prevention of Future Disasters

The Chernobyl incident instigated a huge unrestrained radioactive discharge in the environment.  Huge quantities of radioactive elements were unconfined into the air for approximately 10 days. This resulted to severe disruption of the social and economic factors for the populace in Russia, Belarus and Ukraine (World Nuclear Association, 2016). Several European countries were affected by the radioactive pollution.  The most affected countries were Belarus, Ukraine and the Russian Federation. The released radionuclides slowly decomposed and progressed within the atmospheric, terrestrial, aquatic, and urban environments (Chernobyl Forum Expert Group, 2006). The unconstrained unconfined components was dumped in form of dust.  Lighter elements were carried away by wind over the atmosphere and other neighboring European countries. According to  report done by the Chernobyl Forum Expert Group (2006), the subsequent environmental contamination involving radioactive elements resulted to the  displacement  of more than  100 000 individuals and  relocation of about  200 000 individuals from Russia, Belarus  and Ukraine. The accident shattered the Chernobyl 4 reactor, resulting to the death of 30 operatives in a span of 3 months.  Several additional deaths followed later. A single individual person died immediately and a second one was deceased in a hospice from injuries (World Nuclear Association, 2016).

In the city centres including streets, lawns, roads, parks, roofs and walls were polluted with radionuclides. Dry conditions became even more contaminated. Wet surface areas including soils and lawns got the maximum pollution. Vegetation and wild animals in and mountain areas and forests displayed principally high radiocaesium rates. The radionuclides from the incident polluted surface water systems in the surrounding areas as well as in several other parts of Europe.

Today, unit 4 of Chernobyl is now walled in a big solid housing which was quickly set up to let operations of the other reactors at the plant continue. Nevertheless, the erection is not durable or strong. The International Shelter Implementation Plan (1990) raised money for counteractive work comprising the elimination of the materials containing fuel. Specific major tasks on the housing was carried out by 1999. The shelter poses a conservational threat till safer containment as about 200 tons of extremely radioactive elements were left over deep within. However, a safe detention building was due to be finalized in 2017 (World Nuclear Association, 2016).   

Figure 3: Chernobyl New Safe Confinement under construction.

[Source: World Nuclear Association]

The main role of an engineer is to respond to a necessity by constructing something following a particular set of guiding principles that perform a specified functionality (National Society of Professional Engineers, 2017). Engineers are therefore required to parade the high standards of decency and integrity since the engineering industry directly affects the quality of life for everyone. Every so often, a deficit in the engineering ethics has been found to be a major cause of an engineering failure. As professionals, engineers have a responsibility to their profession, clients, employers and the entire populace to execute their roles as thoroughly as possible. This usually goes beyond just performing within law limits. Ethical engineers elude conflicts of interest, do not misrepresent their skills and knowledge base and always acts in the best interests of humanity.

• Skilled Engineers are liable for getting knowledge from various sources to advance solutions to compound difficulties and issues, and ensuring that mechanical and non-technical concerns are suitably incorporated, for managing risks and sustainability.
• Professional Engineers have obligations to ensure that all phases of a given project are properly based in theoretical and essential principles, and understanding how fresh improvements recount to conventional procedures and interact with other disciplines.
• Engineers are also responsible for deducing technical prospects to the society, organizations and government; and making sure that policies are correctly conversant with such opportunities and concerns. They should also ensure that project costs, threats and boundaries are accurately understood as the required products.

The Abilities and Components of Competency characterize the job’s manifestation of the engineering application capabilities, skill base and knowledge, attitudes, values and professional skills that should be confirmed when one is entering the practice (The Institution of Engineers Australia, 2017). Proficient Engineers are required to take responsibility for engineering projects in the most important sense including dependable operating of all components, sub-systems, materials, and technologies that are used; and how they integrate to form whole, maintainable and self-consistent structures; also including all interactions amid the technical system and it functions (Engineers Australia). A professional engineer should understand client requirements, stakeholders and the society; and should work to optimize economic, social and environmental outcomes during the entire lifetime of the product engineering. Expert engineers are accountable for conveying information and understanding from manifold sources in order to improve resolutions to difficult challenges and matters. This ensures that practical and non-technical contemplations are appropriately assimilated, and ensures risk management as well as project sustainability. Engineers should therefore apply the following

• Knowledge and skill base – to a large extent, engineers must have a broad understanding of the supporting physical and natural sciences including the engineering fundamentals applicable to the industry.
• Professional and personal attributes – engineers should uphold ethical conduct and uphold professional accountability
• Engineering application ability – engineers should demonstrate confidence in applying engineering tools, techniques and resources. 

Despite the fact that the research met its objectives, the researchers did not ample time to perform a thorough research. The researcher therefore identifies that more research needs to be done in the future.

Conclusion

Engineering is a very important industry since it plays a major role in the society. With the society advancing to more bigger and huge buildings, construction has also widened. It is therefore important that all the necessary steps involving engineering analysis, designs, and implementations should be done cautiously and with skills and knowledge. Concerned engineers and operatives should ensure adherence to professional ethics and should not ne involved in conflicts of interests at the expense of quality. Industrial incidents should be avoided at all costs to ensure healthy and safe working and living conditions for all.

The researcher recommend that Engineering industries implement measures of predicting and preventing future disasters that might occur in the environment by

• Performing regular audits and inspections in engineered work sites
• Using science and technology monitoring systems to alert and detect faults engineering sites and situations
• Ensuring the engineers and other operatives working in engineering sites adhere strictly to engineering code of ethics and practices
• Crosschecking the analysis and design phases of engineering to ensure god  quality designs 

References

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Industrial Accidents: Types and Causes of Accidents (explained with diagram)

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https://www.dssu.qc.ca/wp-content/uploads/What-to-do-after-an-industrial-accident.pdf

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https://www.nspe.org/resources/ethics/code-ethics

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https://www.onlinelawyersource.com/industrial-accidents/causes/

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https://reliableplant.com/Read/30411/workplace-accidents-causes

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https://www.brighthubengineering.com/hydraulics-civil-engineering/116882-st-francis-dam-california-disaster/

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