Editorial: Keeping Bhopal Relevant for the Next Generation of Engineers

Nearly 40 years ago, thousands of people died when a pesticide plant in Bhopal, India, accidentally released an estimated 28 tons of methyl isocyanate gas into the atmosphere. The Bhopal gas tragedy, which took place on Dec. 2–3, 1984, is known as the worst industrial disaster in history. Although the immediate death toll was somewhere around 5,000, it is estimated that the accident caused 20,000 deaths or more in the long term. Decades later, hundreds of thousands of survivors can attribute health issues to the gas leak.

Bhopal was a catalyzing event; it forced the chemical process industries to prioritize process safety management. The organizations that were founded — such as the Center for Chemical Process Safety (CCPS) — and regulations that were enacted in the wake of Bhopal established much of the process safety guidance that keeps workers and communities safe today. “As an engineer who was practicing well before formal process safety programs existed, I can vividly see the improvements that have been made across all facets of process safety,” recounts John Herber in his column on pp. 22–24.

I’m sure many readers can recall hearing about the accident the day after it occurred. Perhaps the event caused you to question the efficacy of the process safety systems in your facility. For readers who were not around in 1984, however, the Bhopal tragedy may feel more abstract — an accident that happened far away in a bygone era. But process safety incidents are still happening, even in relatively wealthy nations around the globe.

I first heard about Bhopal in college as part of a process safety course. The course focused on technical specifics — for example, understanding the hazards of chemical reactivity, overpressure, and dust explosions. It didn’t review any accidents that had occurred and gave little real context about what could go wrong in a chemical plant. I remember the professor solemnly mentioning Bhopal as an example of a flaring system failure. A few students nodded in understanding, but for other students, like myself, the reference didn’t land. Based on the professor’s tone, Bhopal was clearly an important event. Curious, I googled Bhopal later that evening and read about the tragedy while sitting in my dorm room.

I was surprised that the event isn’t as well-known as other significant disasters in history, like Chernobyl or the Deepwater Horizon. Today, it seems as if few people outside the industrial sector know about Bhopal. Sharing information about Bhopal is, therefore, of utmost importance. The article “The Bhopal Gas Tragedy — Part II: Pumps” (pp. 48–53) is part of a series that is reiterating the lessons learned from Bhopal for a wide audience — especially for those who may be unaware of what happened 40 years ago. If you work with undergraduates or young professionals, I encourage you to share this three-part series with them.

To commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Bhopal gas tragedy and reinforce industry’s commitment to process safety, CCPS and other organizations are hosting the International Process Safety Week, to be held Dec. 2–6 online. The event will feature webinars, discussions, and case studies to share safety knowledge. For more information, read the article on p. 15.

Keeping the lessons learned from Bhopal top-of-mind and relevant is a crucial part of instilling a sense of vulnerability in tomorrow’s process safety leaders.

Emily Petruzzelli, Editor-in-Chief