Disaster Management Solutions

INTRODUCTION
Industrial hazards consist of four principle hazards. This is because industries employ many different processes involving a wide range of different raw materials, intermediates, waste products and final products. The hazards encountered are fire, explosion, toxic release and environmental damage.

The responsibility for disaster management is spread across a plethora of organizations and institutions; therefore, coordination and integration becomes an uphill task. In order to build a safer and disaster-resilient world, it is imperative to develop a holistic, proactive and technologydriven strategy for multi-disaster management. Information and Communications Technology (ICT) can play a critical role in managing natural and human-made disasters, thereby reducing the vulnerability of the citizens to these calamities.

Literature review
Globalization has influenced trade all over the world; companies have looked for new opportunities In this era of open global market economy, hazardous industries are playing a decisive role in the economic development and in the advancement of the economy, but simultaneously they are causing the problem of risk to human life and environment. The developing countries like India suffer from the acute problem of environmental pollution. Industrial disaster means threats to people and life support system caused by mass production of goods and servicesexceed human coping capabilities and the environments absorptive capacities Industrial accidents and hazards have become the order of the day with new technologies evolving everyday and few people knowing how to use these technologies. This dangerous trend is prevalent more so in the developing countries, not to say that this does not happen in developed societies. India has been a country which has been at the receiving end of industrial hazards since the 1980s. It all started with the tragic Bhopal Gas Tragedy and then the oleum gas leak in Delhi caused by Sriram Industries but sadly we have not learnt our lessons from these incidents, with the result that even today we continue to face industrial hazards, cases in point being the recent gas leaks in Mumbai and Bengals Durgapur district, not to forget the equally tragic situation of people affected by the Mayapuri radioactive scrap deal. In this article, we will first try to understand the definition of industrial hazard, then go on to talk about each industrial hazard mentioned above and in what way can we prevent such incidents from taking place in the future.

CAUSES Lack of knowledge

Many persons in the country and primarily persons close to the industrial estate are unaware of the actual dangers they face on a daily basis. Although it has been said may times, persons continue to ignore this because a disaster of catastrophic scale has not occurred before at the estate and companies boast of the low probability of such an incident. From a domestic point of view, person using everyday product like degreasers, disinfectants, bleach, lubricants (WD40, PR40), paints, thinners, acids (concrete cleaner) must be careful as most of these products affect the skin

FIRE
This is the most frequent of the hazards however the consequences are generally less. The effect of fire on people usually takes the form of skin burns and is usually dependant on the exposure time and the intensity of the heat. Fire can also produce toxic fumes like Acrolein, Carbon

monoxide and Cyanides. Physical structures can be damaged either by the intensity of the heat or combustion. It may also have an effect on essential services like power and instrumentation which can cause an escalation of the incident

EXPLOSION
Explosions are usually heard from far away as a bang. This is the result of a sho ck wave. This overpressure can kill people but usually the indirect effects of collapsing buildings, flying glass and debris causes far more loss of life and severe injuries. There are different types of explosions which include gas explosions and dust explosions. Gas explosions occur when a flammable gas mixes with air and is exposed to an ignition source. Dust explosions occur when flammable solids, especially metals, in the form of fine powders are intensively mixed with air and ignited.

ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE
As well as having the potential for causing injury, loss of life and damage to property, the hazards of fire, explosion and toxic releases may pose a severe threat to the environment. Release of other substances, not directly toxic to humans can cause major pollution problems. It is becoming increasingly recognized that damage to natural resources such as plant and animal life can have serious long term consequences. E.g. destruction of trees is increasing the effect of global warming and extinction of animals are severely disrupting food webs and causing an increase in pests.

How to reduce risks

Design and Pre-modification review Chemical Risk Assessment Process Safety Management Safety Audits Emergency Planning Training Special times and escorts for dangerous vehicles Public Cooperation on the road Public awareness Proper storage of hazardous Materials

SYSTEM
Integrates information gathered from sensors, open-source data, and human informants to a central Command & Control, allowing operators to monitor unplanned incidents in real-time, as well as predict, prevent, and prepare for planned malicious incidents. By integrating industrial operational systems and Access Management platforms into the Command & Control, our solution enables rapid and effective response to any undesirable occurrence - from accidents, through theft and sabotage, to cyber breaches and industrial espionage. Enhances the performance of emergency response systems and first responders by integrating existing operational, surveillance, and dispatch systems with ad-hoc deployments of mobile sensors and communication components. The Command & Control offers a comprehensive suite of disaster management and response capabilities, including alarm and event handling, dispatch support, monitoring of primary and backup units, multi-agency collaboration, and recommended courses of action.

Block Diagram

Zigbee
ZigBee is a specification for a suite of high level communication protocols using small, lowpower digital radios based on the IEEE 802.15.4-2003 standard for wireless home area networks (WHANs), such as wireless light switches with lamps, electrical meters with in-home-displays, consumer electronics equipment via short-range radio. The technology defined by the ZigBee specification is intended to be simpler and less expensive than other WPANs, such as Bluetooth. ZigBee is targeted at radio-frequency (RF) applications that require a low data rate, long battery life, and secure networking.

Zigbee Overview
ZigBee is a low-cost, low-power, wireless mesh networking standard. First, the low cost allows the technology to be widely deployed in wireless control and monitoring applications. Second, the low power-usage allows longer life with smaller batteries. Third, the mesh networking provides high reliability and more extensive range. The ZigBee Alliance is an association of companies working together to enable reliable, cost-effective, and low-power wirelessly networked monitoring and control products based on an open global standard. As per its main role, it standardizes the body that defines ZigBee, and also publishes application profiles that allow multiple OEM vendors to create interoperable products.

Why ZigBee?
Reliable Supports large number of nodes Easy to deploy Very long battery life Secure Low cost Can be used globally

Temperature Sensor
The DS1621 Digital Thermometer and Thermostat provides 9-bit temperature readings, which indicate the temperature of the device. The thermal alarm output, T OUT is active when the temperature of the device exceeds a user-defined temperature TH. The output remains active until the temperature drops below user defined temperature TL, allowing for any hysteresis necessary. User-defined temperature settings are stored in nonvolatile memory so parts may be programmed prior to insertion in a system. Temperature settings and temperature readings are all communicated to/from the DS1621 over a simple 2-wire serial interface. Key Features Temperature measurements require no external components Measures temperatures from -55C to +125C in 0.5C increments. Fahrenheit equivalent is -67F to 257F in 0.9F increments

 Temperature is read as a 9-bit value (2-byte transfer) Wide power supply range (2.7V to 5.5V) Converts temperature to digital word in less than 1 second Thermostatic settings are user definable and nonvolatile Data is read from/written via a 2-wire serial interface (open drain I/O lines) Applications include thermostatic controls, industrial systems, consumer products, thermometers, or any thermal sensitive system 8-pin DIP or SO package (150mil and 208mil)

Applications/Uses
Medical Networking Personal Computing Routers/Switches Test Measurement Systems Wireless Base Stations

GAS Sensor LPG Gas Sensor - MQ-6

Electrochemical gas sensors are gas detectors that measure the concentration of a target gas by oxidizing or reducing the target gas at an electrode and measuring the resulting current. Description: This is a simple-to-use liquid petroleum gas(LPG) sensor, suitable for sensing LPG (composed of mostly propane and butane) concentrations in the air. The MQ-6 can detect gas concentrations anywhere from 200 to 10000ppm. This sensor has a high sensitivity and fast response time. The sensor's output is an analog resistance. The drive circuit is very simple; all you need to do is power the heater coil with 5V, add a load resistance, and connect the output to an ADC.

This sensor comes in a package similar to our MQ-3 alcohol sensor, and can be used with the breakout board below.

Microcontroller
The AT89C51 is a low-power, high-performance CMOS 8-bit microcomputer with 4 Kbytes of Flash Programmable and Erasable Read Only Memory (PEROM). The device is manufactured using Atmels high density nonvolatile memory technology and is compatible with the industry standard MCS-51 instruction set and pinout. The on-chip Flash allows the program memory to be reprogrammed in-system or by a conventional nonvolatile memory programmer. By combining a versatile 8-bit CPU with Flash on a monolithic chip, the Atmel AT89C51 is a powerful microcomputer which provides a highly flexible and cost effective solution to many embedded control applications.

Features
Compatible with MCS-51 Products 4 Kbytes of In-System Reprogrammable Flash Memory. Endurance 1,000 Write/Erase Cycles Fully Static Operation: 0 Hz to 24 MHz Three-Level Program Memory Lock 128 x 8-Bit Internal RAM 32 Programmable I/O Lines Two 16-Bit Timer/Counters Six Interrupt Sources Programmable Serial Channel Low Power Idle and Power Down Modes

Conclusion
ZigBee targets applications not addressable by Bluetooth or any other wireless standard ZigBee and Bluetooth complement for a broader solution Danger zone warnings. A lot of industrial accidents result from neglecting to inform or warn people of danger zones. In industrial settings, there are places that have industrial hazards that can lead to different kinds of accidents. For this, it is imperative that the people working on the site are warned. Safety engineers are the ones who will be responsible for this. Quality assurance of equipment. Another cause of industrial accidents is due to equipment that is not checked for quality. This can cost the lives of the employees. Every so often, equipment must be checked for quality. It must pass the established standards in order for it to be used. Proper handling of hazardous waste materials. Some industrial accidents occur because of proper disposal of hazardous waste materials and chemicals. This may cause fires and explosions. Employees should be briefed on the proper handling and disposal of these materials to avoid untoward incidents.

Industrial Hazards
Industrial hazards consist of four principle hazards. This is because industries employ many different processes involving a wide range of different raw materials, intermediates, waste products and final products. The hazards encountered are fire, explosion, toxic release and environmental damage. Fire: This is the most frequent of the hazards however the consequences are generally less. The effect of fire on people usually takes the form of skin burns and is usually dependant on the exposure time and the intensity of the heat. Fire can also produce toxic fumes like Acrolein, Carbon monoxide and Cyanides. Physical structures can be damaged either by the intensity of the heat or combustion. It may also have an effect on essential services like power and instrumentation which can cause an escalation of the incident Explosion: Explosions are usually heard from far away as a bang. This is the result of a shock wave. This overpressure can kill people but usually the indirect effects of collapsing buildings, flying glass and debris causes far more loss of life and severe injuries. There are different types of explosions which include gas explosions and dust explosions. Gas explosions occur when a flammable gas mixes with air and is exposed to an ignition source. Dust explosions occur when flammable solids, especially metals, in the form of fine powders are intensively mixed with air and ignited. Toxic/Chemical release: Sudden releases of toxic vapours have the potential to cause death and severe injuries several miles from the release point. They are carried by water and air. Their release into public sewage systems, rivers, canals and other water courses, either directly or through contaminated water used in fire fighting can result in serious threat to public. The number of casualties depends on the weather conditions, population density in the path of the cloud and the effectiveness of the emergency arrangements. Environmental Damage: As well as having the potential for causing injury, loss of life and damage to property, the hazards of fire, explosion and toxic releases may pose a severe threat to the environment. Release of other substances, not directly toxic to humans can cause major pollution problems. It is becoming increasingly recognized that damage to natural resources such as plant and animal life can have serious long term consequences. E.g. destruction of trees is increasing the effect of global warming and extinction of animals are severely disrupting food webs and causing an increase in pests.

List and discussion of Vulnerabilities Improper location of Communities Communities like California and Couva are located too close to the Point Lisas industrial estate. If there is an explosion or chemical release, there communities will be severely affected potentially with many deaths and structural damage

 Poor developmental planning in Point Lisas Industries in Point Lisas Industrial estate are located in such a way that it is easy for one failure to cause a domino effect e.g. there is a methanol plant situated approximately 150m for a power generation plant. This power plant can produce a very easy source of ignition for any possible leak that may occur from the methanol plant. Lack of knowledge Many persons in the country and primarily persons close to the industrial estate are unaware of the actual dangers they face on a daily basis. Although it has been said may times, persons continue to ignore this because a disaster of catastrophic scale has not occurred before at the estate and companies boast of the low probability of such an incident. From a domestic point of view, person using everyday product like degreasers, disinfectants, bleach, lubricants (WD40, PR40), paints, thinners, acids (concrete cleaner) must be careful as most of these products affect the skin Lack of mitigation measures From findings it has been proven that the mitigation measures put in place on the estate with respect to the ammonia plants are insufficient (Persad 2003). There exists no specialized medical facility to deal with industrial cases. Even though there is the Couva Medical facility nearby, this is occupied by persons from that area. Fishing villages Lack of evacuation expertise It was found that the emergency response system at Point Lisas was inadequate to handle industrial emergencies as there were a lack of specialized medical personnel as well as triage equipment and facilities. (Persad, Deenesh 1996) Transportation risks Many chemicals, including flammable hydrocarbons are transported on the roadway alongside other vehicles and pedestrians. This poses a risk of explosion, fire, blast fragments and other harmful injury to bystanders, if an incident was to happen.

How to reduce risks

Design and Pre-modification review: this involves proper layout, facilities and material selection. Research should be done try to substitute extremely toxic chemicals with safer ones. Less chemicals should be stored; a reduction in inventory will automatically mean less damage if an accident is to occur. Chemical Risk Assessment: Chemicals are assessed based on compatibility, flammability, toxicity, explosion hazards and storage. Process Safety Management: HAZOP studies, reliability assessment of process equipment, incorporating safety trips and interlocks, scrubbing system, etc. should be done before effecting major process changes. Management should try to develop a culture of safety in industrial organizations

Safety Audits: Periodical assessment of safety procedures and practices, performance of safety systems and gadgets along with follow up measures should be carried out. Emergency Planning: A comprehensive risk analysis indicating the impact of consequences and specific written down cand practiced emergency procedures along with suitable facilities should be done. This can be done by communities as well as national or regional corporation authorities Training: Proper training of employees and protective services should be done. Special times and escorts for dangerous vehicles Public Cooperation on the road: the public should cooperate with the police and any tankers and heavy duty vehicles to avoid accidents and allow for the shortest possible on road time for dangerous vehicles. Public awareness: Everyone should be aware of potential disasters and informed of protective and safety measures. MSDS sheets should be readily available to the public. Cautions must be placed to standout on dangerous household and car care products. Proper storage of hazardous Materials: All chemicals and hazardous materials should be kept at proper storage temperature and in locked cupboards away from children and animals. Also, if reactive substances are stored, it should be stored is a watertight container.

References:

Farabi, Hamid. "Safety: A major objective in the Chemical and Petroleum Industry." 1992. Mannan, Sam. Lee's Loss Prevention. Oxford: Elsevier Butterworth Heinemann, 2005. Persad, Deenesh. "A Synopsis of Disaster Management and Lessons Learnt on the Point Lisas Industrial Estate." 2003. Persad, Deenesh. "Disaster Response Ammonia Spill." 1996.

Disaster Risk Reduction

Disaster Risk Reduction is the concept and practice of reducing disaster risks through systematic efforts to analyse and manage the causal factors of disasters, including through reduced exposure to hazards, lessened vulnerability of people and property, wise management of land and the environment, and improved preparedness for adverse events. A comprehensive approach to reduce disaster risks is set out in the United Nations-endorsed Hyogo Framework for Action, adopted in 2005, whose expected outcome is The substantial reduction of disaster losses, in lives and the social, economic and environmental assets of communities and countries. Words into Action: A Guide for Implementing the Hyogo Framework provides advice on useful strategies for implementing the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015: Building the Resilience of Nations and Communities to Disasters. (Download in PDF format)