Editorial

The recent explosion on a bus in Indonesia, which killed 12 people and was caused by a sack of exploding reworks (see Bulletin brieng, pg 24) is the latest in a series of serious incidents that have involved explosive materials. A review of the recent history of such accidents, as reported in past Bulletin briengs, makes disturbing reading: December 2001: 40 people died in an explosion at a reworks factory in the eastern Chinese province of Jiangxi. December 2001: 60 people died and 88 were injured in a re sparked by an explosion in a reworks store in a historic district of Lima, Peru. September 2001: 30 people were killed and 2000 injured in an explosion at an AZF factory in Toulouse, France. August 2001: 25 people were killed in an explosion at a government-owned dynamite factory in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The blast was caused by `accidental ignition. August 2001: Five people were killed in an explosion at a reworks factory in Caldelas, Portugal. July 2001: Three people were killed and four were injured in a re at an ammunition depot in Siberia. Lightning reportedly caused the accident. June 2001: Nine people were killed in an explosion at a reworks factory in Lahore, Pakistan. March 2001: At least 37 pupils and four teachers were killed in a blast at a primary school, which was being used for manufacturing reworks in Jiangxi, eastern China. The children had been putting fuses into recrackers at the time of the explosion. Also in the news recently (see Bulletin brieng, page 25) was the story that a man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for deliberately starting a re in a reworks factory in Enschede, Netherlands, which killed 20 people, injured 950 and destroyed 400 nearby homes. The article The use of accident investigation in pyrotechnics manufacture (see page 8) gives a brief history of the UK legislation developments in this area, along with examples of accidents that have happened in the UK explosives industry and some of the key lessons that set out a framework for the development of a suitable safety management regime.

It is clear, however, from the above examples that the whole issue of safety in the manufacture, handling and storage of explosives continues to be a concern throughout the world. The Bulletin brieng reports that the HSC in the UK and equivalent bodies in the European Union are considering lowering the notication threshold for ammonium nitrate following the Toulouse disaster (see page 26). This is clearly a wise precaution and in line with inherent safety principles. Unfortunately, many of the major accidents have happened in illegal factories in third world countries where factory owners have paid scant regard to the safety of the workers, who are often only childrenthis raises a whole host of economical issues that are beyond the scope of lpb. The IChemE Accident Database lists over 50 incidents that have occurred in the pyrotechnics industry. Some of the main lessons from these examples are worth restating, as they are applicable to all scenarios involving explosive materials: Employees should be required to wear non-static work clothes and conductive footwear. Work clothes that are contaminated with pyrotechnic materials should not be worn during rest periods or outside the plant. Electrical ttings should comply with the special safety requirements of hazardous areas. Vehicles used for transporting explosive materials should be marked with hazard warning signs and equipped with re extinguishers. Loading surfaces of vehicles should be covered with non-sparking materials. Pyrotechnic materials should not be transported in spark producing metal containers. Flame resistant and moisture-proof coverings should protect pyrotechnic cargoes during transportation. Proper separation distances and barriers should be maintained between buildings, with protective barricades to contain embers and projectiles spreading between burning and exploding buildings. Regulations on the quantities of explosives permitted in nishing or assembly buildings should not be exceeded. Tracey Donaldson, IChemE

LOSS PREVENTION BULLETIN 167