WALiB 2014 shorts
These short films were screened at WALiB 2014.
Triangle Returns
The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire on 25 Mar 2011 was New York City’s worst industrial disaster. The company management had a practice of keeping the doors of the workrooms locked from the outside in order to prevent theft.
When a fire broke out on the 9th and 10th floors that day workers who couldn’t escape before stairways became unusable had to choose between dying in the fire or jumping from the 9th or 10th floors. One hundred and forty-eight people died that day. Over a century later garment workers are still dying due to inadequate safety practices by the industry.
Chevron Richmond Refinery Fire Animation
United States Chemical Safety and Hazards Investigation Board
The Chevron Richmond Refinery Fire took place on 6 August 2012. A leak of light gas oil from a corroded insulated carbon steel pipe, originally installed in 1976, operating at temperature of 640 degrees Fahrenheit resulted in massive hydrocarbon explosion. There were no immediate fatalities, however emergency rooms were flooded with people suffering from respiratory distress due to the smoke generated by the fire. Replacement of the pipe that failed had been recommended in 2002 after a similar incident at the Chevron Refinery. That recommendation was never carried out. That pipe was never inspected again. Another recommendation to inspect every segment of high risk carbon steel piping for corrosion was issued in 2009 by Chevron experts. Some sections were examined, and some were replaced in 2011, but not all pipes at risk. Corrosion resistant alloys are available. Instead of trying to examine and place a clamp over the leak, while the unit was in operation, the unit should have been shut down when the leak was first noticed.
Reactive Hazards: Dangers of Uncontrolled Chemical Reactions
United States Chemical Safety and Hazards Investigation Board
There were 167 serious industrial accidents in the United States from 1987-2001. Runaway chemical reactions are perfectly preventable, however more than half are not covered under federal process safety regulations.
Fire in the Valley
United States Chemical Safety and Hazards Investigation Board
In 2008, major methylisocyanate leak in the United States of America from the Bayer CropScience facility in Institute, WV. This was nearly a quarter century after the world’s worst industrial accident in 1984, the Union Carbide Gas Disaster in Bhopal. We All Live in Bhopal..
Homegrown Revolution
Growing your own food is revolutionary. This film offers inspiration for transforming your urban space into a place for cultivating your own freedom and health. Less reliance on chemicals presumably translates into fewer chemical disasters.
Upendra Has Worms
Upendra has Worms from the source project on Vimeo.
A gorgeous, succinct, uplifting film on the ease of chemical-free farming.
Inherently Safer: The Future of Risk Reduction
United States Chemical Safety and Hazards Investigation Board
National Academy of Science, Board on Chemical Sciences and Technology made recommendations on Inherently Safer Process Assessment. Industry experts describe 4 major ways to reduce the incidents of major chemical disasters: minimize the use of hazardous substances, substitute more dangerous chemicals with less toxic ones, moderate process conditions of temperatures, pressures, and amounts in manufacturing processes, and simplify processes which are less prone to failure. It is an approach that builds in safety features, not adding them on, to prevent accidents and mitigate the impact when they do occur.
Toxic
“Toxic”, a short film directed by Rohit Khanna and produced by Abhishek Saxena in 2009 describes the second and third generation effects of the world’s largest industrial disaster, The Union Carbide Gas Disaster of 1984 in Bhopal, India.
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