The Importance of Safety Organizational Policy

I am going to narrate one incident which took place before 14 years at my work place. I am working in a highly hazardous petrochemical plant, using very dangerous chemicals. Safety is the main essence of such plants and my role as mechanical engineer in these plants is to undertake various critical maintenance jobs ensuring plant and human safety.

It was June 20, 1992; Sunday. It was a normal day at works in the plant. As it was Sunday, only few people were available at the plant,. The plant was under annual turn around during which all the equipments are taken up for cleaning, servicing and maintenance. One of the underground vessel was opened for inspection. There was some job of isolation required to be done inside the vessel. The open piping joints were to be blinded for safe entry of people inside the vessel. The job was very urgent in nature and the necessary work permit was received by my department for doing the job as per the protocol procedures. I instructed my two mechanics to go inside the vessel with proper safety clothing's and complete the job. They both were little hesitant in doing the job expressing that there may be some unsafe condition inside the vessel and we should wait for some time more before really doing the job. But as I was under terrible pressure from upper brass to complete the job as soon as possible, I forced them to enter the vessel immediately and complete the job. They both were young and one of them was going to get married soon.

As soon as they entered the underground vessel, lethal poisonous gas benzene leaked inside the vessel and within moments both my mechanics fell to the floor dead. I was standing outside. I was in terrific tension and tried to enter the vessel myself but as the vessel was deep inside the ground, I could not reach them for doing any survival action for them. I called for emergency help. But by the time I received the help in terms of firemen, both the persons were dead. I saw them die before my eyes and that shock is keeping me awake at nights even now after 14 years. My eyes are still seeing them entering the vessel and falling dead within seconds.

The detailed investigations did reveal later that there was the lapse in issue of work permit and the vessel was not safe to work internally. I still have my guilt that I should have checked the vessel condition myself using explosive meter and this calamity could have been avoided. But alas, this was not to be and I still consider myself responsible for my fellow workers death morally. Though, I was legally right in doing the job once the work permit was with me. Legal things apart, I will never forgive myself for that big error. I have learnt to see and check myself all the checkpoints before any such critical job is to be taken up. But that lesson I learnt very hard way and I am writing this so that my friends in the world do not make such mistakes and if a life of even one person is saved due to this message, I will consider my writing worth while.