A Night to Remember
What highly toxic chemical was released during the Bhopal Disaster?
Methyl isocyanate (MIC)
What safety system was designed to keep MIC near 0°C?
Refrigeration system
What economic pressure led to reductions in staffing and maintenance at the plant?
Falling pesticide demand and cost-cutting
Which city in India was affected by the toxic gas release?
Bhopal
What is the term for the people or groups affected by an engineering decision?
Stakeholders
What substance reacted with MIC and caused the temperature and pressure to rise rapidly?
Water
What safety system used sodium hydroxide to neutralize hazardous gases?
Vent gas scrubber
What is the term for employees accepting unsafe practices because others around them treat those practices as normal?
Conformity
What made the surrounding neighborhoods especially vulnerable to the gas release?
Their close proximity to the plant and high population density
What ethical behavior involves following management's instructions even when there are safety concerns?
Obedience to authority
Which storage tank was involved in the runaway chemical reaction?
Tank E610
What was the purpose of the flare tower?
To burn off hazardous gases before they entered the atmosphere
What psychological tendency could cause managers to focus on evidence that supported continued plant operation while dismissing warning signs?
Confirmation bias
Name two long-term health consequences discussed in the presentation.
Respiratory damage, eye damage, neurological problems, or psychological trauma
What psychological bias causes people to become overly confident when previous risks have not resulted in an accident?
Overconfidence
What pesticide was the Union Carbide plant producing?
Sevin
Why was the water curtain ineffective during the disaster?
The water spray could not reach the height of the gas release.
What ethical concept describes small safety compromises gradually becoming accepted?
Incrementalism
What was the amount of the settlement reached between Union Carbide and the Indian government?
$470 million
What term describes being responsible for an outcome because your actions contributed to causing it?
Causation
What property of methyl isocyanate caused the toxic gas to remain close to the ground and spread through nearby neighborhoods?
MIC is heavier than air.
Why would the vent gas scrubber have been insufficient even if it had been fully operational?
The release exceeded the scrubber's design capacity.
What important warnings did management fail to adequately address before the disaster?
Safety audits, equipment problems, and employee concerns
What major problem made it harder for hospitals and medical workers to treat victims immediately after the gas leak?
They lacked adequate information and preparation for MIC exposure.
According to the presentation, what three factors should determine how much responsibility someone bears for the Bhopal Disaster?
Knowledge, authority, and ability to prevent harm.