SEVERAL people died and many were injured recently (Dec 23), in addition to significant damage to public and private property, due to an explosion in a factory in Karachi. An industrial catastrophe that should have been given proper attention only received a few verbal sympathies and condemnations from government functionaries.

Regrettably, it was not the first incident of its kind. The similarity and frequency of such industrial disasters and the arrogance of industry and authorities thereupon is depressing, to say the least.

Accidents do not occur due to lack of knowledge, but the failure to use the knowledge we have. There is not only a learning disability in Pakistani industry and regulatory authorities, but also a lack of will to utilise their existing knowledge. In the words of Prof Trevor Kletz, father of process safety, most of the incidents “are very simple … No esoteric knowledge or detailed study was required to prevent them — only a knowledge of what had happened before.”

These industrial accidents can be controlled by taking stringent measures. The country needs to develop and implement world-class process safety regulations, such as United Kingdom’s Control of Major Accidents Hazards or European Union’s Saveso regulations aimed at prevention of major accidents and minimisation of impact in case an incident happens.

All major industrial accidents should be investigated by a competent board of inquiry comprising technical safety engineers, process and mechanical discipline engineering experts, human and organisational engineering specialists, academics, psychiatrists and other experts, as needed.

Also, the investigation reports should be made public, and any lessons learned should be implemented across all industries as part of regulations.

The Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) needs to wake up from its hibernation and develop guidelines for the process and technical safety in the industry. It should work with federal and provincial governments to turn these guidelines into regulations. The industry should show responsibility and implement international best practices in major accident hazard management. Society should also play its role by demanding inquiry and justice for the victims.

Muhammad Saim
Karachi

Published in Dawn, January 19th, 2021