Have you paid attention to the four warning signs triggered by the accident in Dangyang, Hubei?

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This post was last edited by Ameba on 2016-8-18 at 14:36. The content is taken from the Internet~~ One of Murphy’s Laws states that anything that can go wrong will go wrong~~ Therefore, knowing how to prevent minor mistakes and avoid major ones is indeed a skill; those who are responsible for ensuring safety bear a great responsibility~~ Have you paid attention to the four warning signs indicated by the accident in Dangyang, Hubei? On the afternoon of August 11, 2016, an explosion occurred in a high-pressure steam pipeline during the commissioning phase of the thermal power project operated by Hubei Dangyang Madian Gangshi Power Generation Co., Ltd.; the accident resulted in 22 deaths and 4 injuries. The tragedy of 22 deaths and 4 injuries immediately tarnished Hubei’s otherwise impressive record in preventing serious accidents. The specific cause of this explosion is still under investigation, but according to relevant reports and media coverage, the four dangerous signs it revealed are somewhat common, and thus require proper attention and serious reflection. What are these four specific danger signals? 1. Safety failures during trial production In recent years, accidents have occurred frequently during the trial production phase of newly built, renovated, or expanded enterprises; the Dangyang explosion also took place during this trial production stage. Generally, during the trial production phase in enterprises, the processes, equipment, and instruments are not yet stable in operation; operators are not familiar with the installations. Controlling process parameters and operating the equipment are still in the exploratory stage. The operators lack proficiency and experience, making the system vulnerable at every turn and prone to accidents. Furthermore, during the trial production phase, accidents were more often caused by human error – some companies carried out design, construction, and production simultaneously, without proper design, without qualified contractors, and without any approval procedures, engaging in reckless production practices ； Some enterprises’ factory buildings and production processes have not been designed properly; the layout of production areas and the placement of equipment are unreasonable, the factory buildings do not meet regulatory requirements, and there is insufficient safety spacing ； Some companies have too many personnel at the pilot production site, and there are no emergency plans for on-site management. 2. Indifference to potential hazards and minor accidents According to media reports, on the day before the incident, there was a steam leak in the power company’s steam pipes, and one worker suffered burns to his foot. On the morning of the incident, a leak occurred in the pipeline, resulting in steam leakage. During the repair work, the workers suggested stopping the boiler from operating, but the manager refused, saying that \"it has only been running for a few days; stopping it would cause losses.\" The parent company of the power generation company held scheduling meetings on July 18 and 25, 2016, during which it was mentioned that \"a series of problems and abnormalities\" had occurred during the annual maintenance work in July, including a fire accident at the decarbonization tower on July 1 ； Before being started up, multiple breaks were found in the binding of the stator coils of Generator Set B25 at the gangue power plant. Previously, technicians from the equipment manufacturer connected the phase sequence of the excitation transformer incorrectly during the debugging phase, resulting in a short circuit. The red light is flashing, yet it’s ignored ； Alarms ring, yet they go unheard. Matters of life and death are, in the eyes of some people, less important than a pinprick. 3. Rushing the project timeline creates serious risks. Family members of the victims of the Dangyang explosion revealed that the management of the power generation company imposed a tight deadline; workers had to switch shifts every 12 hours, and shifts were often extended. Middle-level managers worked even longer hours, sometimes not being able to return home for several days in a row. Since the beginning of 2016, the power plant has been testing new equipment, and there have been repeated instances of \"failure to ignite, shutdown for maintenance, attempt to ignite again with no success, and further shutdown for maintenance.\" Carrots are washed of their mud as soon as possible; to achieve early production and results, ignoring the law, operating despite defects, and taking reckless risks are all common occurrences. In recent years, some industrial and mining enterprises have operated at capacities beyond their limits, with excessive intensity and overstaffing, while transportation enterprises have operated with overloaded vehicles, exceeding size limits, driving too fast, and carrying excessive loads, resulting in one accident after another. Ultimately, it’s the word “seize” that’s at play. “The power of the “Hand of Interest” is boundless, and the “Curse of Death” inevitably follows. 4. The “key issue” has not yet been addressed. The frequent occurrence of severe accidents is a weakness in current work related to safety production, and curbing such severe accidents is the crucial ‘key issue’ that affects everything else. ****The State Council has issued repeated orders, and the relevant departments have also made earnest appeals, but some regions clearly take it lightly. Some simply treat preventing major and severe accidents as a work goal or part of their daily tasks, without considering it to be a top priority ； There is only talk, writing on paper, and postings on walls – no targeted measures, no concrete actions ； Some are hopeful, thinking that “the boulders won’t fall on their feet.” Ideological hidden dangers are the greatest of all, and the explosion in Dangyang once again proved this truth.