MODULE-II

Types of Disasters –Man-made

Disasters

Prepared by
Prof. Nagma Alam
 Man-made Disasters
Man-made disasters have an element of human intent,
negligence or error involving a failure of a man-made system,
as opposed to natural disasters resulting from natural hazards.

Technological Industrial Warfare

• Transport • Chemical • War

Failure Spills • Terrorism
• Structural • Radioactive • Internal
Failure Spills Conflict
• Fire • Civil Unrest
 Transport Failures
A transport accident is any accident (or incident) that occurs
during any type of transportation, including accidents
occurring during road transport, rail transport, maritime
transport and air transport.
It can refer to:
• a road traffic accident (including vehicle collision,
pedestrian- bicycle collisions, pedestrian-pedestrian collisions
etc.）
• a marine accident (sailing ship accident, including man
overboard.)
• railroad accidents (including train wreck)
• an aviation accident and incident
 Structural Failures
Structural failure can occur from many types of problems, most of which are
unique to different industries and structural types. However, most can be
traced to one of five main causes.
• The first is that the structure is not strong and tough enough to support the
load, due to either its size, shape, or choice of material.
• The second type of failure is from fatigue or corrosion, caused by instability
in the structure’s geometry, design or material properties.
• The third type of failure is caused by manufacturing errors, including
improper selection of materials, incorrect sizing, improper heat treating,
failing to adhere to the design, etc.
• The fourth type of failure is from the use of defective materials.
• The fifth cause of failure is from lack of consideration of unexpected
problems.
 Fire Failures
Electrical fire cause 1: Faulty outlets,
appliances. Most electrical fires are
caused by faulty electrical outlets and
old, outdated appliances.

Electrical fire cause 2: Light fixtures. Light

fixtures, lamps and light bulbs are another
common reason for electrical fires. Installing a
bulb with a wattage that is too high for the
lamps and light fixtures is a leading cause of
electrical fires. Always check the maximum
recommended bulb wattage on any lighting
fixture or lamp and never go over the
recommended amount.
 Fire Failures
Electrical fire cause 3: Extension
cords. Misuse of extension cords is
another electrical fire cause. Appliances
should be plugged directly into outlet
and not plugged into an extension cord
for any length of time. Only use
extension cords as a temporary
measure.

Electrical fire cause 4: Space

heaters. Because these types of heaters are
portable, many times people put them too close
to combustible surfaces such as curtains, beds,
clothing, chairs, couches and rugs. Coil space
heaters are especially dangerous in this
regard because the coils become so hot they
will almost instantaneously ignite any nearby
flammable surface.
 Fire Failures
Electrical fire cause
5: Wiring. Outdated wiring often
causes electrical fires. If a home
is over 20 years old, it may not
have the wiring capacity to
handle the increased amounts of
electrical appliances in today’s
average home, such as
computers, wide-screen
televisions, video and
gaming players, microwaves and
air conditioners.
 Chemical Spills
• A chemical accident is the unintentional
release of one or more hazardous substances
which could harm human health or the
environment.
• Chemical hazards are systems where
chemical accidents could occur under certain
circumstances.
• Such events include fires, explosions,
leakages or releases of toxic or hazardous
materials that can cause people illness, injury,
disability or death.
• An example is the introduction of
hydrocarbon methyl that increases the risk of
heart cancer because it changes the way
blood cells flow through the body.
One of the worst industrial
chemical disasters occurred
without warning early on the
morning of December 3, 1984, at
Union Carbide's pesticide plant in
Bhopal, India. While most people
slept, a leak, caused by a series of
mechanical and human failures,
released a cloud of lethal methyl
isocyanate over the sleeping city.
Some two thousand people died
immediately and another eight
thousand died later. Health
officials, not informed about
chemicals at the factory, were
completely unprepared for the
tragedy.
 Nuclear Disaster
Chernobyl, Ukraine (former Soviet Union), April 26, 1986

Chernobyl is considered the

world’s worst nuclear disaster
to date. It occurred on April
26, 1986, when a sudden
surge in power during a
reactor systems test resulted
in an explosion and fire that
destroyed Unit 4. Massive
amounts of radiation escaped
and spread across the western
Soviet Union and Europe. As
a result of the disaster,
approximately 220,000 people
had to be relocated from their
homes.
How did it happen?
Unit 4 was to be shut down for routine
maintenance. A test was conducted to
determine the plant equipment’s ability to
provide sufficient electrical power to operate
the reactor core cooling system and
emergency equipment during the transition
period between a loss of main station
electrical power supply and the start-up of
the emergency power supply. Workers did
not implement adequate safety precautions
or alert operators to the electrical test’s risks.
This lack of awareness led the operators to
engage in actions that diverged from safety
procedures. Consequently, a sudden power
surge resulted in explosions and nearly
complete destruction of the reactor. The fires
that broke out in the building contributed to
the extensive radioactive releases.
 Civic War
A civil war defines a conflict between
two opposed parties within one
country. Sometimes civil wars turn
into representative wars, in which both
parties receive support from external
parties representing certain political
interests, which was the case, for
example, in Korea and in Vietnam
during the cold war. A Guerrilla War
defines the conflict of small,
independent, partisan fighters who
oppose a ruling government. An
independence or decolonization war
describes efforts of a population or
people defending their own state
against an occupying force.
 Terrorism
• Terrorism is defined as an act that is violent
or dangerous to human life, with the intent of
furthering political or social objectives. The
threat of terrorism affects all communities
around the world. Terrorists, both Domestic
and International, have demonstrated they
have the knowledge and capability to strike
anywhere in the world.
• Domestic Terrorism involves groups or
individuals whose terrorist activities are
directed at elements of our government or
population without foreign direction.
• International Terrorism involves groups or
individuals whose terrorist activities are
foreign-based and/or directed by countries or
groups outside the United States or whose
activities transcend national boundaries.
Terrorism

26/11 Mumbai Attack