Database helps firms learn from others' mistakes
15 Jan 2000
One person's mistake is frequently another person's lesson. The fire at Allied Colloids' Bradford site in 1992 shown here was caused by the mis-storing of flammable compounds in a warehouse something that other process companies are now careful to avoid.
A database of information gathered from industrial accidents will help companies learn from other's mistakes to improve the safety of their own installations, according to the IChemE, which has developed the system. The database, on a CD-ROM, includes details of over 8000 industrial and chemical accidents, much of which has never been published before. Companies were invited to submit data anonymously to ensure that the largest number of incidents possible were covered. The idea, says the IChemE, is for companies to share information to make their processes as safe as possible.
