A major fire incident at Berger Becker Coatings factory in Pilerne Industrial Estate in Bardez on Tuesday afternoon sent alarm bells ringing with the blaze engulfing the entire factory and the fumes that spread thick and fast, creating a health hazard to residents in the neighbourhood.
The blaze set off a thick blanket of black smoke across the skyline that was visible from across a radius of over 20 kilometres. Tension rent the air, and fear ran high as fire tenders from ten locations, including faraway Curchorem, Ponda and Margao, struggled to douse the flames even as 100-odd employees of the unit had a lucky escape. What compounded the problem was the chemicals stored inside the premises triggered a series of blasts and fuelled the fire to spread rapidly.
Goa has witnessed industrial accidents in the past, and the focus has revolved around precautionary measures and systemic checks every time. In October 2020, one worker died, and four others were critically injured after ammonia gas leaked at a seafood processing unit at Cuncolim Industrial Estate. Last month there was another suspected ammonia leak in the same industrial area.
Negligence has often been cited as the primary factor behind industrial tragedies, but that raises the question of whether adequate checks are in place to reduce human errors. The worry, however, is that instances like these not only endanger human life but can lead to a catastrophe since there are residences in proximity to some of the industrial estates in Goa. For example, the Berger unit in Pilerne is on hilly terrain, but there are residences a few metres away. So is the case with Cuncolim and Verna Industrial estates.
Unfortunately, Berger Paints has been in the line of fire in recent times. On December 31, while the world was preparing to usher in the New Year, an explosion at Berger's facility at Jejuri in Pune killed one person. Earlier in June last year, a major fire at the Howrah plant in West Bengal led to the death of one employee while 22 others were injured.
Paint factories hold an additional fire risk because of the storage of chemicals used in production. Paints are composed of pigments, solvents, resins and various flammable additives. There are bulk storage tanks containing paint ingredients and finished paint products. Chemicals such as acetone, isopropyl alcohol and methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) are stored in larger drums for dispensing into smaller containers at the point of use. Moreover, paints themselves are considered highly flammable and combustible.
Given the sensitive nature of product handling, there must be a constant monitoring mechanism for environmental, health and safety aspects. In this regard, a fire audit of industries becomes mandatory. Authorities must check the process safety management systems, compliance with regulations and industry standards, and emergency response to flammable vapour response.
State authorities have an enormous responsibility to safeguard people's lives. When it comes to industries that use hazardous gases and chemicals, they must ensure strict compliance and mandatory safety audits. While the company will pick up the pieces and focus on what triggered the fire, government authorities will have to introspect on their role in ensuring the safety of all.
