The Incident
On the night of December 2-3, 1984, a catastrophic gas leak at the Union Carbide India Limited pesticide plant in Bhopal, India released approximately 40 tonnes of methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas into the surrounding community. The toxic cloud drifted over densely populated neighbourhoods while residents slept.
The immediate death toll was estimated at 3,800, but the Indian government later confirmed over 15,000 deaths related to the gas release. More than 500,000 people were exposed to the toxic gas, and many survivors continue to suffer from chronic health conditions including respiratory disease, blindness, and immune system disorders decades later.
It remains the deadliest industrial disaster in history.
What Went Wrong
The Bhopal disaster was caused by a cascade of failures in hazardous materials management:
- Safety systems designed to contain MIC leaks had been shut down to save money
- A refrigeration unit meant to keep MIC cool and stable was not functioning
- A gas scrubber designed to neutralize MIC leaks was undersized and offline
- A flare tower meant to burn off escaping gas was out of service
- Workers were not trained on the specific hazards of MIC or emergency procedures
- The surrounding community had no warning system and no knowledge of the chemicals stored at the plant
How WHMIS Training Connects
The Bhopal disaster was one of the catalysts that led Canada to develop WHMIS, which was implemented in 1988. The system was created to ensure that nothing like Bhopal could happen due to lack of hazard communication:
Right to Know: WHMIS enshrines the fundamental principle that every worker has the right to know what hazardous materials are in their workplace and how to protect themselves. In Bhopal, workers and the community had virtually no information about the dangers of MIC.
Safety Data Sheets: The 16-section SDS format provides comprehensive information about every hazardous product. If Bhopal's workers had access to MIC's safety data — including its extreme toxicity, reactivity with water, and the need for refrigerated storage — they would have recognized the danger of the plant's deteriorating safety systems.
Supplier Labels: WHMIS labels communicate hazard information at the point of use. The skull and crossbones pictogram and the health hazard pictogram would have been prominently displayed on MIC containers, providing immediate visual warning.
Worker Education: WHMIS requires employers to provide education and training on hazardous materials. Bhopal's workers received minimal training on the specific dangers of MIC, contributing to the delayed and inadequate emergency response.
The Bhopal disaster killed over 15,000 people because workers and communities lacked basic information about the chemicals in their midst. WHMIS exists to ensure that every Canadian worker has that information. Completing your WHMIS training honours the memory of those who died because they didn't have it.
Source: Multiple historical sources; Canada Safety Training