Whichissafer-stayingathome，travelingtoworkonpublictransport，orworkingintheoffice? Surprisingly， eachofthesecarriesthesamerisk，whichisverylow. However，whataboutflyingcomparedtoworkinginthechemicalindustry?Unfortunately，theformeris 65 timesriskierthanthelatter!Infact，theaccidentrateofworkersinthechemicalindustryislessthanthatofalmostanyofhumanactivity，andalmostassafeasstayingathome.
Thetroublewiththechemicalindustryisthatwhenthingsgowrongtheyoftencausedeathtothoselivingnearby. Itisthiswhichmakeschemicalaccidentssonewsworthy. Fortunately， theyareextremelyrare. ThemostfamousoneshappenedatTexasCity (1947)，Flixborough (1974)， Seveso (1976)， Pemex (1984) andBhopal (1984)。
Someofthesearealwaysinthemindsofthepeopleeventhoughthelossoflifewassmall. NoonediedatSeveso， andonly 28 workersatFlixborough. TheworstaccidentofallwasBhopal， whereupto 3，000 werekilled. TheTexasCityexplosionoffertilizerkilled 552. ThePemexfireatastorageplantfornaturalgasinthesuburbsofMexicoCitytook 542 lives， justamonthbeforetheunfortunateeventatBhopal.
Someexpertshavediscussedtheseaccidentsandusedeachaccidenttoillustrateaparticulardanger. ThustheTexasCityexplosionwascausedbytonsofammoniumnitrate(硝酸铵)，whichissafeunlessstoredingreatquantity. TheFlixboroughfireballwasthefaultofmanagement， whichtookriskstokeepproductiongoingduringessentialrepairs. TheSevesoaccidentshowswhathappensifthelocalauthoritieslackknowledgeofthedangerontheirdoorstep. Whenthepoisonousgasdriftedoverthetown， localleaderswereincapableoftakingeffectiveaction. ThePemexfirewasmadeworsebyanoverloadedsiteinanovercrowdedsuburb. Thefiresetoffachainreactionosexplodingstoragetanks. Yet， byamiracle， thetwolargesttanksdidnotexplode. Hadthesecaughtfire， then 3，000 strongrescueteamandfirefighterswouldallhavedied.
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