Making a comprehensive assessment on the causes of accidents in explosives factories and the precautions that should be taken, Occupational Health and Safety Specialist Dr. Lecturer Rüştü Uçan evaluated two recent incidents: “Considering the situation experienced in the factories in Balıkesir and Sakarya in Turkey, these types of structures are generally designed as if an ordinary two-story building were being constructed,” he said.
Stating that such factories should be regularly inspected and their compliance with standards strictly monitored, Dr. Lecturer Rüştü Uçan said, “Factory workers and occupational safety specialists need to undergo special training on the risks of working with explosives and these substances.”
Dr. Lecturer Rüştü Uçan, Head of the Occupational Health and Safety Department at Üsküdar Üniversitesi Faculty of Health Sciences, made a comprehensive assessment on the causes of accidents in explosives factories and the precautions that should be taken.
Building design is inadequate!
Dr. Lecturer Rüştü Uçan evaluated the accidents occurring in explosives factories, stating that inadequate building design is among the prominent problems, and while such structures are properly built in the military, it was observed that the buildings in both the Balıkesir and Sakarya explosions were not properly constructed.
Dr. Lecturer Rüştü Uçan stated that explosives factories are not built in a way that is suitable for their production processes, saying, “While only the relevant area should be affected during an explosion, the damage to the entire building indicates inadequate structural design. In Turkey, such factories should be designed according to the type of explosives they will produce. The manufacturing of these types of factories should be examined, and the building stock and structural system should be constructed accordingly.”
Designed like an ordinary building
“Considering the situation experienced in the factories in Balıkesir and Sakarya in Turkey, these types of structures are generally designed as if an ordinary two-story building were being constructed,” Dr. Uçan continued:
“However, in such facilities, special precautions must be taken to prevent the spread of explosive materials to the environment during a fire or explosion, and to prevent the fire or other hazards from spreading to other parts of the factory. In this context, the construction of special compartments, referred to as ‘cells,’ is extremely important. On this matter, in an e-book we prepared with an explosives expert friend, we explained the standards in America in detail by translating them into Turkish. We also shared application examples of these standards. However, unfortunately, these standards are not sufficiently applied in factories in Turkey. In such accidents, consequences that should be limited to one or two people can turn into much larger-scale problems. Therefore, the relevant regulations need to be implemented as soon as possible.”
Uçan also stated that the construction of walls with flimsy materials like plasterboard causes the spread of the explosion's effect, saying, “Risk analyses must be conducted for all explosives factories, and unsuitable structures need to be rebuilt. The durability of structures should be increased by using concrete shear walls and special protective materials.”
Structural measures are essential!
Dr. Lecturer Rüştü Uçan, stating that it is always possible to prevent accidents, said, “However, explosions can occur with the slightest negligence or when something that shouldn't be done happens. It is essential to take structural measures after such explosions to prevent their effects from spreading to the environment and to keep them at a minimum level.”
Scientific studies need to be increased
Dr. Lecturer Rüştü Uçan also noted that the amount of explosives should be limited to daily or half-daily needs, and excessive material should not be stocked, saying, “For example, only a small amount of explosive, such as one gram, should be placed in a capsule. A half-day or one-day supply should be kept. When this amount is consumed, a new explosive should be brought to refill the capsules. In short, reducing the amount of explosive in the capsule is vitally important. Furthermore, scientific studies on such topics need to be increased. After the explosion in Sakarya, the building's structural stock should have been examined, but it was not.”
Uçan added that they have published the book “Occupational Safety Practices in the Transportation and Storage of Explosive Materials” from Üsküdar Üniversitesi Publications, offering its PDF for free, and that it is a valuable resource for those working in this field.
Employees need to undergo special training
Dr. Lecturer Rüştü Uçan also stated that factory workers do not receive adequate training and that the preference for cheap labor increases risks, saying, “Factory workers and occupational safety specialists need to undergo special training on the risks of working with explosives and these substances.”
Factories must be regularly inspected
Uçan pointed out that it can be said that companies either do not prepare healthy explosion protection documents for every production department and warehouse, or do not have them at all, and stated that such factories should be regularly inspected and their compliance with standards strictly monitored. Dr. Lecturer Rüştü Uçan stated that the standards determined for explosives factories in Europe and the USA are not applied in Turkey, and that this situation increases the severity of accidents.
Uçan also made evaluations regarding the Regulation on Explosive Materials for Civilian Use. Uçan:
“Pursuant to Article 15 of the Regulation on the Certification, Market Placement, and Supervision of Explosive Materials for Civilian Use, this Regulation has been prepared by taking into account the European Union's Directive 93/15/EEC on Civilian Explosive Materials. In accordance with Annex-1 of the aforementioned regulation, compliance with the stated technical safety conditions during the manufacture, storage, and supply of explosive materials is mandatory. The general rules on this matter are as follows:
1- Every explosive material, until the moment of its use, especially in terms of safety rules and standard practices, must be designed, manufactured, and supplied under normal, foreseeable conditions to minimize dangers to human life and health, and to prevent damage to property and the environment.
2- Each explosive material must have the characteristics specified by the manufacturer to ensure the highest level of safety and reliability.
3- Each explosive material must be designed and produced in such a way that it can be neutralized using appropriate techniques, with minimal harm to the environment.
It has been reported in the press that the capsule manufacturing unit was the starting point of the aforementioned explosion. Here, as a general condition, the environment must not be affected by humidity, the amount of explosive must be limited to daily or half-daily needs, and also, the special annexes of the aforementioned Regulation must be complied with.”
Dr. Uçan also drew attention to the necessity of conducting scientific studies on these subjects in universities and added:
There is a need for doctoral and thesis studies…
“There is a need for doctoral and thesis studies on these topics. Unfortunately, in our country, Occupational Health and Safety as a scientific discipline is only found under social policy, within Labor Economics. As a result, doctoral and thesis studies are generally conducted on Occupational Safety culture. Urgently, an occupational safety scientific field should be opened under natural sciences. Financial support should be provided by the Council of Higher Education for doctoral and postgraduate theses on topics such as fire and explosion. Furthermore, this Occupational Health and Safety department, which is related to human health, should not offer courses through distance education.”