Bhopal Crisis Management

Paper Summary:

This document discusses the Bhopal Disaster that occurred in 1984 in Bhopal India. The paper discusses how Union Carbide accidentally released over 40 tons of methyl isocyanate, a pesticide chemical, into the surrounding city streets of Bhopal. Since this gaseous form of the chemical was heavier than air it quickly spread among the busy community and ultimately resulted in over 15000 deaths. This research examines the character of Union Carbide's crisis management and its disavowal of any responsibility whatsoever in the accident as well as its guilt avoidance communication strategies that misinformed almost every constituent of the corporation.

From the Paper:

"In 1984, what has become known as the Bhopal Disaster occurred at a Union Carbide pesticide plant that was located within the center of Bhopal, India in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. Many researchers claim this is the single most disastrous industrial accident in history (Hopfl & Matilal, 2005). The accident began with the release over 40 tons of methyl isocyanate, a form of pesticide chemical, that is heavier than air and which subsequently spread at ground level through the busy streets of Bhopal. It is estimated that the escaped gases affected as many as 600,000 individuals although it might be as few as 150,000 but significant in any case (Hopfl & Matilal, 2005)."

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