Worker killed in chemical factory explosion in Niigata

What happened to Japan rigorous quality and standard?

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-41578940

Quality control and safety control are different issues, but they ideed share common causes. Without details it is impossible to to judge what went wrong. RIP

were cutting pipes at chemical maker Denka Co's plant in Itoigawa on Japan's coast facing the Sea of Japan when the explosion occurred,

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Maybe something inside the pipe reacted to the cutting tool.

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Another possibility is the cutting tool was the thing that exploded.

What type of cutting tool was it ?

Did it use a flame or a cutting disc for cutting ?

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Only after an investigation will we know what happened.

When reading their company profile they have quite a range of sophisticated chemical products on offer in their products palette. So I guess, it’s really very difficult even for an expert and company insider to quickly say what’s in a specific pipe and if it’s safe to work on it or to cut it or even when valves closed such a pipe still might contain something dangerous or a potentially exploding substance or gas in it, hurting or contaminating directly workers or bystanders. Just don’t touch a working system, you know.

 Accidents happen but this to me sounds like gross negligence.

Based on what? You have no idea what happened.

I have worked in many dangerous heavy chemical plants that need constant care and attention to what is happening. Arsenic no taste or smell. Phosphorus acid ignites in the air. Too many workers died in those places. Refineries with boiling liquid metal. I could write a horror book on accidents.

If they were pipes carrying chemicals or gases they are usually flushed before any work begins. But that is usually the operator and not the tradesmen/engineer. There are mistakes made and then it goes wrong.

Cutting pipes, sparks would be released which obviously ignited something highly flammable. Health and safety are secondary to work output in Japan. RIP

@Phillip bear Point well taken!! This is the case in most post.

*I feel that it is fine for JT to publish stories as they get them, as long as they fact check sufficiently what is published. Not all information is available fast enough. They can then update when more facts arrive. It is up to those commenting to refrain from speculating, or extrapolating, too much where there are not sufficient facts (from JT or other sources) to do so.*