​ Tianjin, China Chemical Storage Facility Explosion - A few lessons from this terrible tragedy.

Death toll in Tianjin explosions reaches 112; more than 90 still missing Read on at CNN
A few lessons from this terrible tragedy.

• China still lags in worker protection and environmental regulations
• The capacity to identify exact mix of chemicals in an explosion of this type is extremely challenging
• First responders are at high risk especially if there are multiple explosions
• Population densities in and around incident sites is a key factor in human death/injury outcomes (About 90,000 people live within a 5-kilometer radius of this blast site, the China Earthquake Networks Center said.)(In Bhopal,India tragedy many workers lived on the plant property)
• Post explosion toxicities in the environment are difficult to assess
• Local Hospitals must drill for such events
• Follow up environmental and human testing must be ongoing until enough data is compiled to ensure that possible long term environmental and human effects are understood
• Trust in Government needs to improve accurate and timely reporting
  

Thanks for the link via Rick Lippin MD, FACOEM