The Compensation Of Chief Executive Officers Essay

Introduction The compensation of chief executive officers and the methodology used to determine it has become a major topic of debate in the business world. Many people wonder not only why and how it has gotten to be so high, but also why it isn’t distributed amongst other major contributors inside the company, or even amongst the lower ranks of the workforce via an increase in wage rates. One of the more recent theories that provides an explanation to the increase in the pay of chief executive officers is the size of firms relative to earlier years in business development. Xavier Gabaix (2006, p. 50), states that his, â€Å"central equation predicts that a CEOs equilibrium pay is increasing with both the size of his firm and the size of the average firm in the economy.† This theory discusses largely that as the scope of the economy increases, it is only natural that CEOs be compensated at a higher rate. The reasoning behind this is that the CEOs are managing companies of higher value, and thus are in theory putting more work and effort into their companies as well. Based off this theory, it makes complete sense to do this. However, I have set out to see if I can discover any other concrete reasoning behind these often astronomical salaries, and if so, determine if this reasoning is useful in determining salaries across a wide range of industries and structures of very successful publicly traded companies. One of the main reasons I wanted to take a look at bothShow MoreRelatedChief Executive Officer Compensation in the Financial Industry1942 Words   |  8 Pages The issue of chief executive officer compensation is the subject of dilemma in the United States. This dilemma often triggers questions as to who decides what compensation is rewarded, as well as how compensation is rewarded. The government strongly resents the current pay-ration between CEOs and the average salary of American citizens. Since the financial crisis, people have shown their displeasure with the hefty compensation chief executive officers receives. But when stunning management failuresRead MoreCEO Waives Annual Bonus1627 Words   |  7 Pagesone the leading supermarkets in the United Kingdom. The chain was founded in 1899 by William Morrison, with headquarters situated in Bradford, England. At the beginning of 2010, Dalton Philips was appointed Chief Executive Officer of the company. Since becoming the company’s Chief Executive, Dalton Philips has piloted Morrisons into various new business ventures geared towards the growth of profit. The company has introd uced e-commerce as a means of purchasing its goods and launched a series ofRead MoreA Conflict Of Interest Policy For The Board1618 Words   |  7 PagesHelp protect its Tax exempt status as the Board operates in a manner consistent with their charitable purpose, properly oversee the activities of its directors, and pays no more than reasonable compensation to affiliated physicians and other highly compensated employees like the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operations Officer’s. d) Identify Independent Directors. e) Fulfill part requirements for filing IRS form 990. f) Incorporate procedures for transactions with Directors in order to help avoidRead MoreU.s. Securities And Exchange Commission1660 Words   |  7 Pagesdebates over wages and compensation have been a growing topic of concern. Many people feel that they are entitled to earn more than they currently are. The comparison of executive wages and worker wages has created a backlash from the American public due to the extreme differences in pay. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission adopted the mandate by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act that requires public companies to release their chief executive officers pay in relationshipRead MoreTesla s Executive Compensation Policy1700 Words   |  7 Pages657 â€Å"Tesla’s Executive Compensation Policy†Ã‚ ¬ Edward E. Lalwer, a major contributor to theory, research, and practice in the fields of human resources management, compensation, organizational development, and organizational effectiveness, states an effective compensation system will support an organization s overall strategy as executive s impact many areas. Executive compensation is a business expense that should be reasonable and competitive because money spent on compensation is not availableRead MoreThe Ethics Behind A Ceo Making 600 Times More Than An Average Worker1440 Words   |  6 Pagesnowhere,† David Bonior (D-MI) has argued. Why is it that Chief Executive Officers of large companies are making upwards of 500 times more than their average worker? And why are some CEOs only making $1 per year in salary? This paper gives a forefront for different types of CEOs, including big box retail, technology, and mom-and-pop shops, and how their salaries affect those under them. Method The Facts Twenty years ago, Chief Executive Officers of companies only made approximately 35 times more thanRead MoreTop 10 Ceo in the World705 Words   |  3 PagesTop 10 CEO Highest Paid in Compensation as of 2011 1. Apple CEO Tim Cook was the highest-paid chief executive at a public U.S. company in 2011 with total compensation of $378 million. After becoming CEO in August 2011, Apple had record profits in the first quarter of $13.06 billion. Equilar, an executive compensation data firm, compiled a list of CEO pay of companies with revenue over $5 billion that filed annual proxy statements by March 30, 2012. (Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) 2. OracleRead MoreHow An Employee Is Compensated855 Words   |  4 Pagestheir fellow coworkers and their ability to generate profit in addition to many other skills required for their position. When companies take into account all of these attributes how do they determine how much money employee should receive? Chief executive officers are responsible for a company’s success or failure, all responsibility is placed on their shoulders, so how much payment should CEO’s receive? According to entrepreneur.com an employee is an investment, â€Å"You never want to pay more than theRead MoreOverview of Bluescope Steel Company1093 Words   |  4 Pageswho include the Chairman, Deputy Chairman,  the Managing Director, Chief Executive Officer and six Non-Executive Directors. The company executive leadership team sees to the day-to-day administration of the company. Other executive team of the company is the Chief Executives of each region which the company is opera ting. For example, the company has a chief executive officer for Australia and New Zealand, and a Chief executive officer for Asia. Other management team is the President of BlueScope inRead MoreWhat Are The Best Practices For A Cio Policy Per The Irs? Essay804 Words   |  4 Pagesis considered lower level employee? Issue #3: What are the best practices for a CIO policy per the IRS? Issue #4: Does our COI policy comply with these best practices? CONCLUSION: Issue #1: Lakewood’s current COI policy applies to any director, officer, member of a committee with board delegated powers or senior staff member with any direct or indirect financial interest in respect to any outreach or exempt function. Issue #2: The current CIO policy does not apply to any employees who are not considered

Charles Dickens’ Novel, A Tale of Two Cities Essay

The French Revolution mainly took place in the city of Paris during the late 1700’s. The Revolution did not only affect the people of France, but also the citizens of England as well. The French Revolution is known as one of the most brutal and inhumane periods of history. If one studied the beliefs and views of the people involved at the time, one would see a reoccurring theme of â€Å" being recalled to life†. Born from the world of literature, Charles Dickens’ novel, A Tale of Two Cities takes a deeper look at the culture of the late 1700’s, in both England and France. Dickens uses the character of Lucie Manette to further examine one of the major themes presented in the novel, consisting of the belief of one being†¦show more content†¦Although the â€Å"rebirth† does not take place right then Lucie’s love for her father is never doubted for even a second. In chapter six, when she sees her father for the very first time Lucie says to him, â€Å"†¦that your agony is over...I have come here to take you from it...† (49), this marks the beginning of the doctor’s rebirth. Through this statement Dickens has Lucie promising that she will do anything for her father out of pure love. As the Manette’s travel back to England, in time it becomes clear that Lucie’s love towards her father is beginning to have an impact on his behavior. In chapter five, of the second book Dr. Manette is able to carry on a complete conversation, which shows the readers that he is regaining his sanity. Later on in chapter seven of the third book, Dickens reminds his readers again of how far Dr.Manette has come since that first day in the Defarge’s attic, â€Å"No garret, no shoemaking, no One Hundred and Five, North Tower, now! He had accomplished the task he had set himself†¦ (285-6). It is at this moment that the reader knows he has been resorted back to his old self before he was in prison. T hroughout all the hardship and pain the doctor has to endure, his daughter Lucie never leaves his side. As Lucie continues to care for her father she also has another dear friend she begins to help, Sydney Carton. Unlike Lucie, when the reader is firstShow MoreRelatedJustified Killing in the Novel, A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens587 Words   |  2 PagesWould an average civilian help an innocent person whom they didn’t know if their life was in danger? Is everyone capable of killing under the right circumstances? This is one of the questions being analyzed during a unit on the Charles Dickens novel, A Tale of Two Cities at Washington Community High School. Some staff members at this high school agree that every person is capable of killing another human or animal if the conditions suggest it. There is some evidence to propose that the opposite isRead MoreA Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens Essay1393 Words   |  6 Pagescritical acclaim, A Tale of Two Cities occ upies a central place in the cannon of Charles Dickens’ work. A Tale of Two Cities, published in serial form starting on April 30, 1859, is a historical fiction novel. A dominant theme in this historical novel is the duality found in many of Dickens’ characters. Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities is somewhat autobiographical; emphasizes the key elements of theme, plot, and character; and has received extensive criticism. A Tale of Two Cities is told in three partsRead MoreCharles Dickens A Great Writer1105 Words   |  5 PagesOctober 2015 Remembering Charles Dickens Charles Dickens is a famous author who wrote numerous books which were enjoyed by many throughout the years. His books are known xquisite characters and real-life settings. Charles experienced difficult times as a young boy (â€Å"Charles Dickens† par. 7). These difficult times followed him throughout his life. He uses ideas from these struggles to express his feelings through the books he writes. The many struggles of Charles Dickens’ early childhood greatlyRead MoreA Tale Of Two Cities And The French Revolution1006 Words   |  5 PagesA Tale of Two Cities was a story about sacrifice and revenge before and during revolutionary France. Charles Dickens thought that if things did not change, then a violent revolution in England, similar to the French Revolution, was possible or in the future. In â€Å"A Tale of Two Cities†, Charles Dickens symbolizes the discord that the English and the French faced as he tears apart the two systems of their society. Charles Dickens, a brilliant author back in the 1850’s, wrote â€Å"A Tale of Two Cities†Read More A Tale of Four Novels1596 Words   |  7 Pages Charles Dickens once stated, My faith in the people governing is, on the whole, infinitesimal; my faith in the people is, on the whole, illimitable.(Fido 102), this is certainly reflected in A tale of two cities, which is a historical novel written by Dickens that outlines the events of the French Revolution through the story of a French aristocrat named Charles Darnay. Darnay is a Parisian aristocrat that renounces his aristocracy in order to pursue a new life in London where he falls in loveRead MoreTale Of Two Cities Juxtaposition Analysis980 Words   |  4 PagesJuxtaposition is the comparison of two things put close together. It is evident that the stylistic element of juxtaposition plays a pivotal role in Charles Dickens’ world renowned novel, A Tale of Two Cities. In A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens u tilizes juxtaposition to add a depth of meaning, specifically to illuminate socioeconomic disparities and unrest during the French Revolution, which is evident through the first chapter, the excessiveness aristocrats and the anguish of the peasants,Read MoreA Tale of Two Cities800 Words   |  4 Pages Charles Dickens characterizes the settings in his novel, â€Å"A Tale of Two Cities,† through indirect comparison and contrast between Paris and London during the French Revolution, a political and social upheaval from 1789–1799; â€Å"There was a king with a large jaw and a queen with a plain face on the throne of England; there was a king with a large jaw and a queen with a fair face on the throne of France. In both countries it was clearer than crystal to the lords of the State preserves of loaves andRead MoreA Tale of Two Cities, by Charles Dickens1420 Words   |  6 Pagesfellow countrymen set a gruesome scene in the cities and country sides of France. Charles Dickens uses a palate of storm, wine, and blood imagery in A Tale of Two Cities to paint exactly how tremendously brutal this period of time was. Dickens use of storm imagery throughout his novel illustrates to the reader the tremulous, fierce, and explosive time period in which the course of events takes place. Dicken’s use of illustrating storms throughout the novel serves the important purpose of showing theRead MoreCharles Dickens was one of the Brightest and Most Influential Writers of His Time1325 Words   |  5 Pages The British writer Charles Dickens was one of the brightest and most influential people of his time. His many writings, including Great Expectations and A Christmas Carol, have been efficacious in many lives and have created a legacy of classics that will be read forever. Dickens, who was born in Portsmouth, England, was raised in a poor family, in which he had to work instead of attending school. Although not being able to go to school was detrimental to Charles, it gave him a chance to begin hisRead MoreThe Life of the Famous Author Charles Dickens899 Words   |  4 PagesCharles Dickens was bo rn in Portsmouth, England, on February 7, 1812, to John and Elizabeth Dickens. He was the second of eight children. His mother had been in service to Lord Crew, and his father worked as a clerk for the Naval Pay office. John Dickens was imprisoned for debt when Charles was young. Charles Dickens went to work at a blacking warehouse, managed by a relative of his mother, when he was twelve, and his brush with hard times and poverty affected him deeply. He later recounted these

Advertising Business As The Commercial Persuasion Industry

2) Rob Walker refers to the advertising business as the â€Å"commercial persuasion industry† and offers the notion of â€Å"murketing† as this industry’s current method of operation. a. What is â€Å"Murketing?† (Do not cite Wikipedia) Murketing, as described by Rob Walker, is a marketing approach in which â€Å"the line between brand channels and everyday life† is blurred or unclear (Walker, 2008). As he pointed out, the dialogue that was prominent in previous marketing campaigns appears to be missing. For example, who is the targeted audience, why you should purchase these products, questions which are longer prominent (or at least not transparent) (Walker, 2008) What Walker described as the â€Å"murketing† phenomenon is also articulated by other authors such as Anthony J. Cortese. Cortese asserted, â€Å"Now, in order to market a brand, advertisers usually have to use a very soft sell. It is so soft that the product is not the focus and is, in fact, often jettisonable. It is not that advertising no longer wishes to be authoritative; rather, ads and commercials get the consumer’s attention by proclaiming their presence or participation and matter-of-factly admitting their ulterior motiv e-to sell their brand merchandise (Cortese, 2008). Murketing, therefore, allows consumers to place their own definition of value to the product. b. What effect does Walker see it having on us? Walkers contends, contrary to the belief that consumers have developed into a â€Å"clever new creature,† who areShow MoreRelated Health Hoax By Fast Food Companies Essay1469 Words   |  6 PagesFor decades the Fast-food industry has supplied Americans with tasty, comforting food, quickly and for a low cost. It was not until recently, when the health craze first hit America in the late 1980’s that the corporations developed a new approach to marketing their food products to fit their customer’s wants. Even the most common fast food chains, such as McDonalds and Subway started advertising â€Å"healthier† food items on their menus to continue appealing to the general public. While fast food restaurantsRead MoreMedia Influences On Children s Life1742 Words   |  7 Pagespeople’s life, but are Americans fully aware that food industries generally targets children? The lawsuit brought by two teenagers, Ms. Bradley a 19 years old, weighs 270 pounds, Ms. Pelman a 14 years old, weighs 170 pounds, was whether McDonald’s was responsible for their obesity because McDonald’s did not provide the necessary information about the health risks associated with its meals that they eat. Placing the blame into the fast food industry for allegedly contributing to their obesity and healthRead MoreTaking a Look at Manipulative Advertising773 Words   |  3 Pages​The meaning of advertising is the act or practice of calling public attention to ones product, service, need, etc(cited in Collins English Dictionary). It has various forms such as televisions, newspapers, magazines, radios, mobiles, books, mailboxes, and through the networks. Advertising has become a part of our daily lives, and it affects our way of life because advertisements are everywhere: in the streets, supermarkets, shops and malls. In fact, advertising is one of the most influentialRead MoreEssay about The Fast Food Health Scam 1564 Words   |  7 PagesF or decades the Fast-food industry has supplied Americans with tasty, comforting food, quickly and at a low cost. It was not until recently, when the health craze first hit America in the late 1980’s that the corporations developed a new approach to marketing health food products to fit their customer’s wants (Nielsen). The most common fast food chains, such as McDonalds and Subway, started advertising â€Å"healthier† food items on their menus to continue appealing to the general public. While fastRead MoreBig Mac Essay1252 Words   |  6 Pagesï » ¿Haley Spencer Professor Flood English 101 20 October 2014 Big Mac with a Side of Apples and a Diet Coke For decades the fast-food industry has supplied Americans with tasty, comforting food, quickly and for a low cost. It was not until recently, when the health craze first hit America in the late 1980’s that corporations developed a new approach to marketing health food products to fit their customer’s wants. Fast Food companies trick their costumers into believing the fast-food is healthier byRead More Advertising Manipulates People Essay1111 Words   |  5 PagesIn our society, we are constantly surrounded by advertising. From the time our alarm clock wakes us up in the morning until we set it at night, our brains are bombarded with advertisements. Ads play a huge role in our lives, telling us what to buy, what car to drive, how our families should interact, and what we should look like. The business of Advertising is built on persuasion. Advertisements attempt to persuade us that we are not rich enough, pretty enough, thin enough, family oriented enoughRead MoreMcdona lds Advertising1454 Words   |  6 PagesAdvertising generally tries to sell the things that consumers want even if they should not wish for them. Adverting things that consumers do not yearn for is not effective use of the advertiser’s money. A majority of what advertisers sell consists of customer items like food, clothing, cars and services-- things that people desire to have. On the other hand it is believed by some advertising experts that the greatest influence in advertising happens in choosing a brand at the point of sale.   AdvertisingRead More The Effects of Advertising Essay2130 Words   |  9 Pagesdirect mail advertising, and almost 50 phone calls from telemarketers (Pratkanis and Aronson 2). All these, because sellers of everything, from computers to detergents, believe that advertising is essential to the product. Ed Ney, ex-chairman of the Young and Rubicam American agency, refers to the mid seventies when many firms still had as a debatable issue if they should advertise or not. Those days have passed. As Ney says, that has happened, because it has been proved that advertising is beneficialRead MorePublicizing Information in Propaganda Techniques831 Words   |  3 Pagespolitics for posing unfair competition (Gardner). However, the contemporary business environment has recently advanced and perfected the use of propaganda in its numerous forms. The major propaganda techniques include assertion, bandwagon, card stacking, glittering generalities, lesser of two evils, name calling, pinpointing th e enemy, plain folks, simplification, transfer and testimonials (Conserva). The current day advertising techniques is widely employ propaganda to gain an extra advantage in popularizingRead MoreSponsorship Is A Marketing Communication Tool1281 Words   |  6 Pagessponsorship is the ‘provision of assistance either financial or in kind to an activity by a commercial organization for the purpose of achieving commercial objectives’, so a commercial organization could get more exposure to the audience on the new platform of sponsored activity, for instance sports competitions, which functions as the connection of the organization with the consumers. Although advertising may have the same objectives as sponsorship, sponsorship has its unique characteristics. Advertisements

Henry Giroux Rhetorical Analysis Essay - 1351 Words

Michaela Sheppard Dr. Carola Mattord English 1102 February 12, 2013 Rethinking Giroux’s Disney In Henry Giroux’s book, â€Å"The Mouse that Roared† he argues that Disney animated movies lead to the end of innocence in children. He focuses mainly on the images that Disney portrays towards gender roles and gender stereotyping. He primarily targets the issues that women are portrayed as being subordinate to men and are viewed as property and objects of desire instead of as human beings. Giroux is unconvincing in his argument because he writes above the level of thinking and comprehension that most children who are exposed to Disney films would posses; by focusing on specific scenes, while ignoring the overall morals throughout the rest of†¦show more content†¦Giroux argues that in Beauty and the Beast, Belle teaches young women that they are responsible for controlling a man’s anger and violence, and that any woman can change an abusive man into a Prince. However many children are going to be focused on the dancing, singing furniture rather than analyzing the message Giroux interprets; that Belle is just a prop used to solve the beast’s dilemma. The age of children that will be most influenced by Disney films, are at a level of thinking where they have not begun to recognize and understand the images that Giroux describes are embedded in the Disney films. Giroux supports his claims by dissecting various scenes from Disney animations to better describe his insinuations on what Disney films teach children. However Giroux tends to over analyze and take certain criteria out of context, and disregards other parts of the movies that would cause some of his analysis to be incorrect. For example he states that â€Å"in Aladdin the issues of agency and power center primarily on the young street tramp Aladdin. Jasmine, the princess he falls in love with, appears as an object of his desire as well as a social stepping-stone.† In the movie however, Aladdin is not in search of power and does n ot view Jasmine as a social-stepping stone, instead he wishes to be a prince in order to be allowed to marryShow MoreRelatedOrganisational Theory230255 Words   |  922 Pagestheory focuses attention on the human issues in organization ‘There is nothing so practical as a good theory’ How Roethlisberger developed a ‘practical’ organization theory Column 1: The core contributing social sciences Column 2: The techniques for analysis Column 3: The neo-modernist perspective Column 4: Contributions to business and management Four combinations of science, scientific technique and the neo-modernist approach reach different parts of the organization Level 1: Developing the organization

Empathy An Integral Model in the Counseling Process

Questions: 1. Why is suicide one of the hardest of all things for someone to bear? 2. What is society's response to suicide? 3. What may surprise and frighten some bereaved clients? 4. Which three things can the counsellow say in order to reassure a bereaved client about the intensity of his feeling? 5. What alarming yet normal phenomena might a bereaved person esperience? 6. Which signs or features may identify someone as requiring special help? 7. Who can a counsellor seek assistance from if he fears his client is at risk of suicide? 8. Why should a counsellor never be afraid to ask direct questions about suicide? 9. Describe the differences betweenj normal denial and pathological denial? 10. Why should the rights of a bereaved person be respoected? Answers: 1. Within the social context, suicide is considered to be the hardest of all things for someone to tolerate especially if someone is really close to the victim. It is majorly because of the various reasons of distresses, the individual feels that the death is the fault of his in some or the other way. Generally, people accept the occurrence of a natural death or that which has been known for a sometime. But, suicide is such a death that is completely unpredictable for the people of a society. It has a violent and brutal face(Clark, 2010). For anyone, the reality of suicide is really harsh to accept, especially that of a closed one. He or she may not be even a bit aware of the probable reason and so hardly bears the reality that the victim is gone forever. The concept of suicide makes a bereaved individual quite vulnerable from inside. It becomes intolerable for him to accept and adjust the sheer absence of the loved one. 2. Society has a vivid response towards the concept of suicide. When such a violent incident occurs, it is a common belief and thinking of people that someone has to take the blame of such a reality, and hence the society responses in a way that it has to lay the entire blame upon the person who is the closest to the deceased. The consequence is even worse than mere lack of sympathy. The society is said to response so as to accuse some or the other for occurrence of such an incident. The reaction is severe if the accusation is accepted, and if denied it would draw serious interference along with the process of mourning (Douglas and Morris, 2015). The societys response towards suicide is negative. It has been a common response of society that suicide means a blame on an individual or situations that led to such an incident. It has more to do with the guilt of an individual than that of personal weaknesses. The response of society can be interpreted variedly; more preferred is that of linking the blame of such an incident with someone very close to the victim. 3. For bereaved individuals, suicide may appear to be a drastic solution to counteract the issue of bereavement. It is often deemed to be an approach of attaining reunion with the loved one who is dead. Suicide may even end the process of grievances, misery and alienation. Some of the bereaved clients may feel surprised as well as frightened because of the sheer intensity of their imagining as well as emotions, specifically to follow a death which was violent in nature(Haugen and Box, 2006). It is important for them to receive advices from counselors regarding their mental state, whether their feelings and thoughts are normal or not, and whether it is normal to express grief by crying. All these may be imparted explicitly as well as by attitude which reflects that the counselor is least alarmed or surprised or frightened by any of such feelings. 4. When a bereaved client approaches a counselor, there are some aspects that the counselor must clarify before initiating the aid process. It is important for the counselor to assess and know at the very beginning about the mental condition of the bereaved individuals. He may ask question like as to how the client interprets the given situation, how he feels about the whole thing, and that of his entire thought and feelings if the situation (Hughes, 2003). Discussion on these matters would enable the client to speak his heart out to the counselor and that the counselor would receive an idea about the current mental state and condition of the bereaved individual. It is by means of a continued question session followed by discussion that the mental condition of the bereaved individual can be assessed and identified. 5. It is quite significant to understand that all those who try helping the bereaved must know the normal thing. All bereaved clients are so shocked by the unusual feelings of grievances that they often feel they are going insane and that of abnormalities. Such feeling is witnessed during experience of intense feelings of bitterness or anger, but can arise in context to perception disturbances(Neimeyer, 2000). Another common indication of insanity is that of hallucination and may be alarming towards those clients experiencing hypnagogic hallucination of someone dead. Clients may be reassured of the normality of such phenomenon. Another alarming source is vivid nightmare. Distraction, difficulty in memorizing things and minor sense of unreality are some attributes of specific reaction of bereavement which may result in client concerns. 6. From various situations that a client goes through, it may be easily predicted if the client needs some help and support or not. The absence of grief at a situation where grief was expected, prolonged physical symptoms, cases of panic, excessive guilt feelings or anger or intense grief much beyond normal state must be considered to be the signs or indications that the client need some help. The signs must not be interpreted that the client is going through the phase of insanity as psychosis like that may seem quite rare outcome of bereavement( , 2007). Clients exhibiting theses sings need special care and support. The counselor determines that the bereaved individual needs support and help when he feels observes some unusual behavior in the client. When situations become tougher and severe, it starts reflecting upon the individual who has been exposed to the adversities of such situations. 7. Despite efforts of counselors, if it is assessed that the client is at worsening condition and for any reason the counselor feels that his support is not adequate for the client to recover from such a situation, he must seek advices from experts in this field. General practitioner must be brought to the picture. The client should be given assistances of psychiatrist and this would be effective and helpful if it is predicted that the client has a tendency of suicide. Often situation may get severe and worsening for counselors(Westefeld, 2000). They may feel and realize the need for improved and more effective treatment rather than mere discussion and problem-hearing. It is then that they feel the need to recommend the bereaved individuals to psychiatrists of other medical experts. 8. Counselors must not be afraid of asking direct questions related to suicide to the clients. it is important that the counselor comes to the actual matter of concern directly rather than going round and round. It is quite common that the bereaved individual would say that he would not care if he dies the very next day, and remarks like that may make the counselor little concerns. However, a client who seriously thinks of ending his life somehow must be recommended to a psychiatrist. In case if the client refuses to seek help from a psychiatrist, then at least the counselor must provide advices to the bereaved client(Townsend and Bagby, 2006). Normally, a bereaved person always tells about his intention to someone. Any direct question regarding such aspects to a client evokes him to answer directly if he has contemplated seriously such an action. Normally people feel scared to mention about suicide as if it would really occur if they mention. However, if a counselor asks a simple qu estion if that it had been so hard for him that he had decided to end his life can actually help him save a life. 9. The main distinction amidst normal and pathological denial is that within normal denial, substitute process is perceived to appear either conscious like soldier fighting for flags, and even unconscious but socially acceptable like old maid keeping pet as a companion. On the other hand, pathological denial refers to unconscious substitute to defend intention. It is one of the displacements like we learn from dreams or a primary source(Reis and Cornell, 2008). 10. Bereaved individuals have several rights like that of the right to expect considerate care for sake of their loved ones being dead. These rights must be respected by one and all. It is because then the society respects these rights of the bereaved individuals, it actually becomes easier for the bereaved individuals to bear the grief of losing loved ones(Paulson and Worth, 2002). When bereaved individuals are faced with grief situations, they need considerable care and concern from the society. Hence, some key rights are granted to them. When the society grants these rights and shows considerable respect towards these, the bereaved individuals feel pacified and relaxed and thus it becomes easier for them to accept the grief situation and move on. Adequate care and concern help them forget recover from such situations easily and steadily. References Clark, A. (2010). Empathy: An Integral Model in the Counseling Process.Journal of Counseling Development, 88(3), pp.348-356. Douglas, K. and Morris, C. (2015). Assessing Counselors' Self-Efficacy in Suicide Assessment and Intervention.Counseling Outcome Research and Evaluation. Haugen, D. and Box, M. (2006).Suicide. Farmington Hills, MI: Greenhaven Press/Thomson Gale. Hughes, R. (2003). Suicide Grief Work and Pastoral Counseling.American Journal of Pastoral Counseling, 6(2), pp.43-62. Neimeyer, R. (2000). Suicide and Hastened Death: Toward a Training Agenda for Counseling Psychology.The Counseling Psychologist, 28(4), pp.551-560. Paulson, B. and Worth, M. (2002). Counseling for Suicide: Client Perspectives.Journal of Counseling Development, 80(1), pp.86-93. Reis, C. and Cornell, D. (2008). An Evaluation of Suicide Gatekeeper Training for School Counselors and Teachers.Professional School Counseling, 11(6), pp.386-394. Townsend, L. and Bagby, D. (2006).Suicide. Nashville, Tenn.: Abingdon Press. Westefeld, J. (2000). Introduction to the Major Contribution on Suicide.The Counseling Psychologist, 28(4), pp.443-444.  , (2007). Suicide Postvention in Schools.koreajournalofcounseling, 8(1), pp.161-180.

Bhopal free essay sample

This case was created by the International Dimensions of Ethics Education in Science and Engineering (IDEESE) Project at the University of Massachusetts Amherst with support from the National Science Foundation under grant number 0734887. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. More information about the IDEESE and copies of its modules can be found at http://www. mass. edu/sts/ethics.  © 2008 IDEESE Project. Bhopal Gas Disaster Chronology The timeline below documents the incidents leading up to and resulting from the 1984 Bhopal Plant Disaster. Use the key below to quickly find information on government measures relating to specific organizations, Indian national legislation, casualties, and economic conditions and profitability. A timeline documenting ensuing legislation can be found at the end of the main chronology. Key brown = central (India), state (Madhya Pradesh), or city (Bhopal) government measures relating specifically to UCC, UCIL, Bhopal plant, or immediate neighborhood of plant green = general India national legislation relevant to conduct of business red = casualty-producing plant incidents violet = economic conditions relevant to Bhopal plant profitability ___________________________________________________________________________ UCIL= Union Carbide (India) Limited UCC= Union Carbide Corporation 956 Indian Parliament adopts Companies Act of 1956 which requires affiliates of foreign companies to register as separate companies under Indian law and imposes limits on foreign investment and participation in all Indian companies. Union Carbide reduces its share of ownership in its Indian subsidiary (then called National Carbon Company (India) Limited from 100% to 60% in accordance with new Indian law by registering as an Indian company and selling shares to Indian citizens. All but one or two UCIL board members, all UCIL executives, and all regular or seasonal employees are Indian nationals. 1966 Indian market for fertilizers and pesticides is expanding as government adopts a range of policies, including efforts to increase yields and reduce post-harvest losses of crops to pests, to make India self-sufficient in food. India had depended heavily on outside food aid in earlier part of the decade, and government wished to end this. The domestic production of pesticides in 1966 is 14,000 metric tonnes, well short of what the government wants to supply to farmers. Union Carbide India Ltd (UCIL) establishes a new Agricultural Products Division to take advantage of growing Indian market for fertilizers and pesticides. Initial activity involves only local formulation (diluting â€Å"technical grade† concentrate to make products for sale to users). UCIL applies for license to carry out the whole production process in India. 2 of 19 1968 Government of India approves UCIL plans to build fertilizer/pesticide formulation plant in Bhopal. State of Madhya Pradesh leases land in the Kali Parade area of Bhopal for the plant to UCIL on a 99-year lease in an area zoned for industrial use. The area around plant is relatively unpopulated at time though there are two lakes nearby and the main Bhopal railroad station was about 2 miles from the plant site. Total population of City of Bhopal is estimated to be about 300,000 (the 1961 census put it at 102,000 but considerable in-migration from surrounding countryside had occurred). Adoption of India’s 4th five-year plan, to run 1969-74. Plan goals include reducing â€Å"unwholesome dependency on foreign agencies,† particularly foreign corporations. The Plan outlines goals of requiring foreign investors to enter into joint ventures rather than establish wholly-owned subsidiaries, and reaffirms requirements to train and employ Indian nationals at all levels of operation, to use made-in-India equipment and components whenever they are available, and to transfer technology to Indian affiliates. These requirements meant that the government was strongly interested in having chemical plants located within the country develop capacity to undertake all steps from raw material through intermediate chemicals through final product on-site rather than relying on imported intermediates. 969 Bhopal plant begins operating. Initial operations consisted of making raw fertilizer and formulating (diluting to usable strengths) pesticides with US-origin â€Å"technical grade† chemical concentrates. UCIL industrial chemists develop a method of producing alpha-napthol that UCIL anticipates being able to scale up to economically competitive prod uction volumes. UCIL is reconsidering its business plan as the large-scale making of alpha-napthol turns out to be more challenging than it anticipated. Government of India begins pressing UCC and UCIL to have UCIL plants shift from formulation using US-source chemicals to full production in India. It makes issuing an operating license for the Bhopal plant conditional on its using domestically-made alpha-napthol. Government of India establishes National Committee for Environmental Planning and Coordination. 1970 1972 1973 Indian Parliament adopts Foreign Exchange Regulation Act 1973. Among other strong controls on flows of money in and out of India it establishes a scheme for government control over Indian firms’ decisions on hiring foreigners as employees or contractors. Indian Government approves UCC-UCIL Design Transfer Agreement and Technical Services Agreement under which UCC will provide the basic process design of a plant capable of producing SEVIN (a carbaryl pesticide used on cotton and other crops) and training for Indian operators of plant. Design Transfer Agreement limits UCC to provision of the process design and materials specification. Detailing the design and building the plant are to be undertaken by Indians nationals employed by or contracting with UCIL. Government also uses powers to license technology imports to guide selection of suppliers of components for plant to Indian firms as much as possible. 3 of 19 Engineers employed by UCIL who will be involved in plant design visit UCC Technical Center in West Virginia to earn about US plant specifications and start process of adapting them to India’s conditions. 1974 Indian Parliament adopts legislation requiring that Indian companies partly owned by foreigners reduce foreigners’ ownership share. For companies with 60% foreign ownership, the new legal maximum is 50. %. UCIL complies by the end of 1978 through sale of additional shares of stock offered only to Indians; these shares were held by 24,000 different persons or entities, with the Government of India itself holding 25% of UCIL stock. Indian Parliament adopts Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) and Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Acts. These establish the central government as the main standard-s etter while leaving enforcement to state governments. Both Acts increase penalties for causing pollution but do not specify any emissions or ambient standards. 975 New Master Plan for City of Bhopal establishes a separate district for â€Å"hazardous industry† in an open area 15 miles from center of town, and zone the area where UCIL’s plant has been constructed for commercial and light, non-hazardous, industry only. City authorities want UCIL to move its operations to this area. Indian Government licenses UCIL to produce up to 5,000 tons of carbaryl pesticides a year in Bhopal plant UCIL hires Humphreys and Glasgow Consultants Private Limited, an Indian subsidiary of Londonbased Humphreys and Glasgow, to detail the plant design and supervise construction. 976 Madhya Pradesh Town and Country Planning Board classifies the UCIL plant as â€Å"general industry† rather than â€Å"hazardous industry. † This allows plant to stay in its established location rath er than move to Bhopal’s new hazardous industry zone. Bhopal plant begins production of pesticides and begins $2. 5 million project to expand alphanapthol production unit to accommodate Sevin production. India hit by drought; farmers need loans from government to ride out the loss of harvests. They also cut back on pesticide purchases. 1978 Bhopal plant’s new alpha-napthol unit’s components fail soon after startup. 2 million reconstruction project begun. Production of pesticides continues using alpha-napthol imported from UCC’s US plants. 31 Oct 1977 4 of 19 UCC and UCIL decide to shift Bhopal plant to methyl isocyanite (MIC) process to produce SEVIN because parent UCC regarded this process as more economical and efficient than its previous way of producing it. New Bhopal MIC unit based on design of UCC’s MIC unit in Institute, West Virginia. (See separate page on alternative methods for production of SEVIN or similar carbamate pesticides. winter P rogress review of Bhopal project at UCC headquarters. Concerns about cost of building plant and reduced estimates of potential pesticide sales lead to consideration of whether Bhopal project can be scaled back. Decision is to continue as construction is too far advanced. Welding spark ignites nearby chemicals because welder unaware of and supervisor did not point out nearby flammables. Fire causes Rs. 6. 2 million ($730,000) in property damage, but no injuries to workers. 20 UCIL engineers sent to UCC’s West Virginia MIC plant for training in plant operation and safety. UCC engineers sent to India for pre-startup inspection of Bhopal plant report multiple deficiencies in safety measures. They also advise UCIL management of need to develop contingency plan for alerting and evacuating nearby population in event of major gas leak. UCIL management later reports it had developed such plans; city and state government officials claimed in 1984 that they were not aware of any such plans. UCC Eastern Division brings up question of Bhopal plant at a global strategy meeting because of concern that it, like Institute WV plant, is too large for the market. Proposals to export part of Bhopal plant’s production are not adopted because of potential negative effects on UCC subsidiaries in other countries. UCC sends 8 US engineers and technicians to Bhopal plant to assist with startup and early operation of MIC unit. 1980 Government loans to farmers come due. Farmers shift to less expensive pesticides. Many of the newer pesticides are synthetic pyrethroids that are also safer in Indian conditions than carbaryl types like Sevin. Indian Government upgrades National Committee for Environmental Planning to cabinet-level Department of Environment. Both national and most state governments (including Madhya Pradesh) have Pollution Control Boards to inspect and enforce environmental laws. March Government approves UCIL application to retain 1 UCC engineer through 31 May 1981; renews approval through 31 May 1982 and then to 31 December 1982. 7 of the 8 UCC engineers and technicians sent from West Virginia return home. The remaining engineer continues to serve as plant manager until June 1982, then remains as a consultant. 24 Nov 1978-79 1979 June 5 of 19 fall A second UCC engineer team visits the Bhopal plant and repeats warnings about ack of contingency plan. Rebuilt alpha-napthol unit started up; fails again and is shut down. Alpha-napthol imports continue. Bhopal plant returns a modest profit for the year. National census puts City of Bhopal population at 895,815. Significant populations of recent arrivals from the countryside have settled in shanty towns near UCIL plant. 1981 June UCIL/UCC review of Bhopal plant operation show s that the variable cost of producing alphanapthol in Bopal is 4x the US cost and the variable cost of producing SEVIN in Bhopal are 3. 5x US costs. UCC and UCIL are both aware that new-formula pesticides coming onto market in India and other countries are likely to reduce demand for SEVIN. UCC wants UCIL to import MIC from UCC plant in West Virginia; Government of India refuses permits because it wants the making of MIC undertaken in India. 24 Dec 1 supervisor and 2 workers exposed to phosgene leak during a maintenance operation; one of the workers dies from effects of phosgene inhalation. UCIL management says he was at fault for removing his gas mask; workers claim supervisors gave insufficient warnings. Accident reported to UCC; UCC response plan includes additional training and some design changes. 1982 uncertain 10 Feb Feb UCIL notes growth of shantytowns near the Bhopal plant and asks the city to establish a â€Å"greenbelt† zone around it to prevent further shantytown expansion. City does not act. 25 workers injured when a pump seal fails and significant quantities of MIC, phosgene, and hydrochloric acid gases escape into plant. Some treated on-site; 16 sent to local hospital Workers help a local journalist get into plant; he observes and writes about poor condition of plant and lax safety routines. Local newspaper publishes the story but its warnings that a massive leak is likely are ignored. India Labor Department investigates the Dec. 1981 fatal accident and recommends corrective measures. Bhopal plant is operating at less than half capacity because of weak market for its products. Local competitors making cheaper pesticides continue gaining market share. spring Either UCIL asks UCC to send engineering team to inspect plant, or UCC does on own initiative (accounts vary, usually consistently with author effort to show UCC was or was not in close control of plant during the post-disaster litigation). 6 of 19 2 April May 3 electricians suffer minor burns when one drops a screwdriver into an electrical panel and it shortcircuits. State inspectors recommend better insulation of circuits. UCC engineers inspect Bhopal plant, issue Operational Safety Survey on conditions in plant, warn there is real danger of a runaway reaction; suggest measures to avert danger UCIL management report s to UCC on follow-up, saying they will undertake all suggested measures, but do not act on the recommendation to increase the range of the firewater spraying system from 15 meters to 35 meters so it can reach the top of the MIC vent pipe. The last UCIL communication on followup, dated 26 June 1984, says all changes have been made except one to the SEVIN feed tank, which will be completed when the needed control valve is delivered in about a month. summer Jagannathan Mukund, Indian citizen trained at Institute WV plant, replaces US national Warren Woomer as plant manager. UCIL has to admit failure of efforts to scale up alpha-napthol production; alpha-napthol unit shut down as too unprofitable to run. Worker transfers begin. Aug Sept fall 6 Oct Splash of liquid MIC at plant injures a chemical engineer UCIL applies for extension of its Foreign Collaboration Agreement with UCC through December 1987 so it can continue importing alpha-napthol. Indian government approves UCIL application for renewal of Foreign Collaboration Agreement with UCC, but only to 1 Jan 1985. Leaks of MIC, hydrochloric acid, and chloroform injure 3 workers seriously enough to require brief hospitalization; 15 others less affected are given first aid at plant. Some panic in neighboring shantytown. State inspectors note several violations of normal operating procedures and recommend measures including red tags on equipment that should not be used. Labor unions complain to Madhya Pradesh Ministry of Labor about conditions in plant. Also begin occasional public demonstrations. Madhya Pradesh state labor ministry inspectors inspect plant but they are mechanical engineers with limited competence to assess safety of chemical plants. Labor Ministry officials do enter complaints with courts, but these will not be taken up for some time owing to long list of pending suits. Madhya Pradesh minister of labor says the plant is safe and berates opposition for its worries during question time in a December session of the state legislature. 31 Dec Warren Woomer, the last remaining American employee, leaves Bhopal plant. 7 of 19 1983 Various cost-cutting measures undertaken. Staff morale declines through the year as layoffs and resignations take effect. Experienced workers leave and are replaced by less experienced workers from other units of Bhopal plant or other UCIL plants. Madhya Pradesh State Pollution Control Board requires companies to declare what they are emitting into the air. UCIL declared carbon dioxide only, not the other gasses (including phosgene and MIC) that occasionally leak. Board lacks sufficient inspectors to follow up, even after animals die from drinking water from a stream just outside the plant polluted by fluid runoff from the plant. Sept. fall Dec. Chief of National Pollution Control Board visits plant area while in Bhopal. Orders UCIL to fix flaws in effluent evaporation pond that permit leaks onto adjacent land. UCIL complies. Proposal to salvage investment in Bhopal plant by converting part of it to produce new carbofuran pesticide and supply it to India and other markets are rejected as economically unfeasible by UCC. Jumper pipe connected between pressure valve header and relief valve header on MIC tanks to simplify maintenance. Bhopal plant manager Jagannathan Mukund given UCC safety award for operating 12 months without serious incident. 1984 Bhopal plant operating at 1/5 capacity owing to weak demand. Losses near $4 million since 1980. Successive reductions in personnel mean only 1 supervisor and 6 workers are present on each shift in the MIC unit (company guidelines state that the MIC unit should have 3 supervisors and 12 workers on each shift). Training of supervisors and workers has become less rigorous. April Madhya Pradesh government legalizes the shanty towns that have grown up just outside UCIL plant since 1978 by granting dwellers certificates of ownership of the land they occupy. Bhopal population estimated to be close to 900,000 and the shanty towns are notably larger than they had been in 1981. UCC approves UCIL proposals to write off the alpha-napthol unit, sell rest of Bhopal plant while retaining MIC unit, reduce UCC ownership share of UCIL to 40% so UCIL can be more independent. Neither the UCC share reduction nor the plant sale had been carried out by December. May June or July Bhopal Town Planning Board lists 18 factories as â€Å"obnoxious† and therefore to be monitored particularly carefully. UCIL’s Bhopal plant was not included on the list. Sept UCIL engineers inspect plant, report to UCIL top management that 1) gas scrubber is functioning poorly, 2) there are poor communication between plant production and maintenance staff, 3) workers lack instruction on what do in event of runaway reaction, 4) safety meetings are held only half as often as specified in company rules. 8 of 19 UCC engineers survey MIC plant in Institute, West Virginia. They report concerns about some aspects of plant operation there and possibility of a runaway reaction in the MIC storage tanks (larger than the tanks installed in the Bhopal plant). Oct UCC considers idea of dismantling Bhopal plant and shipping equipment to Brazil or Indonesia. Asks UCIL to draw up feasibility study and cost estimates. UCIL reports back 29 Nov. Question of what to do is pressing because the plant will have no source of alpha-napthol when UCIL’s Foreign Collaboration Agreement with UCC expires on 1 Jan 1985. 7-22 Oct Remaining phosgene and methylamine stocks at Bhopal plant are used up in making a last batch of MIC. 42 tons are put into Tank E610; about 20 tons into Tank E611. UCIL plan is to withdraw it a ton at a time In November and December and react it with alpha-napthol to produce SEVIN. The storage tanks are isolated and the MIC production unit is shut down for maintenance after the batch is finished; MIC unit production workers are assigned to other tasks. 31 Oct Curfew imposed in Bhopal after inter-communal riots sparked by news Sikh guards had assassinated Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Plant activities curtailed for several weeks because curfew affects ability of second shift to leave work and of third to arrive for work on time are affected. MIC drawn down in small batches. Nov last week of Nov. According to later testimony of plant workers, the position of second-shift maintenance supervisor was eliminated. Dec condition of plant safety systems at start of second shift Safety System vent gas scrubber (uses caustic soda to neutralize toxic gas exhaust from MIC plant and storage tanks before release thru vent stack or flare) flare (burns toxic gasses to neutralize them) Condition on 2 Dec 1984 on standby since MIC not in active production but could be activated b y plant operators in event of need insufficient capacity to burn large volumes of escaping gas; shut down in November for replacement of a corroded pipe; MIC process vents rerouted to the vent gas scrubber while repairs proceed shut down June 1984 and coolant (Freon) drained for use elsewhere in plant refrigeration system (keep MIC at temperatures of 0-5 degrees C (32 to 42 degrees F) where it is less reactive) firewater spray pipes (to control escaping functional but insufficient height to reach gasses, cool over-heated equipment or douse top of vent stack fires) 9 of 19 afety valve between MIC storage tanks and MIC holding tank in SEVIN production area operational; designed to hold MIC in at normal pressures and release it if pressure too high. There are 2 competing versions of events on December 2nd between 9 and 11 pm. The first is preferred by most authors who have studied the events; the second is offered by only a few. *See note at end for more information about the controver sy. Divergent accounts of how water entered Tank E610 Version 1: water-washing of pipes 8-9 pm Second-shift production superintendent orders MIC plant supervisor to flush several pipes running from the phosgene system to the scrubber via the MIC storage tanks. MIC unit workers are in charge of the flushing, but maintenance department is responsible for inserting the slip bind (a solid disk) into pipe above the water washing inlet as plant manual requires. These take 30 minutes-2 hours to install. The MIC unit workers were apparently not aware that installation is a required safety procedure, and slip bind is not installed first. Temperature of MIC in tanks is between 15 and 20 degrees C . 9. 30 Water washing begins. One bleeder valve (overflow device) downstream from the flushing was blocked so water did not come out as it was supposed to. It accumulated in the pipes. A worker shut off the water flow but the plant supervisor ordered that the washing resume. By then water had risen past a leaking isolation valve in the lines being washed and got into the relief valve pipe 20 feet above ground. by 10. 30 pm Water has flowed from the relief valve pipe through the jumper pipe into the process pipe through valves normally kept open. Water gets Water washing proceeded as described but none of the water used for washing traveled far enough down the right pipe to enter Tank E610. Version 2: sabotage 10 of 19 through an open blow-down valve that is part of the nitrogen pressurization system. It is unclear whether the valve had been left open or had failed to fully seal when last closed. Water then flows into tank E610 via a normally-open isolation valve. 10. 30-10. 45 pm Second shift goes off work; third shift comes on. Washing continues after second shift worker briefs third shift worker on progress of the job. around 10. 30 pm A disgruntled worker removes a pressure gauge on a pipe leading to Tank E610 and connects a water hose to the coupler. Water enters Tank E610 Shared account of responses to detection of problems 11 pm Third shift control room operator notices pressure gauge connected to Tank E610 has risen from a reading of about about 2 psi at the start of the shift to 10 psi. This is within the normal 2-25 psi range, so arouses no concern. Control room lacks any reliable way of monitoring tank temperatutre. about 11. 30 pm Workers in area notice MIC smell, see MIC leak near the scrubber. Find MIC and dirty water coming out a branch of the relief valve pipe on the downstream side of the safety valve, away from the tank area. They set up a water spray to neutralize the leaking MIC and inform control room personnel of situation and their actions. They then take their regular tea break, continuing to discuss the situation and what they should do next. 3 December about 12. 15 am Control room operator notices that control room pressure indicator for Tank E610 reads 25-30 psi about 12. 30 am . Control room operator notices that needle on pressure indicator for Tank E610 is pinned to the maximum reading of 55 psi. Control room operator goes out to tank area to check gauges on tank. While in tank area he hears a safety valve pop, hears rumbling in tank, and feels heat emanating from it. Returns to control room to engage the gas vent scrubber. Caustic soda does not flow as it should. A cloud of gas escapes from the scrubber stack. by 12. 40 am Plant supervisor suspends operation of the MIC plant, turns on the in-plant and external toxic gas sirens. External sirens audible in nearby neighborhoods are turned off after about five minutes. Operators turn on the fire water sprayers but water cannot reach the gas cloud forming at the top of the scrubber stack. Efforts to cool Tank E610 with the refrigeration system fail because the Freon had been drained. Gas escapes for about 2 hours. 11 of 19 efore 1 am Plant supervisor realizes that tank E619, the designated spare, is not empty, so workers cannot relieve the pressure in E610 by transferring any MIC to E619. by 1 am gas smell is obvious outside the plant; nearby residents awake at the time or awakened by noise and sm elling the gas odor start fleeing in panic. 1. 30 am Bhopal police chief informed of leak and panic by an on-duty officer who ran to his house; no significant police mobilization follows. about 2. 30 am Bhopal plant external siren for warning the neighborhood is turned on again about 3 am Army engineer units with trucks are mobilized after a retired brigadier general requests help evacuating workers from his factory near the UCIL plant (but not under the strongest gas concentrations). Army unit then expands operations to assist general populace by transporting injured to hospitals and clinics. Some mobilization of city ambulances. Medical personnel hearing of situation head to hospitals and clinics. before 8 am Madhya Pradesh governor orders closure of plant plus arrest of plant manager and 4 other employees. afternoon Head of India Pollution Control Board informed of accident. Efforts to learn details from Madhya Pradesh Pollution Control Board fail because phone calls cannot get through. Phone conversation with UCIL office in New Delhi (also unable to get phone calls through to the plant) provides some information about possible causes. ate afternoon Indian Central Bureau of Investigation takes control of plant and UCIL records there. CBI agents begins interviewing plant supervisors and workers; bar entry by anyone else, including other UCIL employees. Dec Many government offices and businesses in Bhopal closed; dead buried or cremated in accordance with their f amilies’ religious traditions; initial treatment of injured proceeds 18-19 Dec Under government supervision the MIC still in storage at the UCIL is plant is neutralized by combining with alpha-napthol to make finished pesticides. Local population leaves town as a precaution. 1985 July 1985-98 1994 1998 Madhya Pradesh government rejects UCIL application for renewal of operating license. Plant closed Some work on cleanup of plant site by UCIL. UCC sells its share of UCIL to McLeod Russell (India) Limited. McLeod Russell renames UCIL Eveready Industries India, Ltd. State of Madhya Pradesh takes over plant site from Eveready Industries. 12 of 19 *Note on the two versions of how water reached storage tank 610. Timelines of the alternate possibilities are constructed from the works of several Indian authors who collectively used interviews with plant staff, court depositions by plant staff, interviews with local residents and officials, UCIL executives and UCC technicians, and UCIL or UCC documents obtained during the post-disaster litigation. Most of the detail comes from Paul Srivastava, Bhopal: Anatomy of a Crisis (Cambridge, MA: Ballinger, 1987),and Sanjoy Hazarika, Bhopal: The Lessons of a Tragedy (New Delhi: Penguin Books India Pvt Ltd, 1987), who take different views but are careful to acknowledge areas of uncertainty. The initial exposition of the water-washing explanation was provided in an Indian government report, S. Varadarajan et al. â€Å"Report on Scientific Studies in the Factors Related to Bhopal Toxic Gas Leakage (New Delhi: Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Dec 1985). The sabotage theory was developed by consulting engineers from Arthur D Little, Inc. commissioned by UCC to investigate the causes. It was publicly laid out in Ashok S. Kalelkar, â€Å"Investigation of Large-Magnitude Incidents: Bhopal as a Case Study,† in I. Chem. E. Symposium Series No. 110 The Institution of Chemical Engineers 1988, p 561. Version 1 in the timeline, favored by local and international trade union representatives, local activists, the Indian government, transnational environmental and consumer organizations, and most technical experts (see Chemical and Engineering News 4 July 1988) is based on known water-washing activities. Proponents of version 2, favored by UCC after its investigators were able to visit the plant in early 1985, point out that the water washing occurred a good distance away from the storage tanks and there is no evidence water ran through the connections from the washing area to the storage tanks. They also point to evidence that the pressure gauge on the pipe leading into Tank 610 was noticed to be missing when tank area was surveyed before 10 am on Dec 3rd and a replacement gauge was installed. The most thorough summary of this version is Themistocles D’Silva, The Black Box of Bhopal 1993 who does state clearly that he was a UCIL employee – though not at the Bhopal plan t – in the 1980s. ) Even if sabotage were involved, no commentator thinks the saboteur was trying to cause a catastrophic gas leak; knowledge of safety hazards among the workers was spotty enough that very few of them understood the full effect of introducing water into the MIC storage tanks. The controversy was sharpened in the course of the extremely acrimonious litigation between the Government of India and UCC. UCC first raised the sabotage allegation in 1985 and repeated it in 1988 but never named the suspected saboteur. A worker believing he is the suspect publicly challenged UCC to name the suspect and denied that he had any involvement in sabotage. UCC planned to wait until the trial before the Indian Supreme Court to do so; out-of-court settlement made that unnecessary and it never publicly revealed the full basis of its suspicions. In a FAQ section of its website on Bhopal (www. bhopal. com) Union Carbide’s answer to the question of if there was sabotage why hasn’t the company named anyone, it says that the name is known to Indian enforcement authorities. While a useful way to avoid libel suits, the continuing refusal to provide a name response is interpreted as weakening UCC’s claim by those who reject the sabotage theory. Notice that the contending versions of events between 9 and 11 pm on December 2nd only provide different explanations of how water got into MIC storage tank 610. Everyone who has studied the disaster agrees that the injuries to neighboring residents were caused by an unneutralized cloud of leaked gas that escaped through the vent, and that the reaction producing this cloud was triggered by water contamination. Though the concrete shielding of the storage tanks cracked above Tank 610 (indicating that its temperature 13 of 19 got above 400 degrees F), the tank itself was found to be uncracked when inspected after remaining contents were neutralized and removed in mid-December 1984. There is no substantial disagreement about the conditions of the safety systems that night or on the responses of the supervisors and workers after the small MIC leak was noticed around 11. 30. Nor is there any significant disagreement about the inadequacy of contingency plans for in-plant response and evacuation of neighboring settlements, the poor communication about hazards with city and state authorities, or the insufficiency of warnings to surrounding settlements when the gas cloud formed. Descriptions of the extent and timing of action by city officials, state officials, army units in Bhopal, and national government officials also vary very little; controversy about government response is focused on the adequacy of actions in the days, months, and years following the disaster. 14 of 19 Bhopal Gas Disaster Chronology: Ensuing Litigation 985 March UCC and Government of India investigatory teams conclude independently that runaway chemical reaction causing MIC gas cloud was caused by water getting into Tank 610 Indian Parliament adopts Bhopal Disaster Relief Act making Indian government the sole legal representative for all victims of the Bhopal disaster. US Federal Dist rict Court consolidates all lawsuits pending in US about Bhopal gas leak into one case, Union of India v. Union Carbide Corporation. rest of year Victims and victim advocates complain about lack of effective relief. rest of year UCC stock declines; total stock value of company in December put at approximately $3 billion. UCC sells off assets (mainly petrochemicals and consumer product divisions) for $3. 5 billion and borrows $2. 8 billion to fend off $5. million takeover bid by GAF (General Analine and Film, another specialty chemical maker) 1986 Government of India lawyers and UCC lawyers begin discussion of an out-of-court settlement. Union Carbide proposes a settlement amount of $350 million under arrangements that it estimates will generate a fund for Bhopal victims of between $500-600 million over 20 years. Government rejects this offer as insufficient. Indian and foreign activist groups supporting victims have already publicized their own estimates contending that damages are at least $3 billion if loss of animals, loss of income from inability to work, loss of business in the weeks after the gas release, and related damages are also taken into account. April U. S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration proposed a $1. 4 million fine against Union Carbide Corp, based on results of its September 1985 inspection of five of 18 plant units at Institute, West Virginia. OSHA alleges 221 violations of 55 health and safety laws, listing 72 of the 221 as â€Å"serious† (the category for violations creating conditions in which there is substantial probability of death or significant injury. US Federal District Court rules on a preliminary motion in Government of India v. Union Carbide Corporation; invoking forum non conveniens doctrine it determines that trials relating to injuries suffered in the Bhopal disaster should be held in India. March May 5 of 19 Sept. Dec. Government of India proceeds against UCC in District Court in Bhopal, seeking $3 billion in total compensation for 630,000 persons in Bhopal area. Bhopal District court orders UCC to hold $3 billion in unencumbered assets as collateral while lawsuit pending. This to prevent consc ious a run-down of assets, rumors of which were rife in USA and India at the time. UCC offers $50 million, then $80 million in compensation, amounts derived from typical Indian settlements. Amounts widely criticized, viewed as insulting by victim groups, rejected by Government of India. 1987 Jan rest of year 1988 Victim lawsuits continue in Indian courts. State of Madhya Pradesh also files criminal charges against Warren Anderson, then CEO of UCC, and several UCIL executives or plant supervisors for their roles in causing the disaster. 1989 Feb Under prodding by Indian Supreme Court, UCC and Government of India agree to a $470 million settlement of all Bhopal gas leak-related claims. Supreme Court endorses settlement, making it binding on both parties. It also grants immunity against criminal charges arising from the gas leak. The $470 million is paid to the Government of India as sole legal representative of the victims. 36 special courts established in Bhopal to deal with applications for compensation Value of UCC stock rebounds somewhat with news of settlement. UCC CEO Robert Kennedy (replaced Anderson in 1987) completes reorganization of UCC into a holding company with 3 main divisions: chemicals and plastics, industrial products, carbon products. 1990 Oct 2 groups of victims file class action suits in Texas alleging that India failed to represent them adequately because of government agencies’ ownership of UCIL stock, and therefore did not secure them sufficient compensation. Consistent with 16 of 19 US Court of Appeals upholds US District Court ruling that Bhopal disaster litigation should proceed in India rather than the USA. UCC sells off last petrochemicals and consumer products divisions norms of mutual respect for court decisions, US courts refuse to review the Indian Supreme Court’s ruling. Nov. Government of Madhya Pradesh submits final list of names of victims to be compensated for injuries suffered in gas leak to Indian Supreme Court. Total deaths attributable to gas exposure put at 3,828. 1991 Oct Indian Supreme Court confirms compensation settlement, issues ruling modifying certain parts of 1989 judgment. These include UCC establishment of a trust fund to support a new hospital in Bhopal to treat victims’ ongoing health problems and revoking immunities from criminal charges. District Sessions Court in Bhopal reinstates charges of â€Å"culpable manslaughter not amounting to murder† and lesser charges relating to voluntary infliction of harm against Warren Anderson and 8 UCIL executives or supervisors. 1992 Apr 1993 Mar. NY Times reports that India has paid 700 Bhopal claims; government attributes delay to complexities of verifying the claims given chaotic record keeping at the time. Victim advocates blame on government incompetence. US Supreme Court declines to review federal court decisions in 1990 cases dismissing suits against India. UCC establishes the trust fund. Oct. 1994 Apr Nov Dec Indian Supreme Court approves UCC plans to sell its 50. 9% share of UCIL; proceeds to be given to Trust Fund for hospital in Bhopal. UCC completes sale of UCIL to McLeod Russell (India) Ltd. of Calcutta for approximately $93 million UCC provides initial payment of proceeds into Trust Fund. Ten-Year Impact of Bhopal Disaster on UCC year ending 31 Dec. 1984 total assets $10,518 million capital $7962 million year ending 31 Dec. 1994 $5028 million $2479 million 17 of 19 net sales net income RD spending employees [from UCC annual reports] $9608 million $323 million $265 million 98,666 $4653 million $379 million $136 million 12,004 1999 Jan 2000 Mar Class action suit, Bano v. Union Carbide Corporation, filed in US Federal Courts by Haseena Bi and other organizations representing residents of Bhopal seeking compensation for gas-leak related injuries and for further harm from exposure to contaminants afterward under US Alien Tort Claims Act. US District Court dismisses Bano case UCC completed payments to Trust Fund, which now totals $100 million. Construction of hospital is complete and physicians and other staff being recruited. Aug 2001 Trust Fund-financed Bhopal Memorial Hospital and Research Centre begins treating patients. 2004 July Indian Supreme Court orders government to release all additional settlement funds to the victims. Indian newspapers reports after all claims were paid there was still about $327 million in the fund because of interest earned while the money was in escrow pending distribution. Indian nationals file Janki Bai Sahu v. Union Carbide Corporation in US Federal District Court. Suit seeks compensation for personal injuries claimed to be result of exposure to contaminated water and remediation work at former UCIL plant after the gas leak. Nov 2005 Apr Indian Supreme Court grants Indian Government Welfare Commission for Bhopal Gas Victims request for an extension of deadline on distribution of remaining funds and extends it to April 30, 2006. Indian newspapers report that approximately $390 million remains in the fund. US Federal District Court dismisses two of the three compensation claims raised in the Janki Bai Sahu case. Dec 18 of 19 2006 Sept Indian newspapers report that the Welfare Commission for Bhopal Gas Victims has completed paying out all claims to listed victims of initial gas leak. The Second Circuit Court of Appeals in New York upholds the dismissal of claims in Bano vs. Union Carbide Corporation. Federal District Court dismisses remaining claim in Janki Bai Sahu case. 2007 Mar A group of Indian citizens files a new class action suit, Jagarnath Sahu et al. v. Union Carbide Corporation and Warren Anderson, seeking compensation for damage to six individual properties allegedly polluted by contaminants from the Bhopal plant, as well as the remediation of property in 16 colonies [squatter settlements] adjoining the plant. Federal Courts issue a stay [suspension] of proceedings pending resolution of appeal in Janki Bai Sahu case as the issues in litigation are so similar. -end- Nov 19 of 19