Every time we forget our lessons, laments ex-fire service DG on Sitakunda oxgyen plant fire

Oxygen factory fire is devastating across the globe. As oxygen is highly flammable and any explosion happening in an oxygen plant usually leaves deadly impacts. Luckily enough, we have seen fewer casualties in the one that took place in Sitakunda yesterday.

But as always the latest incident has brought forth various old questions.

Like in the previous such incidents, it has been seen that there was a lack of safety measures in that factory. The authorities and the regulatory body who were supposed to make sure the factory is compliant apparently showed negligence in this regard. 

We see the authorities become proactive only after such an incident takes place and they launch several probes but the recommendations of the probe bodies always remain unfulfilled. 

As industrialization is booming, the demand for oxygen is also increasing, which we cannot avoid. 

But whenever the government allows or authorises an oxygen cylinder plant it should make sure that the factory complies with all regulations and safety measures so that it does not bring about any disaster afterward. 

In Bangladesh, we discuss and rise to the occasion only when a few lives are lost in accidents. We learn and we forget. But that should not happen. 

In modern countries, factories and even the workers should know and comply with the safety measures of such chemical businesses, which is elusive here. 

Even in modern countries, there are third-party organisations who ensure and certify the factories whether they are compliant or not, we can run such agencies here too. The third-party organisations can even challenge authorities and factory owners as per their safety measures. 

We do not take lessons from our mistakes. But we have to take these seriously, otherwise, we will have to suffer more in the upcoming days.