It must be foremost in everybody's mind that there's a probability of injury or accident around the corner.

But these can be avoided if all are safety conscious and follow safety procedures strictly.

Safety is our prime need. All chemicals like MIC, Moshin, etc.

However hazardous they are can be handled safely by knowing the correct procedure.

Any carelessness and operation will endanger you, your colleagues and everybody around.

August 11, 1985, began as a typical peaceful Sunday morning in Institute West Virginia.

A town of about 3,100 people located in the chemical valley region of Conowaw County,

10 miles northwest of Charleston.

The weather was lovely. There were people on the golf courses.

Dogs were barking. Birds were chirping. All was right in the world.

Until about 9.30 a.m., when the residents of Institute witnessed the yellow stream of gas

pouring out of the Union Carbide Chemical Plant that was located on the outskirts of the city,

between the Conowaw River and Interstate 64.

A valve failure had allowed steam to collect in a metal jacket that held a chemical storage tank in place,

causing three gaskets to blow, which released 500 gallons of the tank's contents into the atmosphere.

The gas formed a cloud that was 200 yards wide, and it moved like a fog from Institute

through the neighboring towns of Dunbar, Nitro and St. Albin's until it dissipated around noon.

Nobody knew what to do, everybody looked to walk in the way like they just panicked.

Everybody was taking off run and I was kind of like, which way the wind was blowing.

Well they ain't told us nothing, you know, and I'd kind of like get out of here, they wouldn't let us out of here.

No one got home.

Roads and highways in the area had been shut down.

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