April is the month in which we commemorate International Workers Memorial Day and vow to mourn the dead, and fight like hell for the living. It’s also been called the darkest month for workplace disasters. Here is an incomplete list, courtesy of Jordan Barab at Confined Space, of catastrophes Aprils past have delivered
UPPER BIG BRANCH MINE DISASTER, WEST VIRGINIA, 5 APRIL, 2010:
An explosion at the Upper Big Branch mine killed 29 miners.
AMMONIUM NITRATE EXPLOSION, TEXAS CITY, TEXAS, 16 APRIL, 1947:
A fire on the French-registered vessel SS Grandcamp detonated her cargo of about 2,300 tons of ammonium nitrate. This started a chain reaction of fires and explosions in other ships and nearby oil-storage facilities, ultimately killing at least 581 people, including all but one member of the Texas City fire department.
WEST FERTILIZER EXPLOSION, TEXAS, 17 APRIL, 2013:
An ammonium nitrate explosion occurred at the West Fertilizer Company storage and distribution facility in West, Texas. Fifteen people were killed, including 12 firefighters, more than 160 were injured, and more than 150 buildings were damaged or destroyed.
DEEPWATER HORIZON EXPLOSION, 20 APRIL, 2012:
A fire and explosion on the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig killed 11 workers and resulted in the largest marine oil spill and environmental disaster in history.
L’AMBIANCE PLAZA COLLAPSE, BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, 23 APRIL, 1987:
An apartment building collapsed due to a faulty lift slab construction technique while under construction, killing 28 construction workers.
RANA PLAZA FACTOR COLLAPSE, BANGLADESH, 24 APRIL, 2013:
The eight-story Rana Plaza factory building collapsed, killing 1134 people. The shops and the bank on the lower floors were immediately closed after cracks were discovered in the building the day before the collapse. But the building’s owners ignored warnings ordering garment workers to return the following day and the building collapsed during the morning rush-hour.
CHERNOBYL NUCLEAR POWER PLANT DISASTER, UKRAINE, USSR, 26 APRIL, 1986:
No. 4 reactor in the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant exploded during a safety test. It was the worst nuclear disaster in history. Dozens of operators and response workers died due to massive radiation exposure and hundreds more from the nuclear fallout.
WILLOW ISLAND COLLAPSE, WILLOW ISLAND, WEST VIRGINIA, 27 APRIL, 1978:
A cooling tower under construction at the Pleasants Power Station collapsed, killing 51 construction workers, the deadliest construction accident in US history.