Petrochemical Industry Incidents Must Not Become Chronic

Petrochemical Industry Incidents Must Not Become Chronic
China Times editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, ROC)
A Translation
October 7, 2010

The Number Six Naphtha Cracking Plant fire had yet to fade from public memory, when the Chiayi Nanya Plant caught fire on Sunday. Thick black smoke billowed into the sky. The conflagration lasted over 10 hours. It burned from morning to midnight. Firefighters could only watch helplessly. Helicopters joined the fight. But they amounted to a drop in the bucket, and were of no help whatsoever. The shocking images were communicated to everyone on television. The fire did not burn just the Formosa Plastics Group. It burned the entire petrochemical industry. It brought public perceptions of the petrochemical industry to a new low.

The Formosa Plastics Group has long been a benchmark company. Group founder Wang Yung-ching was known as "the god of enterprise." Through strict and efficient management, Formosa Plastics Group gained the public trust. But following Wang Yung-ching's death, the Formosa Plastics Group was rocked by wave after wave of inheritence battles. This has undeniably harmed the image of the Formosa Plastics Group. But it was only an internal family affair. The Number Six Naphtha Cracking Plant fire and the Nanya Plant fire reveal fundamental problems with plant management. They have tarnished the diamond-like public image Formosa Plastics took decades to establish.

The Formosa Plastics Group's response to the Number Six Naphtha Cracking Plant fire was inadequate. They clearly ignored the impact of the fire on local residents, and the negative public perception it created. Following the Nanya Plant fire, Formosa Plastics Group Chairman Wang Wen-yuan went down to Chiayi the very next day. He tried to understand the situation, and apologized to the local inhabitants. The Formosa Plastics Group still needs to follow up on matters such as compensation. But this high-level response by Formosa Plastics was a significant improvement over its response to the Number Six Naphtha Cracking Plant fire. At least the perception among local residents and the general public is better.

Following the Number Six Naphtha Cracking Plant fire, a Formosa Plastics Group internal review found that its public relations initiatives were inadequate. It stressed that the Formosa Plastics Group Number Six Naphtha Cracking Plant did its utmost to give back to the community, but encountered a public backlash. It expressed considerable indignation. Formosa Plastics may be engaged in a highly polluting petrochemical industry. But in all fairness, it has spared no expense investing in environmental protection facilities. The Number Six Naphtha Cracking Plant has never stopped giving back to the local community. Local inhabitants have benefitted greatly. These past efforts and contributions cannot be ignored. Formosa Plastics performed many good deeds and gave back much to the community. It created many employment opportunities. But nothing is more important than peoples' lives and safety. When a huge conflagration leaves people feeling unsafe, when they feel their land has become a wasteland, public relations are irrelevant. Therefore, the Formosa Plastics Group cab strengthen its public relations. It can complain about other matters. But the thing it should do most is return to its main business, and ensure industrial safety.

The Number Six Naphtha Cracking Plant fire and the Nanya Plant fire showed the public how helpless and incompetent our domestic fire fighters were when faced with petrochemical plant accidents and fires. The fires created a crisis of confidence in the government's ability. Public safety is an important issue for a variety of plants, including petrochemical industry plants. In the event of an accident, these plants may emit poison gasses or catch fire. The consequences may be quite serious. Disaster relief for these plants is far more complex than outsiders can imagine. For example, once certain petrochemicals catch fire, they cannot be extinguished. One can only watch helplessly as they burn. Once certain materials catch fire, the fires can be extinguished only with special fire-fighting equipment. In the Number Six Naphtha Cracking Plant fire and Nanya fire, the local fire brigade was the main force. It was obviously not up to the job. The government's top priorities, besides ensuring plant safety, include studying similar petrochemical plant fires, in order to establish more efficient fire fighting capabilities.

The Formosa Plastics fires were disasters for the petrochemical industry. The plans for the China Petroleum Company's Kuo Kuang Petrochemical Plant, commonly known as the Number Eight Naphtha Cracking Plant, have been impacted by the Number Six Naphtha Cracking Plant fire. The government still insists the Number Eight Naphtha Cracking Plant is necessary. But public perceptions have changed. Even assuming the Number Eight Naphtha Cracking Plant is approved, it will inevitably provoke to public controversy. From one perspective, the Number Eight Naphtha Cracking Plant is "collateral damage" from the Number Six Naphtha Cracking Plant fire. It may not have been burned, but it is already gasping for air. The Number Six Naphtha Cracking Plant fire and the Nanya Plant fire provoked strong protests by local residents. The manufacturers must now pay compensation and give something back to the community. Failure to handle these matters properly could trigger a chain reaction, leading to immense pressure on the construction of petrochemical plants everywhere. The government, concerned parties, and business firms must take precautions and make the necessary preparations.

The annual production value of Taiwan's petrochemical industry is four trillion dollars. Related industries add up to even more. Formosa Plastics is an industry leader. It is one of the most important industries on Taiwan. One fire after another in Formosa Plastics Group factories has cast a shadow over the group and the industry as a whole. We hope that Formosa Plastics and the relevant government agencies will learn from the incident, identify any problems, see their own shortcomings, and make any necessary improvements. They must avoid more major plant fires. They must not allow fires that cannot be extinguished to occur again.

別讓石化工安成為不治之症
2010-10-07
中國時報

當社會對六輕大火的記憶尚未退卻之際，南亞嘉義廠又在周日燒出一把大火，濃密的黑煙直衝天際，延燒十多小時，從上午燒到午夜，消防隊只能無助的望煙嘆息；即使直昇機加入救火行列，亦如杯水車薪，毫無助益。這幕怵目驚心的畫面，透過電視傳達到每個人的眼中。這把火，燒到的不止台塑集團而已，整個石化業都「著火」了，讓社會對石化產業的觀感盪到最低。

台塑集團一直是國內的標竿企業，集團創辦人王永慶被稱為「經營之神」，以嚴格、高效率的管理著稱，台塑集團也以嚴謹的作風，得到社會的信任。不過，在王永慶過世後，台塑集團先是上演風波不斷的遺產事件，此事件固然對台塑集團形象稍有影響，但猶可定位在家族事務。但接二連三的六輕、南亞大火，卻是最基本的工廠管理出了問題，讓台塑累積數十年，擦亮如鑽石般耀眼的招牌蒙塵。

六輕大火後，台塑高層應變不足，明顯輕忽此一事件對地方民眾、社會觀感的負面影響。這次南亞大火後，隔天台塑集團總裁王文淵即南下嘉義，了解實際狀況，並向地方民眾道歉。雖然台塑與地方民眾仍要就後續是否賠償等事宜進行協商，但台塑高層這次的反應的確已較六輕大火時有顯著改進，至少在地方民眾與社會觀感上較佳。

六輕大火後，台塑內部曾檢討認為其對外公關有所不足，並強調台塑六輕對地方回饋可謂盡心盡力，但猶遭民眾如何反彈；言下頗有不平之意。平心而論，儘管台塑所從事的是過去一直被認為高汙染的石化產業，但在環保設備的投入上，台塑倒是也一直是不遺餘力。而六輕對地方的回饋也從未間斷，地方的確受惠良多，這些過往的種種努力與貢獻，當然不容一筆抹煞。只不過，對地方民眾而言，各種回饋、就業機會的創造，再怎麼好、再怎麼多，也比不過身家性命安全來的重要。當一把、一把的大火，燒得民眾坐立難安，覺得居地已成「惡地」之際，在公關上這已經是一個「無法公關的公關」了。因此，台塑集團予其加強公關、抱怨其它，不如還是回歸本道，作好工安。

此外，在六輕與南亞大火中，社會大眾都目睹了國內消防設備，面對石化廠意外及火災的無助與無能，這也的確燒出民眾對政府消防能力的「信心危機」。其實，包括石化廠內的各種工廠的工業安全、公共安全，是一個相當重大的議題。這些工廠一旦發生意外，不論是有毒氣體外洩或是火災，其後果都相當嚴重。而這些工廠救災的複雜程度則遠超過外界想像。例如，某些石化原料起火後，不能滅火，只能讓它燒盡；某些原料起火，則要有特殊的滅火材料才能竟其功。在六輕與南亞大火中，以地方消防隊為主力的消防力量，顯然不足甚多。政府當務之急，除了強力體檢把關工廠安全外，也有必要研究針對類似的石化廠火災，建立更有效率、更有能力的消防力量。

台塑的這幾把火，對石化業而言，亦堪稱災難。中油主導的國光石化計畫（俗稱八輕），在關鍵時刻碰上六輕大火，雖然政府仍力陳八輕之必要性，但社會觀感丕變，八輕就算能強度關山，必然引起社會爭議。某個角度而言，八輕是六輕大火的「附帶損失」，雖然尚未被「燒死」，但已氣若游絲矣。而六輕、南亞大火後，因地方民眾強力抗爭，廠商必須付出的賠償金、回饋等，若不能妥善處理，亦可能引發連鎖效應，對各地的石化工廠產生極大的壓力。無論是政府有關單位，或企業廠商，都應未雨綢繆，及早因應。

台灣石化產業年產值號稱四兆元，關聯產業更多，一直是台灣最重要的支柱產業之一，台塑更是產業龍頭。這次台塑集團接連的工廠火災，的確為該集團及整個產業蒙上一層陰影。我們期望，台塑及政府有關單位，都能從事件中，發現問題、看出自己不足之處，策勵改進，不要再有大火工安事件，更不要有眼看大火起卻救不得的情況發生。