The Bhopal incident of 1984 is an excellent example of what adverse consequences may multinational corporations bring if they decide to ignore both the environmental and safety regulations. It is also an instance of how companies from developed and industrialized countries export risk to underdeveloped nations. Thousands were injured, and more than 3000 people died as a result of the release of 40 tons of methyl isocyanate (MIC). The incident took place at the Union Carbide Plant in Bhopal in India. This plant was operated by Union Carbide Corporation (UCC), headquartered in West Virginia.
The incident happened because of UCC’s decision to neglect its moral responsibilities. Knowing that it would be financially infeasible to meet environmental standards in the United States, they decided to export the risk to India. However, they continuously ignored India’s requirements as well, exploiting the weaknesses of the local government by manipulating them with financial incentives. With the decrease of the fiscal budget dedicated to employee education, most of the personnel did not receive the necessary knowledge on handling MIC. On the one hand, it made personnel unprofessional because they were incompetent, and on the other, it was an act of paternalism from UCC. By intentionally depriving employees of training, the company divested the workers of information on potential health and life-safety implications of MIC.
After experiencing a decrease in sales volumes and learning that it was financially infeasible to commit to environmental and workplace safety, UCC should have shut down the plant instead of exploiting the vulnerabilities of this less-developed country. Such a decision would not only have saved thousands of lives but would also keep the corporation from spoiling its image in front of people and the global engineering community.