1. Tick (✓) the correct option.
a. Which of the following is not a man-made disaster?
i. chemical disaster
ii. biological disaster
iii. nuclear disaster
iv. earthquake
Answer:
✓ iv. earthquake
b. Which type of disaster was the Chernobyl disaster of 1986?
i. biological disaster
ii. nuclear disaster
iii. chemical disaster
iv. fire-related disaster
Answer:
✓ ii. nuclear disaster
c. Read the information given below. Identify the type of disaster.
A gas leak in a gear manufacturing company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, caused a massive explosion and subsequent fire. Forty-seven people were injured, three died, and several buildings were destroyed.
i. chemical disaster
ii. biological disaster
iii. nuclear disaster
iv. geological disaster
Answer:
✓ i. chemical disaster
d. What step(s) should be taken in case of a biological disaster?
I. Avoid covering mouth and nose to inhale continuously.
II. Tune into an emergency news broadcast.
III. Wash hands after coughing.
IV. If symptoms are observed, avoid close contact with people.
Options:
i. Only I
ii. Only I and III
iii. Only II, III and IV
iv. All I, II, III and IV
Answer: iii. Only II, III and IV
e. Which of the following is true regarding pandemics?
I. Pandemics are restricted to a particular region and do not affect a large number of people as compared to epidemics.
II. Cholera and Plague are examples of pandemics.
Options:
i. Only I
ii. Only II
iii. Both I and II
iv. Neither I nor II
Answer: ii. Only II
2. Answer the following questions in 10 to 20 words.
a. What safety measures will you take during a fire accident?
Answer: Stay calm, raise an alarm, use stairs (not elevators), crawl if there’s smoke, and evacuate to a safe open area immediately.
b. How can we protect ourselves from nuclear radiation and attack?
Answer: Immediately seek shelter in a basement or the center of a building, stay indoors, seal windows/doors, and listen to official instructions.
c. What are chemical disasters?
Answer: Chemical disasters are accidental or intentional releases of toxic chemicals that harm human health, animals, and the environment.
3. Answer the following questions in 50 to 70 words.
a. How would you protect yourself from a chemical disaster?
Answer: To protect myself from a chemical disaster, I would first try to move upwind and uphill from the source to avoid the toxic plume. I would immediately cover my nose and mouth with a wet cloth to filter the air and seek shelter indoors, sealing all doors, windows, and vents. I would turn off fans and AC units to prevent outside air from entering, and listen to emergency broadcasts for official instructions on evacuation or other safety steps.
b. How would you recognise the presence of poisonous gas in the air? What measures will you take to protect yourself against it?
Answer: The presence of poisonous gas may be recognised by visible clouds or haze, a strange smell (like rotten eggs or chlorine), sudden difficulty in breathing, burning eyes, or seeing animals and birds behaving strangely or collapsing. To protect myself, I would not try to identify the gas but act immediately. I would cover my nose and mouth with a damp cloth, move quickly to fresh air (upwind), and alert others. If trapped, I would seal the room with wet towels under the doors and wait for rescue.
c. Write a brief note on the Chernobyl Disaster of 1986.
Answer: The Chernobyl Disaster was the world’s worst nuclear power plant accident. It occurred on April 26, 1986, at a plant in Ukraine (then part of the USSR). A safety test went wrong, causing a massive explosion and fire that released large amounts of radioactive material into the atmosphere. The immediate area was evacuated, and the fallout spread across Europe. It caused acute radiation sickness in workers, long-term health problems like cancer in thousands of people, and rendered a large area uninhabitable for centuries.
d. Write a brief note on the Bhopal Gas Tragedy of 1984.
Answer: The Bhopal Gas Tragedy is the world’s worst industrial chemical disaster. It occurred on the night of December 2-3, 1984, at a Union Carbide pesticide plant in Bhopal, India. A deadly gas called Methyl Isocyanate (MIC) leaked from a storage tank, forming a toxic cloud that engulfed the surrounding slums. Thousands of people died in their sleep from suffocation and poisoning, and over half a million were exposed, leading to permanent disabilities, blindness, and long-term health issues for generations.