Industrial safety in the United States has fallen behind all other First World countries, according to the Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). Numerous injuries in chemical plants arise from spills, explosions and fires. Earlier in 2014, Swiss Re reported the economic losses from accidents in the U.S. were approximately 3 times higher than a comparably sized sector of the European Union. The fatalities from chemical exposure were 10 times greater than the U.K.
There seems to be a flaw in regulating safety in industrial environments. Large machinery, dangerous chemicals, and lack of prevention all contribute to a large number of injuries.
Many industrial accidents have been linked to refineries. 95% of U.S. refineries were built before 1985 and have vulnerable steel piping. The age and the nature of the metal lead to leaks and interaction with sulfur content. No new safeguards have been adopted, which raises serious concerns for worker health.
The Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) proposed a requirement of refineries and other plants to use inherently safer technology similar to that of other “safe” developed countries. However, this proposal was abandoned. Similarly, OSHA’s proposed Injury and Illness Prevention Program to require operators to identify and reduce hazards was moved to a “long-term action” category, meaning that the program could either be delayed much longer than necessary or held up indefinitely.
Without government support, it is hard to enforce regulations that can find, fix and prevent accidents. While other countries are significantly increasing safety, the United States is heading in the opposite direction. Action needs to be taken for the protection of employees, nearby citizens, and the environment.
