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Rates change from year to year but they usually not too much.
There were 4,619 people killed in occupational fatalities in the U.S. in 2011 , probably at least half of them were preventable. And thousands more maimed and injured. That's far more than are killed by terrorists, yet occupational fatality doesn't get any media coverage or concern. I'll bet we spend more on Homeland Security in a month than we spend on Occupational Safety in a year.
Rates change from year to year but they usually not too much.
There were 4,619 people killed in occupational fatalities in the U.S. in 2011 , probably at least half of them were preventable. That's over 10 people a day, far more than are killed by terrorists, yet occupational fatality doesn't get any media coverage or concern. I'll bet we spend more on Homeland Security in a month than we spend on Occupational Safety in a year.
"....there have been at least 17 major fatal ammonium nitrate explosions around the globe since 1921, as The Guardian reports. Many have occurred overseas, including in France and Australia."
"The hose water might have set off the anhydrous ammonia, creating a chain reaction. Under normal conditions, ammonia is not explosive. ..Likewise, ammonium nitrate is rated as non-flammable and since it doesn’t detonate under normal conditions (i.e., when it’s not in the presence of fuel oil), it’s generally regarded to be safe."
This is very, very, unfortunate. I was surprised there have been 17 prior incidents (if this is what happened here) globally in 92 years (5 prior in the US, and 2 of those in plants - 1924 and 1994). Most were transport accidents - train, truck, ship.
And, water from the fire hoses could have contributed???
At least 14 people dead, 200 injured, and another 60 unaccounted for in the blast.
Yet nobody seems outraged by this explosion even though the plant was in flagrant violation of Homeland Security regulations. DHS didn't even know this plant existed!
"Records from the Texas Department of State Health Services showed the facility stored 270 tons of ammonium nitrate as recently as last year. Homeland Security regulations require fertlizer plants to notify federal officials if they hold more than 400 pounds. But according to Reuters, neither state authorities nor officials at West Fertilizer shared their findings with DHS."
The owners of this plant should go to prison for life just like the Boston bomber.
At least 14 people dead, 200 injured, and another 60 unaccounted for in the blast.
Yet nobody seems outraged by this explosion even though the plant was in flagrant violation of Homeland Security regulations. DHS didn't even know this plant existed!
"Records from the Texas Department of State Health Services showed the facility stored 270 tons of ammonium nitrate as recently as last year. Homeland Security regulations require fertlizer plants to notify federal officials if they hold more than 400 pounds. But according to Reuters, neither state authorities nor officials at West Fertilizer shared their findings with DHS."
The owners of this plant should go to prison for life just like the Boston bomber.
The owners of the plant should go to prison for the rest of their lives.
Why the owners and not the firefighters that sprayed water? Convicted killers don't even get that long. Besides, the owners are shielded from liability. I own stock in Alcoa, but I'm not responsible for their actions.
Why the owners and not the firefighters that sprayed water? Convicted killers don't even get that long. Besides, the owners are shielded from liability. I own stock in Alcoa, but I'm not responsible for their actions.
Why should owners of facilities that don't follow proper safety laws or in this case, Homeland Security regulations, be shielded from prosecution?
The same principle applies to the bankers who brought on the financial crisis, and none of them went to prison. They knowingly did wrong, and walked away with bonuses, and the American people lost their jobs and their homes. I think it stinks.
I'm not talking about shareholders, I'm talking about the owners of privately owned companies, and CEOs. And in the case of the Texas plant, whoever was responsible for those enormous amounts of ammonium nitrate, and failed to report them to the DHS.
As for the firefighters, they should have known that, especially since the plant was a big presence in their community.
Now that they are persons, you exclude them the Stock Exchange.
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