This facility is probably built in the 50’s and to an earlier standard. Usually, unless an accident on site happens, they won’t see any health and safety inspectors.
I’m guessing that is what happened. 60 years of no incidents until now. Now the government is inspecting the facility.
It will cost millions to bring the facility up until code.
I have worked for several Fortune500 food/agri companies. Lots of machinery, and also food-safety issues. Government at some level was ALWAYS around. FDA and particularly state Ag. officials would regularly show up unannounced. Any anonymous complaint by union or disgruntled worker would trigger an OSHA or State labor-board visit.
For that matter, the IRS kept a permanent office, with permanent audit staff, at our HQ
Our CEO's feared nothing greater than Government penalties and bad PR, particularly on safety issues. No plant manager would ever want responsibility for some accident, so everything was done BY THE BOOK. I have seen have shut down plants for weeks because of it.
Its why I doubt the media narrative that CAT simply didn't have guardrails over pits of molten metal.
OSHA ha been in existence since 1970 and there is no way this facility would have escaped any safety inspections.
Falls are the most common, and most preventable, of workplace accidents. I think it is in 2035(?) that all fixed(?) ladders over a certain height must have fall protection systems rather than cages.
I did a job once where the place had to replace all of their ladders (to one with cages) because a young guy fell and was hurt.
I guess OSHA didn’t take into account that the guy was trying to carry a broom and shovel in one hand and a bucket in the other as he climbed the ladder.
But now in 2035 even cages won’t be enough.
Maybe it should.
This foundry opened in 1978, and has been modernized with new tooling periodically.
This facility is probably built in the 50’s and to an earlier standard. Usually, unless an accident on site happens, they won’t see any health and safety inspectors.
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Opened in 1970. I worked there.