Preserving worker safety should be a top priority for every industry. Every year, jobsites around the globe experience catastrophic incidents injuring thousands of workers. While heavy industry and construction bear the brunt of the carnage, no sector of the economy is safe from unsafe working conditions. But what causes such wanton destruction in the age of rampant government regulation? Often, such egregious injuries from workplace accidents can be easily avoided. At U.S Hazmat Rentals, we understand the delicate balance between regulation and profit vexing production facilities nationwide. Failing to abide by stringent OSHA protocols and EPA oversight can undermine innovative manufacturing processes as they begin to gain a footing in a competitive global market.
Examining Worker Safety Practices Worldwide
Did you know hazardous materials cause more than 600,000 deaths yearly at jobsites worldwide? While physics and the volatile nature of unstable chemicals do not discriminate in the plight of the inflicted, men account for a disproportionate number of workplace accidents. Younger and older workers are particularly vulnerable to abrupt chemical explosions and fires as these populations require special consideration when properly storing dangerous chemicals. Worker safety worldwide illustrates a confusing dichotomy. While the UK, Iceland, Bahrain, The Netherlands, and Finland enjoy the lowest occupational fatality rate worldwide, the United States boasts a much better health and safety record for non-fatal injuries. Ensuring worker safety is complex as it is nuanced and requires unique insight and innovative storage practices that don’t detract from the bottom line.
Massive Explosion at Abandoned Factory in India Rocks Chemical Storage Industry
A ground-rattling chemical explosion at a defunct Indian metal alloy factory left five dead and 18 others wounded. Working quickly to satisfy the community’s demands for justice, local authorities booked the factory owner and an affiliate who currently holds custody of the property. While investigators initially believed a faulty transformer was the cause of the blast, closer inspection has now shifted the blame to a chemicals stored on sight at the time of the blast. Negligence could become the prime culprit in the investigation as the factory closed its doors a few years ago begging the question, why did the operators leave such dangerous chemicals behind? While we may never know the answer to this pressing question, manufacturers can take comfort in knowing incidents such as these are easily avoidable.
Compliant Metal Alloy Protection
While crucial to advances in infrastructure and the automotive industry, metal alloys pose significant health hazards to manufacturer workers. Steel and iron manufacturing exposure includes constant interaction with genotoxic and carcinogenic substances, including chromium and formaldehyde. While existing in different forms – chromium as powder and formaldehyde as a gas – both are necessary, dangerous chemicals that are highly flammable and toxic to workers. We have a line of fire-rated chemical storage lockers to keep hazardous chemicals away from vulnerable assets while not in use. When properly installed, our chemical storage lockers can also prevent accidental environmental exposure that could lead to pollution. Having compliant chemical in place ensures federal compliance and hefty civil penalties. Contact us today for a free quote and consultation!
