Dangerous

Letter to The Day paper regarding the Kleen Power Plant Explosion.

I am very familiar with dangerous working conditions, 12 hour days and overtime, working holidays, stress from deadlines and layoffs, etc. With that in mind, I completely disagree with O&G and any comment they have made thus far. Our site requires any contractor to be certified by OSHA with a proven record of safety. When they come on our sight, we dictate the safety policies they must abide by. Our policies are set above those by OSHA standards. Any worker, either those with my company or contractors, must attend weekly and monthly safety meetings. Deadlines are an important part of this industry, I agree. However, those deadlines are met by double, or even, triple checks to ensure the safety of our workers and community. For all of O&G’s harping about being behind and the need to work harder and faster has resulted in the loss of 5 people, injuries to dozens, property destruction for miles, and now, no plant at all. Safety makes a plant run well and organized. Urgency and quantity, however, only comes with disastrous results.