Occasionally, someone says something about safety I find noteworthy. Recently, a stakeholder questioned the response to deadly chemical explosions similar to what occurred at the fertilizer plant in West, TX.

“These sometimes deadly and potential catastrophic events take place all too often in this industry. The first response from industry after a tragedy is that the safety of their employees is their top priority. The widowed wives and husbands, children left without a father or mother, may feel differently.”

– Kim Nibarger, health and safety specialist with the United Steelworkers International Union, speaking at a June 27 hearing before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee

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