⏰💣Why Was A British Owned Chemical Plant Permitted In A California Residential Neighborhood, Especially With All CA's Environmental Rules?!!⏰💣
(jdrucker.substack.com)
Crime & Democrats �
Let me explain something about the inspection process. Inspections are meant to protect the public first and foremost. They are also meant not as a punishment for companies, except in extreme cases, but are there mostly as a means to make corrections and bring a company into compliance - a learning experience. The regulatory environment is a minefield and often with no clear guidance on what exactly has to be done. The regs can be confusing and vague. Many times a company is not even aware of what certain things are required. It is not always clear. I have first hand experience in dealing with this - not only on the business end of it, but also as being a State compliance inspector myself. It is usually not a case of deliberate non compliance, but more times than not, a company was simply not aware of the non compliance. Like I said, the regulatory environment is a minefield and it has gotten more so over the years - especially in CA.
The article appears to me to be mostly about required documentation. If you have ever had to actually deal with that required documentation, you cannot understand what a quagmire it actually is. It can bury you as it is not always apparent as to what is required and what is merely a recommendation. Most business owners have no problem being compliant as long as they are given clear direction as to what to do. Inspectors do not want to shut companies down or make them go bankrupt. We just want them to operate safely. At least that was my attitude as an inspector.
One thing about OSHA inspections. Usually OSHA is called into a situation because of a disgruntle former employee as a means to get back at an employer over a labor dispute. OSHA sadly is often used as a weapon by employees against an employer. Granted, there are cases where there are gross violations of OSHA regs that are detrimental to employee safety. Those situations must be identified. But the reality is that most of the so called violations found by OSHA are due to lack of required documentation records - not an actual physical situation that threatened employee safety. That appears to be the bulk of what this company seems to have done where it concerns OSHA. CA also is a state that has its own OSHA - Cal OSHA. The article does not specify whether it was Federal OSHA or Cal OSHA. Those documentation matters can be corrected to bring the company into compliance. Like I said, it is a regulatory minefield out there.
Peace. I'm content with dealing with paperwork issues. But, in my opinion, the plant design was oblivious to the question of how to cope with an emergency condition. That is more fundamental than paperwork.
Let's just say I am sensitized by some memorable safety lapses I have seen in industrial settings, uninspected and OSHA invisible (in California).
Definitely some questions here that must be answered once the situation is under control. Hopefully then we will get more clarity. CA's system is too cumbersome in the paperwork area, and lax where it really counts. That is true.
Admittedly, my experience was 50 years ago, so times have doubtless changed.
But high-pressure gas cylinders just standing by the wall, unsecured? (Rocket torpedo effect.)
Employees working in an environment where vaporized toluene was not vented to exit? (The vapor was enough to knock you over.)
A cylinder of H2S just lying around in the lab, unsecured and not separated from the lab environment? (First sign of toxicity is the loss of smell.)
Cartridges of ethylene oxide in a desk drawer. (Powerful sterilant. Kills living cells. If punctured, would fill an office within seconds. It was in my desk as a new-hire. I was flabbergasted.)
I worked in private industry years ago. About when you did before I decided to change careers. Things have changed a lot. I remember issues around the handling of chemicals and gases that were at times careless and extremely dangerous. Toxic stuff just being poured into the sewer system instead of proper disposal. Oversight and storage were very lax. I remember one company that kept all their chemicals and gases in one big warehouse. I walked in there and when I saw it I was shocked. None of it was stored properly. A little bird called the fire marshal and they came out and inspected them. The company made the necessary changes with dedicated storage areas for the compounds. Unfortunately, it usually always takes a severe accident involving deaths and injury to prompt long overdue changes. Is it perfect? No. But it is certainly a far cry from what it was.
I remember back in the eighties. I was working at an electronics firm that was right next to a fertilizer company. There was an explosion and fire. Some people at the fertilizer company were killed. We could not go back to work for a couple of weeks and some people that lived nearby were evacuated. It took them a few days to get the fire completely out and make sure the place was safe. The situation there was much like this latest incident in Garden Grove. This event back in the eighties was located not far from the location of the latest crisis. In the same general area in Orange County. Industrial and business areas mingled closely together around residential areas. It's common to both Orange and LA county.
Goodness, I have not thought about that accident for years. If I remember correctly, it was found that there was gross mishandling of chemicals that led to the explosion and fire. Regs were tightened afterwards. But there was no forced shut down or relocation.