Miscellaneous And Off Topic Subjects

[hack]

More people died there than in Boston. A lot more. That typically means more headlines.

[Dr. Strangelove]

On a lighter note, Al Michaels arrested for DUI

[Jeff Buchanan]

My immediate thought after West Texas ...... not an industrial accident. A perfect target. The explosives, in massive quantity (Nitrates), were already there.

I've heard some news people's thoughts on this. There's no strong indication, publicly voiced, that the fertilizer plant explosion was a terrorist act. OTH, it's not without precedent for government entities to ask the news people to not talk about it if available intelligence suggests it might be.

[entropy]

So why so little coverage on the explosion in Texas?

[WM Wolverine]

Because there is next to no evidence of there being a terrorist attack. It's possible it was but the evidence is lacking.

[Optimus Prime]

Here's likely why, OSHA hadn't inspected the plant since 1985.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/...zer-explosion/

Currently there are about 2,200 inspectors for 8 million workplaces. And OSHA typically only inspects workplaces after they receive a complaint. On top of all of that, the fines involved for violations are often quite small — back in 1985, OSHA fined the West, Texas facility in question just $30 “for a serious violation for storage of anhydrous ammonia.” (The maximum fine for a serious violation is $7,000.*)

[Jeff Buchanan]

I listened to an NPR program discussing the terrible record of OSHA, in the big issue safety problems like the ones that were likely present in the West Texas plant. The program was about grain silo mishaps where a lot of deaths have occurred.

The point was that not only is OSHA inspection and enforcement bad but when obvious negligence is discovered post accident and it becomes punishable as a criminal act, local DAs won't prosecute because its too costly. So, even when there are charges, they are pleaded down right along with the fines. It's shameful.

Obviously there is no incentive for companies to be safe when regulatory authority is so patently abysmal.

Frankly, I don't think things are much better anywhere in the world but we do a lot of bragging about our laws, our safety records and so forth. In reality, were not much better than a third world country when it comes to work safety. Which begs the question, why are we paying taxes for it and expanding expensive government programs when safety outcomes and corporate behaviors are unchanged?

[Dr. Strangelove]

Well, see, the problem with all those taxes yer talkin about, they aren't going to OSHA.

[hack]

Again -- in Boston, they immediately found some Saudi kid's apartment to search. Decided at the early grasping-at-straws stage of the investigation that this was terrorism, and the opposite in the other case. Dershowitz is on TV making a great point about potential issues re Miranda rights thanks to that early perception. No attempt to find some hapless Arab in Texas to harass.

Granted there is no ``West Strong'' sort of storyline available, and you can't construct a ``this city is more resilient than any other'' fable, but more people died in West and that should mean more coverage, according to the way media makes those types of decisions. We have reason to wonder, is all I'm saying. More reason to do that than to accept the whole thing at face value.

[Dr. Strangelove]

Well, they haven't even determined what caused the explosion yet

[hack]

Then WTF -- go find some Arabs to harass! You're near oil; there will be plenty of options.

[Optimus Prime]

As more details emerge about the Muslim Terrorists that attacked Boston, America is most fortunate that these guys were bumbling, incompetent fools, the destruction and devastation could have been much, much worse.

Apparently that little coward tried to off himself when police finally had him cornered, of course this will not do. He must be nursed back to health in order to be Federally charged, interrogated, convected THEN executed....cheating the hangman simply will not do.

Tsarnaev is being treated for a gunshot in the mouth that exited the back of his neck, according Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis, who was interviewed on CBS' "60 Minutes."
He also suffered a gunshot wound to the leg, Davis said.

[Hannibal]

It was obvious immediately that the Boston Marathon explosions were bombs.

The Texas fertilizer plant was almost certainly an unfortunate leak of combustibles finding an ignition source. These things happen. They are accidents.

[Hannibal]

Industrial safety in the United States has improved drastically over the past couple of generations. OSHA is not the problem.

The West, Texas facility will receive massive fines and will be subjected to massive civil suits, and its good will in the community is gone. Our government is pretty effective at assreaming companies in the pocketbook who suffer large accidents.

[Tony G]

Industrial safety in the United States has improved drastically over the past couple of generations. OSHA is not the problem.

The West, Texas facility will receive massive fines and will be subjected to massive civil suits, and its good will in the community is gone. Our government is pretty effective at assreaming companies in the pocketbook who suffer large accidents.

Sadly, no they won't, at least not what I call massive fines. OSHA just proposed fining an aerosol company $500K for 11 willful and 3 repreat violation of exposing workers to amputation risk. What will happen is the fine will be appealed and at worst mediated down to about $100K if not dismissed. In order for OSHA to lower the boom on a company there has to be a history of repeated violations and the company willfully not complying. OSHA is woefully understaffed and no where near as capable as it should be.

It's not "quite" as bad in Michigan because we have our own state agency but that is one of the things that is on the table from Snyder. He has mentioned possibly shutting down MIOSHA and let the feds take it.