Further Work
Luminous Lives, Remarkable Legacy:
The Radium Girls' Fight for Workplace Rights and Employer Responsibilities
Despite ongoing progress, further action is needed regarding safety regulations, company responsibilities, and worker rights.
Explosions at BP Texas City Refinery on March 23, 2005 killed 15 workers and injured over 170. BP failed to provide training, causing poor unit maintenance. Consequently, OSHA fined BP $87M, and also required a safety pledge.
"The Texas City Refinery explosion occurred on March 23, 2005, when a hydrocarbon vapour cloud exploded at the ISOM isomerization process unit at BP's Texas City refinery in Texas City, Texas, killing 15 workers and injuring more than 170 others." (Dailymotion)
"When 15 people die, things need to change."
~ Brian Ambrose, worker at the BP isomerization unit that exploded
(Collette Olsen 2015)
"With the vote tonight, we embark on seeking the most significant safety improvements ever pursued by this agency. The 15 men and women who died here two years ago must not be allowed to perish in vain. Their lives, their dreams, and their hopes - and the manner in which they lost them - must never be forgotten."
~ Carolyn W. Merritt, CBS chairman
(Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board 2007)
In 2023, OSHA reported 2,064 face/eye protection violations and 3,227 hazard communications regarding employee chemical use training.
(Occupational Safety and Health Administration)
(Occupational Safety and Health Administration)