There's many a boogeyman in this country, which would explain the 24-hour news cycle. Or is it the other way around, and we have so many because there's so much air time to fill? Either way, there's one boogeyman that almost never gets any air time, OSHA. The mere name is enough to strike fear in the hearts of middle management, and befuddled looks in the eyes of everyone else.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is the government agency which has the privilege of determining just how much poisons, pressures, and abuses your employers are legally allowed to subject you to. Which means that if your employer violates OSHA regulations, and the right person sees it, and it gets documented and submitted correctly, then there may possibly be a fine for endangering you. Fun, right?
To make things even more fun, it's not unheard of for companies to prefer to risk the fines rather than do things the safer, more expensive way. More often though, it seems to be the case of nobody actually knowing the regulations. A shortcut here, a shortcut there, and sooner or later it adds up to kaboom.
To be perfectly clear So's not to get sued for libel, I must state that I'm not suggesting that's the reason for why the Givaudan Color Sense factory exploded here in Louisville back in November 2024. I am suggesting that a food colouring factory managing to explode twice in 21 years is enough to make you question whether the prophets of OSHA forgot to spread their Good News here.
Third time's a charm. Fortunately for the neighborhood, they won't be getting a third try. Was just announced this week that the company won't be rebuilding the factory on that site again.
Would you look at that, OSHA is even here now!