Texas Plant Not Inspected For 28 Years

WACO – The fertilizer plant that exploded in the town of West, Texas on Tuesday had not had an official safety inspection for the past 28 years.

What’s left of the West Fertilizer Plant in West, Texas. A storm is brewing over the town making rescue attempts even more difficult. Photo Credit: Photo News

Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) made it last appearance at the plant in 1985. At that time it cited the fertilizing company with three violations, one of them was serious. It was the last time OSHA visited the site.

A Chemical expert isn’t surprised:

“In today’s world it is common knowledge that OSHA is overworked and understaffed. The ‘watchdog’ must carry out inspections at seven million locations in the us. The two thousand inspectors can not handle more than 40,000 inspections per year. A calculation shows us then that a factory gets inspected once every 175 years on average.”

The situation at the plant is still unstable and dangerous because of the highly explosive ammonium nitrate chemical that present at the facility.

Statistics about damage, fatalities and injures as a result of the explosion are still vague.

Originally, news media reported from 60 to 70 people had died. That number now stands between 5 and 35 and 170 people have reportedly been injured, including paramedics and firemen.

Rescue volunteer Jesse Ross tells KTVT news “it was complete chaos like in a horror movie”. He said that at least 1,000 people living near the plant had to be evacuated. More than 130 of them live in a care home.

Several fires are still burning at the destroyed plant. Strong winds make it difficult for firemen to get the blaze under control and weather bureaus say a storm is settling over the town of West, making the rescue attempt even more difficult.

Texas Plant Not Inspected For 28 Years