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by PaulAdrian from KDFW-TV

Last Post 184 days, 11 hours Ago


In this post 9-11 world, most would agree someone ought to watch things that could potentially go boom, especially if those things are right downtown, like Southwest Industrial Gases.

Yet, Dallas Fire-Rescue had not conducted a full safety inspection of the facility in more than five years.
OSHA never visited the site before the fire.

Of course, Southwest is just one of many companies in Dallas/Fort Worth dealing in the kind of hazardous or explosive stuff that could hurt you.

What should taxpayers expect from the local and federal agencies charged with protecting their safety?
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Member Comments Total Comments: 11
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chardoney read my blog view my photos
Aug 15, 2007 | 8:34 PM

I think this is typical of government - getting lax and lazy. It was more than fortunate, no one was killed or badly injured in the explosion/fire. I'm sure there will be a request for 'more money' to do what they should be doing...but in several years, all will be once again be back to lax and lazy.

Dallas47_Rocks read my blog view my photos
Aug 15, 2007 | 9:23 PM

"What should taxpayers expect from the local and federal agencies charged with protecting their safety?"

No disrespect intended,Paul but did you notice that the state did nothing about investigating this explosion? Did you also happen to notice that the Fed's came in,did a fast investigation and yet it's been weeks since this tragedy but yet the general public has not been told what their findings were?

Orian101
Aug 15, 2007 | 9:48 PM

What I would like to know is will this company be fined for not training their employees properly? I think they should be charged with the clean-up instead of the taxpayers.

Janet
Aug 15, 2007 | 10:01 PM

No one is going to inspect anything that "looks o.k." OSHA is a joke because they're stretched too thin. Not enough money to fully fund the jobs. FEMA is a joke. Poorly managed, and proven. The FDA is a joke. We inspect probably less than 5% of all the items that enter the U.S. We are our own best watchdogs. We should be angry at city government that they did not have the good management to see the plant removed from city limits, and kept that way. Jeeezz. Either that or don't build houses around it. Bad planning on their part will alyways be the emergency part we pay for later. (Too bad they can't be pulled out of retirement and have their pants sued off.) The real responsibility is ours, because we forgot to watch the people in charge, and hold them accountable. We have to police our own police, fire, government, churches, and ourselves. Just my opinion of course.

aeodfw read my blog view my photos
Aug 15, 2007 | 10:19 PM

That is simple; we expect for these agencies to do their jobs to avoid this kind of horrid "accidents" such as this but seems they have already swept this one under the carpet.

Citizens take so much for granted, we expect everyone is doing their jobs. How are we to know who is lax and lazy? Do we need babysitters for each agency and how could we trust the babysitters? Everyone greases everyone on that big political wheel. It makes me dizzy just thinking about it.

No, we just have to wait for something to blow or something to flood or someone to die to find out, by journalist such as yourself, that dig and pry to find out someone is not doing their jobs. I know I for one do not have the time, money or resources to ensure my tax dollars are being utilized wisely *(she types, laughing hysterically).

=))

Showdog read my blog view my photos
Aug 15, 2007 | 10:43 PM

Channel 11 just did a story on this and reporter Jay Gormley had a copy of the report from the Dallas Fire Dept. The delivery driver connected the wrong tanks together and the gases didn't mix and caught fire and exploded.

If you don't know what's going on with the news, maybe you're watching the wrong channel.

But Janet is right. ALL of the government agencies are stretched too thin and only have a few inspectors to do a huge job. There is literally only a handful of agents who work for I.C.E. How can they possible catch and deport thousands of illegals on a daily basis? And each I.R.S., T.W.C., O.S.I., and O.S.H.A. agent has over 5,000 accounts to audit. And they are changing every day. There are hundreds of businesses in the metroplex that close down, move away, or change owners every month. It's impossible to even keep their names and addresses correct, much less go out and visit them and conduct an inspection or audit. Sure the government makes a lot of laws, but there's nobody to enforce them.

Mis_Sissippi
Aug 15, 2007 | 11:26 PM

I saw the story on the explosion and wonder why you are interviewing the employees and putting so much emphasis on the fact that they are ex-convicts.What we should be concerned about is the fact that they received no safety training at all. Where was their supervisor? Who trained the worker who drove the truck where the explosion started? I think it is ridiculous to insinuate that their being ex-convicts had anything to do with the explosion.We should be concerned with making sure that facilities like this are inspected on a regular basis and that safety training is being done or we will see this happen again.

KellerKowboy read my blog view my photos
Aug 16, 2007 | 12:45 AM

...and, as an aside; I think it's pretty safe to say that 9/11/01 is now "ancient history". No one is thinking, watching, listening and keenly aware, the way they were six years ago. Yes, it's a point....but, no, it's really not a factor any longer.

texan2007 read my blog view my photos
Aug 16, 2007 | 1:56 AM

There is this book that they're suppose to have in plained sight. A easy located area to easy locate this book that is called a ( MSDS )
Material Safety Data Scheet. That describes all the important information in the book.

Their safety program for the company needs to be looked into far as if they followed their safety policies. OSHA regulations were violated. I'm sure that there are violations here that need be further investigated if not all ready done so. I'm sure the Dallas Fire did all that they could in there findings.

Under Texas Statues there is in the book. Criminal Negilects and with that it is up to the Justice system to sort thru the mess now.

texan2007 read my blog view my photos
Aug 16, 2007 | 2:30 AM

Did you know there are storage areas like the one that is located down at Northwest Hwy. West of I35. Located on Califoria Crossing Rd in the city of Dallas. Number of businesses along the way. I though that their was a buffer zone to where these sites was to be located for the safety of all concerned

There again there is always a grandfather claus that I'm sure that keeps them there.

I do believe that should be looked into. Should be brough into the picture as well in the investigation.

I just hope the Dallas Fire has done checks on these companies as well. Since the Accident downtown Dallas.

putonyourbigpants read my blog view my photos
Aug 16, 2007 | 9:36 AM

With all due respect Paul, you want to profile X-cons in a situation where the John Q citizen is the one that is being deceptive. Thats weak and uncalled for. I hire X-Convicts all the time and they are better employees than all the "good citizens" ever could be. I'll be damned if they aren't better workers thant Illegals too. "good citizens" are bigger on breaking the rules than the X-Cons. Press wants to profile X-Cons but turns their head when their own boss breaks more laws and rules than all cons combined. Till you have any proof of wrong doing by the X-Cons, you need to back off. As if you never did anything wrong before...geeez Cops will be the first ones to tell you that the difference between X-cons and them is, they didnt get caught. Check yourself before you point fingers. ( X prison guard, now self employed)

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PaulAdrian

I'm an investigative reporter who can't stand it when people do things that hurt others. This could be through scams or bad laws or pollution. But I believe in the power of journalism. If you have a tip, I'll try to do a story. Perhaps together, we can make our world a little bit better.

Member Since: 4/5/2007