Chemical industry excellent safety record

Although the chemical industry as a whole has many potential health and safety hazards, the chemical and petroleum sectors have an excellent safety record. Primary metals, mining, and forestry have the highest number of injuries per thousand workers per year. 

In the chemical industry, hydrogen has been used for more than a century with an excellent safety record. Accidents during hydrogen handling do occur, just as with any flammable or explosive substances. But there is no indication that the risks associated with hydrogen are higher than those arising from any other comparable flammable medium. 

The chemical industry has an excellent record of meeting that challenge. In 1985, the latest year for which national statistics are available, chemical companies reporting to the National Safety Council had a lost-time injury rate of 0.52 injuries per 200,000 hours worked, compared to a rate of 1.98, nearly four times higher, for all U.S. industry (1). 

The chemical industry has an excellent personal safety record because they approach the majority of their activities with a great deal of discipline but the general public has even higher expectations of our industry. Significant process changes are being properly reviewed at most chemical plant facilities. Industry must also be sure to address changes in the... 

The UK safety record of commercially prepared foods is excellent yet very occasionally isolated outbreaks of botulism associated with commercial products do occur. If we are to maintain a low incidence of botulism in this country it is essential that industry maintains careful control of processes, that the Government continues to accept the need for use of chemical preservatives (such as nitrite) in certain food products, and that the consumer refrains from home preservation of non-acid foods, other than by freezing. It is worthy of consideration whether, if nitrite were to be prohibited as a food preservative, some consumers might start home curing of pork in order to provide supplies of bacon and ham for domestic consumption. Such a situation could lead to a significant increase in risks for the consumer, and provide botulism statistics more akin to those of our EEC neighbours. 

Many commercial industries that produce or use large quantities of chemicals are eommitted to going beyond requirements to ensure safe and effective operations at their facilities. Safety performanee records for these companies confirm that a commitment to exeeeding safety and environmental requirements results in success. DOE sponsors or supports programs that ean result in achieving excellent... 

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