Wayne County Oil Tank Explosion

Wayne County Oil Tank Explosion | Dangerous Work Place For Randy Ducksworth?

Unfortunately, there are some companies who just do not care about employee safety. They say it. The might even put it in writing. But, the truth is they really don’t care.

I don’t know how many warnings I can give or state and federal agencies can give about explosions on a work site. Good gracious these companies have no care in the world about workers. I can hear it now, “Just get the job done or you are fired.” Well, what’s a working man going to do? Leave? No. He has bills to pay, a family to feed, and roof to keep over their head. He’s going to do his job anyway.

This is exactly what the companies know. The cut corners to try and save some money because they don’t give a crap about anything other than profit. So the company pushes and pushes and pushes and then someone like Randy Ducksworth dies. It is awful and frankly, if we started putting some of these people in jail perhaps we’d see less Mississippians going to the graveyard when they leave home for work.

So, Tellus Operating Group or someone working for them was the company at fault here. Oil storage tanks don’t just blow up on their own. Someone cut corners. Someone ignored the safety manual. Someone ignored something. I guarantee it.

Wayne County Oil Tank Explosion | Will OSHA Fine The Company For Randy Ducksworth Death?

So OSHA will come out. OSHA will probably find someone ignored the rules. OSHA will probably find someone ignored the rules so bad they should get fined. The company will pay it and just move on with life. In the meantime, Randy Ducksworth is dead for no reason. It’s disgusting.

Questions that should be asked and that I bet were not done are things such as:

*Is there a comprehensive written policy about fire hazards?

*Is there firm management support for the fire hazard policies?

*Who issued the “hot work permit” to allow the welding or repair on or near the tank to take place?

*Was it an actual “authorized supervisor” that issued the hot work permit?

*Did the employer or owner of the tank follow the United States Chemical Safety and Hazard Board recommendations for “hot work practice?”

*Was a hazard assessment done before Randy Ducksworth was working on or near the tank?

*Was the atmosphere monitored with a properly-calibrated combustible gas detector before and DURING hot work that Randy Ducksworth was doing?

Wayne County Oil Tank Explosion | Hold Them Accountable For Randy Ducksworth’s Death

Here’s one that I can almost bet was not done: I can just about guarantee you that the owner of the tank was NOT properly supervising the hot work as required. In my experience the owner never bothers to do that and fails to tell sub-contractors or contractors about the site-specific hazards. Yet, they will turn around and try to blame the employee or the employee’s boss. They will refuse to take responsibility for anything. Then, when they get sued, they’ll say, “Why am I getting sued?” Yeah, I wonder why.

I am praying for Randy Ducksworth and his family and I can only hope the someone, somewhere will hold this people accountable for his death. I am appalled.