Aluminium Plant Safety Blog ?!

So what is the @APSBlog? I was asked over five years ago by some of my industry contacts to start a blog covering incidents that occur in the aluminium industry. Over 575 news media stories have been posted. If the incident involves an injury or fatality the worker's name(s) and company name are omitted. The blog's mantra is noble "It is not this blog's intention to place blame on either company nor worker(s), but the hope that awareness of these accidents brings education and prevention of recurrence." We pray that this blog can be used by the reader to educate themselves, their workers, their company on incidents that are occurring around the globe. Because as history has shown us for example that one incident in the USA can be replicated in Europe. Sadly, we'll be posting a recent fatal incident later this month.

Some have asked why my name is not on the blog. To be honest in the beginning I was scared how the blog would be received and made it anonymous. Since then I have been humbled and embarrassed to find out the impact the blog has had to many around the globe. On a visit to India I mentioned in passing that I edit it. The response was "It is my honor to me the editor of the aluminium plant safety blog." I laughed and told the kind man thank you. Surprisingly this blog is the hardest thing I do. Why ? Because though I do not post the worker's names. I can not forget them, nor their faces, nor their children's names and ages, etc. Because of that I feel that I have an obligation to try to not make a worker's death mean nothing. So I'll continue with the blog. In addition I get invited to participate in company safety days, corporate training, plant training, etc. To reinforce the message I am putting forth I use an incident on the blog as an example. Why? Not to dishonor the dead, but to make the living aware what could go horribly wrong if the fail to follow their training, skip steps, make assumptions, or fail to intervene if they observe a worker being unsafe.

Lastly, there has been zero income generated from the blog. But with the proliferation of gofundme sites I am seriously considering allowing advertisement placement on the blog. All revenue could be directed to the ever increasing gofundme accounts set up for the families of the injured and deceased. Here is the link to the Aluminium Plant Safety Blog.