The National Association of Safety Professionals

Before June 29, 1995, the Sampoong Department Store in Seoul, South Korea, was one of the busiest shopping destinations in the country. Thousands of people walked through its doors every day, unaware that disaster was quietly taking shape beneath them.

The building had a history of warning signs. Cracks appeared in the structure. Engineers raised concerns. Columns had been altered during construction. Heavy equipment was added to the roof beyond what the building was designed to support. Employees reportedly heard loud cracking sounds and watched cracks widen in the hours before the collapse. Yet the store remained open.

Then, at approximately 5:57 p.m., the building gave way.

In less than 20 seconds, five floors pancaked onto each other. More than 500 people lost their lives, and nearly 1,000 were injured. It remains one of the deadliest peacetime structural failures in modern history.

Whenever I read about tragedies like the Sampoong collapse, I can't help but think about workplace safety programs.

Most safety failures don't begin with a catastrophic event. They begin with cracks.

A missing inspection. An ignored near miss. A supervisor who looks the other way. Incomplete training. Employees who stop reporting hazards because they don't believe anything will change.

Just like cracks in a building's foundation, these issues may seem small at first. They're easy to dismiss because the structure is still standing. Production continues. Deadlines are met. Nobody gets hurt today.

But cracks rarely heal themselves.

Over time, they grow. They connect. They weaken the entire system until one day a seemingly sudden incident occurs. The reality is that the failure wasn't sudden at all. The warning signs were there all along.

Strong safety programs are built the same way strong buildings are built: on a solid foundation of accountability, communication, hazard recognition, employee involvement, and leadership commitment.

The lesson from Sampoong isn't just about engineering. It's about what happens when warning signs are ignored.

The question every organization should ask is simple:

What cracks exist in our safety foundation today, and what are we doing to repair them before they become a collapse tomorrow?

I recently came across the film Deepwater Horizon, and while I knew the basic story behind the 2010 disaster, I realized I didn't know many of the details.

After watching the movie, I spent some time reading about what actually happened. What struck me most was that many investigations concluded the catastrophe wasn't caused by a single failure. Instead, it was the result of multiple decisions, missed warning signs, and opportunities to intervene that were overlooked.

It got me thinking about workplace safety today.

We often talk about accidents as if they happen suddenly, but how many major incidents are really the result of small issues that build over time?

In your opinion, what makes the biggest difference in preventing a catastrophic workplace incident? Is it a stronger safety culture, better training, empowering workers to stop work when something doesn't seem right, better communication between management and frontline employees, or something else entirely?

I'd love to hear your thoughts. What lessons do you think industries should still be learning from Deepwater Horizon more than 15 years later?

A worker lost four fingers while cleaning a commercial meat grinder.

According to OSHA, the incident occurred when a co-worker accidentally activated the machine's foot pedal while the employee was cleaning it. Investigators allege the machine's safety guards had been bypassed, lockout/tagout procedures were not properly implemented, and the injury was not reported to OSHA within the required timeframe. Proposed penalties exceeded $196,000.

The details are shocking, but the bigger question is this:

How many organizations are relying on experience and "being careful" instead of engineered safeguards and verified energy control procedures?

Too often, catastrophic injuries happen during routine tasks that employees have performed hundreds of times before. Cleaning, maintenance, clearing jams, and troubleshooting continue to be some of the highest-risk activities in many workplaces.

A strong safety culture isn't measured by how work gets done when everything goes according to plan. It's measured by what protections are in place when something unexpected happens.

💬 What do you think is the biggest challenge organizations face when it comes to lockout/tagout compliance and machine guarding: training, supervision, production pressures, or something else? Let us know in the comments.

Read the original article: https://ohsonline.com/articles/2026/06/02/georgia-supermarket-franchisee-cited-by-osha-after-amputation.aspx

Ready to take the next step in your safety career?

For a limited time, use coupon code PREP5026 to save 50% on either the MSP® or CSD® Prep Course and prepare with confidence for certification success.

Explore your prep course options and get started today:
https://www.naspweb.com/certifications/prep-course-options/

UPDATE: Recovery crews have now recovered six additional victims following the catastrophic tank rupture at the Nippon Dynawave Packaging paper mill in Longview, Washington. Officials have confirmed eight deaths, while three workers remain missing and are presumed dead.

The rupture occurred during a shift change on May 26, when a tank containing more than 500,000 gallons of highly caustic "white liquor," a chemical used in paper manufacturing, collapsed and flooded portions of the facility. Recovery operations have been slowed by hazardous conditions, including chemical contamination and concerns about structural stability.

Federal and state investigators continue working to determine what caused the failure. While some chemicals reached nearby waterways, officials have reported no current threat to local drinking water or air quality.

Our thoughts remain with the victims, their families, coworkers, and the first responders involved in this difficult recovery effort.

Source:

6 bodies recovered from Washington paper mill as effort to dilute contaminated water is underway A large amount of material spilled into a ditch near the site of the deadly tank implosion at a paper mill in Longview. The total death toll is believed to be 11.

Another major chemical tank failure. Another community at risk.

Less than a week after the tank rupture in Garden Grove, California, a chemical tank imploded at a Washington paper mill, leaving workers dead, injured, and missing. Incidents like these are raising serious questions about the condition of aging industrial storage tanks and whether enough is being done to inspect, maintain, and modernize critical infrastructure before disaster strikes.

America cannot keep waiting for catastrophic failures before taking industrial safety seriously.

Read more:

At least one dead, 9 unaccounted for after chemical implosion at Washington plant At least nine other people, including a firefighter, were injured after a tank with chemicals ruptured early Tuesday in Longview, officials said.

UPDATE: Officials say the threat of a catastrophic explosion at the Garden Grove chemical emergency has now been eliminated, but the situation is still ongoing.

The incident began when a tank containing thousands of gallons of methyl methacrylate (MMA), a highly flammable industrial chemical, became unstable at the GKN Aerospace facility in Orange County. Nearly 50,000 residents across multiple cities were evacuated as crews feared either a toxic chemical spill or a major explosion.

After days of around-the-clock work, firefighters discovered a crack in the tank that helped relieve pressure and lower temperatures inside the vessel. Authorities now say the worst-case explosion scenario is no longer expected.

Even so, officials warn there is still potential for a smaller fire, rupture, or chemical leak, and some evacuation orders remain active while emergency crews continue monitoring the tank.

No active chemical leak has been detected at this time, and air quality testing is ongoing.

Read more here:

Massive blast ruled out at California chemical leak in Orange County as officials say crisis is "not over" California crews conducted an overnight operation at the Orange County site of a chemical leak in Garden Grove and said Monday that the threat of a massive explosion had been "eliminated."

Recent developments regarding the incident in Garden Grove, California have emerged.

For detailed information, please refer to the following link:

California chemical tank has cracked causing state of emergency, thousands to evacuate One California town is in a state of emergency and 50,000 people are under an evacuation order as a malfunctioning chemical tank at an aerospace plant is overheating and could leak or explode.

It’s been a busy and dangerous week for HAZMAT responders across the United States. From large-scale chemical leaks forcing evacuations in California to mysterious substance exposures sickening first responders in New Mexico, emergency crews have once again been reminded how unpredictable and high-risk hazardous materials incidents can be. These events highlight the critical role HAZMAT teams play in protecting both the public and fellow responders during rapidly evolving emergencies.

📍 Garden Grove, California
A major hazardous materials incident unfolded in Orange County after a toxic chemical leak was reported at a GKN Aerospace facility in Garden Grove. Officials evacuated thousands of nearby residents after concerns grew that a chemical storage tank could rupture or explode. HAZMAT crews worked throughout the incident to contain the leak, monitor air quality, and keep surrounding neighborhoods safe while emergency operations continued.

📰 “Residents evacuated after toxic leak at Garden Grove aerospace company.”
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-05-21/residents-evacuated-toxic-leak-garden-grove-aerospace-company

📍 Mountainair, New Mexico
In rural New Mexico, a suspected overdose call turned into a mass exposure incident for first responders. Three people were found dead at the scene, while 18 responders experienced symptoms including dizziness, nausea, and vomiting after encountering an unidentified substance. HAZMAT personnel and investigators are continuing to work to determine exactly what caused the exposure and how responders became affected.

📰 “State police: 3 dead, 18 first responders hospitalized in Mountainair substance exposure”
https://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/state-police-3-dead-18-first-responders-hospitalized-in-mountainair-substance-exposure/article_2e67a48e-34e4-4280-9f27-cce481c2de95.html

Incidents like these are powerful reminders that hazardous materials emergencies can happen anywhere and can escalate quickly. Stay safe out there, train often, and always expect the unexpected.

State police: 3 dead, 18 first responders hospitalized in Mountainair substance exposure New Mexico State Police investigators "believe the substance may be transmitted through contact and do not believe it to be airborne."