Union officials say that fines are too low and that companies, even in worker death cases, are only getting slapped on the wrist. Baysinger died two days later of asphyxia-related symptoms. Another death occurred at the Des Moines plant in November 1999. Nearly 2,000 gallons of highly flammable heptane poured unnoticed onto the ground and headed into the street. A passing car ignited the chemicals and set off a massive fire, killing Bulkamatic Transport Company's driver Donald Oswald.
Titan often develops close relationships with job-starved cities.
In these times, it is hard to get the attention of an OSHA inspector as there are so few of them. Regardless of who is to blame, OSHA is woefully ill-equipped to monitor the workplaces of America. On the surface this is a story about the untold daily horrors that still exist on today's assembly line. Companies can turn inspectors away and delay inspections for months. Fines are minimal and routinely reduced.