In May 2025, 12 workers were killed at Shandong Youdao Chemical in China. The official investigation found substandard raw materials, improper equipment selection, and hazard inspections that were carried out in a “perfunctory” manner. A hard lesson in chemical process safety and what makes workplace inspections actually work.
On 10 October 2025, 16 workers were killed in a catastrophic explosion at the Accurate Energetic Systems facility in McEwen, Tennessee. The building had no fire suppression system. The CSB investigation reveals critical failures in process safety management. Here is what every safety professional must understand.
In November 2025, 168 people died in the Wang Fuk Court fire in Hong Kong. Investigators found that contractors replaced fire-retardant scaffolding netting with cheaper, non-compliant material and gamed safety inspections to hide it. A critical lesson in construction safety, incident investigation, and compliance vs. assurance.