Description

Welcome to episode 3 of OSHIT where Kat and Ella tell the story of the 51 victims of the 1978 Willow Island Cooling Tower collapse in West Virginia. This story is dedicated to those victims and to preventing loss of life due to scaffolding collapses in the future.

Joseph V. Bafile, James Blouir, Robert Blouir, Steve Blouir, Kenneth Boring, Richard Bowser, Thomas Cross, Roger Cunningham, Larry Deem, Roy F. Deem, Ray Deulley, Darrell Glover, Loren Keith Glover, Alvin W. Goff, Gary Gossett, James Harrison, Claude Hendrickson, Dan Hensler, Ken Hill, Gary Hinkle, Roger Hunt, Tom G. Kaptis, Randy Lowther, Ronald Mather, Howard McBrayer Jr., Willard McCown, Clayton Monroe, Robert Moore, Chet Payne, Edgar Phillips, Raymond Poling, Fred Pride Jr., Robert C. Riley, Ray Rollyson, Floyd Rupe, Alan Sampson, Glen Satterfield, Jeff Snyder, Emmett Steele, Ernest Steele, Larry Steele, Miles E. Steele, Ronald Steele, Richard Stoke, Richard Swick, Brian Taylor, Dale Wagoner, Charles Warren, Jack Westfall, Lewis D. Wildman, and Ronald Yocum.

If you would like to reach out to us about this episode or about another topic you'd like us to dive into, email us at Podcast.OSHIT@gmail.com.

The sources used for this episode include the following:

• A Short History of Occupational Safety and Health in the United States - PMC 

• https://www.osha.gov/ords/imis/establishment.inspection_detail?id=12317822

• https://archive.wvculture.org/history/disasters/willowisland02.html

• https://www.nist.gov/el/failure-cooling-tower-west-virginia-1978

• https://www.nist.gov/publications/investigation-construction-failure-reinforced-concrete-cooling-tower-willow-island-west

• https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/southeast/2023/04/27/ 718058.htm

• https://www.maryellenmark.com/bibliography/magazines/article/the-new-york-times-magazine/the-tragedy-at-tower-no2-637517014371101021/N 

• https://www.wtap.com/content/news/Remembrance-Ceremony-set-for-Friday-at-Williow-Island-memorial-481008731.html 

• https://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/statcomps/supplement/2017/workerscomp.html#:~:text=Nine%20states%20enacted%20workers'%20compensation,Islands%20have%20their%20own%20program. 

• https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/federalregister/1993-06-30#:~:text=OSHA's%20initial%20set%20of%20standards,)%20and%201926.53%20(construction). 

• https://theconstructor.org/structural-engg/structural-design/failure-willow-island-cooling-tower/281034/ 

• https://www.nytimes.com/1978/06/09/archives/new-jersey-pages-us-finds-negligence-by-three-companies-in-scaffold.html