The Dam That Failed on Its First Filling On June 5, 1976, the newly completed Teton Dam in southeastern Idaho failed while its reservoir was being filled for the first time. The collapse sent a massive flood through Wilford, Sugar City, Rexburg, and other downstream communities. Eleven people died, and losses were estimated at approximately […]

When Critical Controls Fail On April 5, 2010, an explosion tore through the Upper Big Branch Mine-South near Montcoal, West Virginia. Twenty-nine miners were killed, and two others were injured. The disaster was the deadliest U.S. coal-mine accident in nearly four decades. It was also preventable. The Mine Safety and Health Administration found that the […]

The Piper Alpha Disaster: A Tragic Lesson in Safety The Piper Alpha disaster, one of the deadliest offshore oil platform accidents in history, occurred on July 6, 1988, in the North Sea, 120 miles off the coast of Aberdeen, Scotland. The platform, operated by Occidental Petroleum, was originally designed for oil production but had been […]