Koch Industries Faces a Growing Safety Crisis

Originally posted August 8, 2019, by Christopher Leonard on both Fortune.com and ProPublica.org (the piece is a collaboration between the two sites, and adapted from the forthcoming book ‘Kochland: The Secret History of Koch Industries and Corporate Power in America’) this insightful longform article discusses in detail the continued increase in workplace-related accidents, injuries, and even deaths of Koch employees which, as the article concludes, continues to accelerate despite the company employing various tactics to reverse the trend.

The article is an excellent read, offering insight into not only Koch Industries, but also big business in general, not to mention a form of corporate hubris in that too often companies (and individuals) are quick to make “internal decisions” without additional opinion or consultation. Whether a big decision or not (but especially when lives are at stake) it is wise to consider other’s opinions or seek outside counsel else, as the article’s subtitle reads, you might not yield favourable results.

“Five years ago, the maker of Brawny paper towels and Quilted Northern toilet paper realized it needed to tackle a soaring injury rate. It did it the Koch way—and things have only gotten worse.”

https://www.propublica.org/article/rising-profits-rising-injuries-the-safety-crisis-at-koch-industries-georgia-pacific

Original post: https://fortune.com/longform/koch-industries-georgia-pacific-safety/ & https://www.propublica.org/article/rising-profits-rising-injuries-the-safety-crisis-at-koch-industries-georgia-pacific

Read time: 18 minutes