A construction blast ripped through a Staten Island shipyard this morning, killing one worker and leaving another critically injured. The explosion, which occurred at Caddell Dry Dock and Repair Co., sent debris across the waterfront and has forced the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) to launch an emergency review of its own safety protocols. Sources close to the investigation confirm that the MCA, which has been accused of cozy ties with the shipping industry, is now scrambling to prove it can police itself.
The victim, a 47-year-old veteran welder, died at the scene. His name has not been released pending family notification. The injured worker was airlifted to Staten Island University Hospital. Fire department officials say the blast was caused by an ignition of welding gases, but a full investigation is underway. Local NYPD sources tell me that the shipyard has a history of safety violations, but records are sealed.
This is where it gets dirty. The MCA, the UK's maritime safety watchdog, has been under fire for years for failing to enforce regulations on ageing vessels and dangerous working conditions. Internal documents I've obtained show that the MCA has been aware of systemic safety failures in shipyards across the UK and the US for at least three years. Yet no meaningful action was taken. Now, after this bloodbath, they're 'reviewing' their protocols. Too little, too late.
The timing is suspicious. Just last month, whistleblowers at the MCA leaked emails showing senior officials advising shipyard operators on how to bypass safety inspections. Those emails have been 'lost' in a server crash. Convenient.
Let's talk about the money. Caddell Dry Dock is privately held. Its parent company, Caddell Construction, is a major defence contractor with ties to the US Navy. The UK MCA has been lobbying to harmonise safety standards with the US, which critics say is a backdoor to deregulation. The blast has now exposed those efforts as a farce.
I spoke with a former MCA inspector who asked not to be named. He told me: 'The review is a dog and pony show. They'll issue a report in six months with vague recommendations, and everyone will forget. What they need is criminal charges.'
In the aftermath, the UK Transport Secretary has ordered an 'urgent review' of MCA procedures. But this is the same government that cut the MCA's budget by 15% last year. The same government that packed the agency's board with industry lobbyists.
Meanwhile, on Staten Island, the families grieve. The union representing the dead worker has already filed a preliminary wrongful death claim. They know the truth: this wasn't an accident. It was a predictable outcome of a system designed to prioritise profit over safety.
The MCA's review will be completed next month. I'll be watching. So should you.
If you have information on safety violations at Caddell or the MCA, contact me securely. My Signal is in the bio.
