A devastating explosion at a paper mill in the United States has claimed the life of one worker, casting a harsh light on the gulf in safety protections between the two countries. The blast, which occurred at the Pixelle Specialty Solutions mill in Jay, Maine, has left the community in mourning and raised fresh questions about enforcement of industrial safety regulations overseas.
The victim, identified as a maintenance worker, died at the scene. Several others were injured. Investigators are still piecing together the cause, but early reports suggest a build-up of combustible dust may have triggered the incident. It is a tragedy that feels all too familiar in the US, where preventable workplace deaths remain stubbornly high.
In contrast, the United Kingdom has steadily tightened its safety regime over the past 40 years, inspired in part by the 1988 Piper Alpha disaster and the 2005 Buncefield explosion. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has driven down fatalities across heavy industry. Our paper and pulp sector, though smaller, has reported no fatal injuries in the last five recorded years.
“The UK model is not perfect, but it works,” said Dr. Helen Cross, a former HSE inspector. “Our approach is based on risk assessment, worker representation, and a legal duty on employers to ensure safety ‘so far as is reasonably practicable’. That may sound bureaucratic, but it saves lives. The US relies more on fines after the event, which is less effective as a deterrent.”
For the paper industry, which is inherently dangerous with high temperatures, high pressure, and flammable materials, the difference in approach is stark. In the UK, trade union safety reps have a legal right to inspect workplaces and stop dangerous work. The Union of Paper, Printing and Media Workers (affiliated with Unite) provides training and pushes for safer conditions. In Maine, union density in the paper sector has fallen sharply, leaving workers more vulnerable.
The Pixelle mill had been cited for multiple safety violations in the past, including a 2018 incident involving a fire. Yet enforcement remains patchy. The US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has fewer inspectors per worker than the HSE, and penalties are often lowered through negotiation.
At the kitchen table of a paper worker in Blackburn, this news resonates. “We see these explosions and think ‘there but for the grace of God go we’,” said Phil McGrath, a 25-year veteran at a paper mill in Lancashire. “Our union fought for years to get dust extraction systems fitted. Now I see managers walking the floor with HSE inspectors. In America, it seems they just hope it doesn’t happen.”
The government in Westminster has resisted calls to copy some of the stricter US emissions standards, but on safety there is little doubt which system is superior. The tragedy in Jay should serve as a reminder of what happens when safety is treated as an afterthought.
As the families of those affected grieve, the question remains: why should a worker in Maine be worth less than a worker in Manchester? The answer lies in the strength of unions, the rigour of enforcement, and the political will to put workers before profit. For now, the UK can point to its record, but the US shows the cost of falling short.
