Chemical Plants Need to Open Their Doors

Another valuable asset in community relations is the site itself. Encouraging curiosity and welcoming the public inside the factory fence brings two enormous benefits.

First, visitors become familiar with what is going on in the factory. Meeting workers who are going about their jobs with confidence helps to allay unease about safety-chemical workers are ordinary people after all, with the normal human instincts for self- preservation. It is an important step for the public to realize that a chemical plant is operated by men and women just like themselves. Safety precautions such as"dematching" (the surrender of matches, lighters and so forth at the gatehouse), hard hats and spectacles, if properly explained, enhance the picture of a skilled industry that knows how to handle potentially dangerous materials safely. Second, the workers can show off their place of work. They can feel justifiably proud of what they do and where they do...