We asked chemical industry professionals to share what truly concerns them about the current state of the industry. Comments ranged from aging equipment and overdue safety recommendations to inexperienced operators navigating complex systems.
Beyond plant-level concerns, several respondents voiced frustration about broader threats to scientific institutions and regulatory frameworks that have long underpinned safe operations. These anonymous responses highlight real challenges and underscore why addressing safety culture, infrastructure investment and workforce development is important.
Traci Purdum, an award-winning business journalist with extensive experience covering manufacturing and management issues, is a graduate of the Kent State University School of Journalism and Mass Communication, Kent, Ohio, and an alumnus of the Wharton Seminar for Business Journalists, Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.
