Cowboy operators in the chemical industry operate with little technical knowledge and no investment in safety controls. They offer cheaper rates for formulating products with hazardous ingredients, distorting the already small and competitive Australian market. When things do go wrong, Australian workers are injured or killed, and society bears the cost of this and cleaning up. Prosecutions are slow and management are not prevented from starting a new company and resuming operations in the meantime.
At the same time, the downsize of chemical manufacturing has lead many companies to outsource expertise to consultants. Where Operational staff are only familiar with safety aspects of existing systems, then the new hazards of innovation are not properly managed. This will be discussed in the light of recent incidents.