The Atlanta Haute List
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Safety Issues And Shoddy Equipment The Cause Of Devastating Mine Collapse
The Olsen men of Olympus International are in the hot seat today when a mining accident at a subsidiary held by the company killed twenty-four and injured dozens more.
Youngest Olsen brother and Olympus CEO, Zander, stepped out to face the crowd gathered at Olympus International Tower for a press conference that was more of a company statement, as questions weren’t allowed.
This blogger found the statement, printed below, to be a little lackluster given the calamity that happened, but it is admirable that one of the brothers actually made it, rather than foist it off on the PR department.
Already, cries for more action can be heard as activists lament the working conditions of the mine, the lack of sufficient safety equipment on hand, and no real training for the workers.
Do our favorite billionaire brothers have blood on their hands from this blatant disregard for the safety of their lowest-paid workers?
They’ve been profiting off lowly workers for a decade.
Maybe it’s time to cancel the Olsens and Olympus International.
They’ve bought up enough of the South, and have their hands in piggy banks the world over, when will enough be enough?
We’ll be keeping an eye on them even more to see what changes the brothers will make, if any.
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Statement given by Zander Olsen, Olympus International CEO, Monday 2:32 PM EST
“It is with heavy hearts and our deepest sympathies that we are here today, addressing the collapse of a recently acquired mining outfit in South Africa. We have staff on their way to assess damages and help the local team reorganize with a focus on safety above all. While mining has always been at the heart of Olympus International and a fundamental part of our business structure, branching out into foreign markets is new and comes with many hurdles of various degrees to ensure that other outfits align with our US safety standards and practices. None of our reports from the acquisition of this mining operation led us to believe that any safety precautions had been circumvented, but it is now on us to see what went wrong, fix it, and address any issues that may be raised to ensure it never happens again. We respectfully ask that you keep the people most affected by this tragedy in your thoughts and prayers. Please know that we are taking direct action to help members of the mining force and the families of those involved in this accident because we care about all members of the Olympus International family. No questions will be taken at this time.”