FRONTLINE: A Dangerous Business

This documentary examines the cases of thousands of individuals who have been injured, and nine who have died, while employed by McWane, Inc, the nation’s largest maker of cast iron pipe. This joint investigation by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the New York Times, and WGBH’s FRONTLINE presents a shocking picture of conditions faced by McWane employees. Interviews with current and former employees detail the lack of proper safety procedures at the company’s plants. And the practices of a number of government agencies, including the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), as well as company management, are called into serious question. Thanks to producers Neil Docherty and David Rummel, and reporters David Barstow and Lowell Bergman, the United States Justice Department and the Environmental Protection Agency have announced new workplace safety regulations and fined McWane, Inc., $196,000 for numerous violations. For exposing life-threatening conditions and for seeking justice on behalf of the injured or deceased, a Peabody Award is given to WGBH’s Frontline: A Dangerous Business.