Vice president of USW Local 1557 recounts his experience after Clairton plant explosion
Richard Tikey has worked here at the Clairton plant for 27 years. He told KDKA-TV that he's seen a lot of explosions in that time, but none as devastating as Monday's.
He says the only thing on his mind right now is getting the injured better and home to thier families.
"I got down there as fast as I could get down there," Tikey said, recounting the incident.
Tikey knew every person who worked inside the building where the explosion happened.
Not only are they co-workers, he says, they're friends, making his job that much harder.
"Me being the vice president, I had it in my mind that I was not leaving until they were all counted for," Tikey said.
Tikey works on the south end of the plant, about a half mile away from where the explosion happened.
He says he wasn't sure at first what had happened, but he knew it was bad because it shook the building he was in.
When he found out, he ran to check on his friends.
"It looked like Russia hit Ukraine, a building in Ukraine with a missile," Tikey described.
Tikey stayed until 9 p.m., until the last victim was accounted for.
He helped place the man on a stretcher and into the ambulance. He shared with KDKA-TV a moment, he says, that will stay with him forever.
"I was holding the door open while they were cutting his pants, and the doctor was checking him, and they handed me his shoes. I put his shoes on a cement pillar down there. After the day was done at 9:00 last night, as I was in the shower house, I took my boots off and put them in my locker. I thought, 'My boots are going in my locker, but his were still sitting back there.' I took that home with me. That bothered me."
Tikey says he spoke with several workers Tuesday morning who voiced their concern for the victims. They want them to get better and get home to their families.
Tikey says steel is strong, but so are the people. He said they'll get through this together, but they need answers.
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