After the Chemical Safety Board released their report on the deadly explosion at Imperial Sugar, various experts and the public expressed their frustration with current combustible dust regulations. The Georgia senators, Isakson, R-Ga., and Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga, even called on OSHA for regulations (www.bit.ly/Dgkcg ). Currently there are a number of OSHA standards that address aspects of combustible dust control, including those on housekeeping, emergency action plans, ventilation, spray finishing, permit required confined spaces and electric power generation (safetynewsalert.com). Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis has stated in the past that new combustible dust regulations are on her list of priorities.
The scene now at the Imperial Sugary Reginary in Port Wentworth is now quite the opposite of how it was the day after the explosion. New structures are replacing those destroyed in the Feb. 7, 2008, explosions and fires that killed 14 people and injured many more. The new refinery is said to reflect state-of-the art technology. "We'll have one of the most modern sugar packaging facilities anywhere in the country," President and CEO John Sheptor has said. "It certainly will be the safest."
After all the fuss, you would think that an agency would be checking up on this company...right? Wrong. It has just been reported by the Savannah Morning News that no agency is making sure the way the plant is being rebuilt minimizes combustible sugar dust buildups -- which investigators say fueled the inferno. This alarms U.S. Rep. John Barrow, who says legislation he is co-sponsoring might correct the problem. Is it wrong that we also find this alarming and unacceptable? After all, we are talking about a company that clearly disregarded worker's safety. As we had mentioned in our previous post (bit.ly/Imperial_Sugar_Results), it was reported that the plant's owner and manager knew for decades about the hazards of sugar dust but failed to take the necessary precautions.
Imperial has retained consultants it calls "the world's leading experts" on combustible dust fire prevention. In the process, Ralph Clements, vice president of manufacturing and engineering, also seems to agree with President and CEO John Sheptor. He added that Imperial will "meet or exceed" the board's recommendations.
Chemical Safety Board Chairman John Bresland says that the Board is advisory, not regulatory, and that it falls out of their authority. He said such follow-up is the job of the state or the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration. But neither the state nor OSHA plans to inspect the refinery project.
Rep. John Barrow goes on saying "While I appreciate Imperial Sugar's promise to build the safest plants in the country that's just not good enough." "We're dealing with a known explosive, and we need to make sure that the plant is built to the highest safety standards possible." We couldn't have said it better ourselves Rep. Barrow.
Sources:
http://www.safetynewsalert.com/
"No agency's checking on Imperial Sugar's rebuild in Port Wentworth, Ga." Trading Markets.com. Savannah Morning News via Comtex, 5 Oct. 2009. Web. 6 Oct. 2009.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
0 comments:
Post a Comment