Sugar blast prompts Georgia regulations

In the wake of last month's deadly explosion at a sugar refinery near Savannah, State Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner John Oxendine says, he's issuing emergency regulations on combustible dust. Ignited sugar dust caused the accident.

Oxendine says, Georgia now has the nation's toughest standards on industrial dust. They're based partly on regulations suggested by the U-S Chemical Safety Board, but never adopted by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Oxendine says, the regulating agency, OSHA, has failed workers.

"We would have liked that the federal government through OSHA took the lead on this initiative," Oxendine says. "Unfortunately, they have not. I feel like it's appropriate as the Safety Fire Commissioner of the state that we come in and ensure that Georgia industrial facilities can be as safe as possible."

The 64 pages of state rules cover everything from ventilation and cleaning to worker training. Congress could force similar changes, affecting potentially thousands of Georgia businesses. Twelve workers were killed in the February 7th explosion.