Imperial warned of dust hazards years before explosion

Fourteen people died as the result of an explosion at the Imperial sugar refinery near Savannah last February. Six months later, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration determined dust was the culprit. OSHA says Imperial Sugar managers knew of the problem for years and refused to fix it. OSHA slapped the company with an 8.7 million dollar fine. Victims filed their own lawsuits.

Now, today the Savannah Morning News publicized reports showing consultants warned the company of the hazards years before the blast.

From a 2005 report: “One major problem is still the strength of dust extraction. This is so weak that the powder sugar is not transported away from the machine.”

A subsequent 2006 report reads, “The system is plugged up… the units you have were state of the art… in the early 60’s.”

And another report obtained by the Savannah Morning News says that in 2008, one of six collection systems had major difficulties collecting explosive sugar dust.

Brent Savage represents 12 of the victims. "The fact that they were advised to get new dust collectors and didn’t do it," says Savage. "They were not doing the right thing… they were indifferent to these problems." Savage says his clients are angry.

Imperial Sugar says it didn’t receive the 2008 findings until after the explosion, and as for other reports… speaking on behalf of Imperial Sugar, Steve Behm issued this statement via email: Imperial did take action in terms of repairs and maintenance to its dust collection systems prior to the February 7, 2008 explosion, along with many other efforts towards improving safety at the facility.

Imperial Sugar has appealed OSHA’s fine. Savage says that case will likely be tied up in courts until 2010, but he expects the victims' lawsuits to move forward by the end of the year.

Bridge collapse still a mystery

Authorities are still investigating why a pedestrian bridge under construction collapsed this morning at the Botanical Gardens in Atlanta. 1 worker died and 18 were injured. The "canopy walk" arches over a ravine to give visitors an elevated view of the new gardens. The structure gave way around 9 a.m. Joggers, dog walkers and others were in nearby Piedmont Park, but only workers were at the construction site. An officer from the Occupational Safety and Heath Administration was at the scene to see if federal safety standards were followed.

(Associated Press)

Mill worker dies in Turner County

A mill worker has died in Ashburn, Georgia. 24-year-old Keith Branch was an employee at the Golden Peanut Company. The Turner County coroner’s office says Branch was pinned between a railroad car and tractor trailer rig on Monday. He died of extensive chest injuries at Tift Regional Hospital. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating.

Athens plant fined for safety problems

The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited an Athens manufacturing plant for 32 alleged safety violations and has proposed $137,000 in fines. OSHA cited Overhead Door Corp.'s Athens plant. It said that in recent inspections it found machines operating without proper guards and a lack of switches that keep machinery from being turned on by accident. It said employees at the plant were exposed to various hazards, and found problems with the company's hazard alert system and the way it stored flammable materials.

(Associated Press)

Imperial Sugar Co exec to testify

An executive with the Imperial Sugar Company is expected to testify later today to Congress about conditions at the Georgia plant that led to a deadly February explosion. The vice president of operations for Imperial will testify along with several other safety experts--those including the head of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and the chair of the U.S. Chemical Safety Board. A Senate subcommittee has been examining the accident at the Port Wentworth plant after federal investigators found numerous safety violations. Just last week, OSHA proposed nearly nine-million dollars in fines.

U.S. House considers new combustible dust rules

The U.S. House is considering legislation that would impose new safety standards to protect workers from combustible dust explosions. The measure comes in response to the explosion that killed 13 people at the Imperial Sugar refinery outside Savannah on February 7th. House Democrats favor the bill’s passage, while Republicans want to wait for results of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s investigation before considering new regulations. The White House has threatened to veto the measure in its current form.

Committee supports new dust regulations

A U.S. House committee has passed legislation aimed at reducing industrial dust accidents such as a blast at a Georgia sugar refinery that killed 13 people. The bill would require the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to issue new regulations within three months. The new rules would require industries to better train employees about dust risks and more thoroughly inspect, clean and ventilate their plants. Experts believe ignited sugar dust caused the February 7th blast at the Imperial Sugar Refinery in Port Wentworth near Savannah.

Dalton plant fined for safety violations

Dalton manufacturer Columbia Recycling might have to pay more than $41,000 after federal officials found 11 serious safety violations.

"We found that the employer was not enforcing safety rules which could save lives," said Andre Richards, director of the local branch of the US Labor Department Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

In January, a fire at the company killed one employee and injured two others.

Inspectors say the company had blocked access to fire exits, left electrical wiring exposed, and left liquid propane gas tanks in areas where they could be struck by vehicles. In addition, the inspectors say, employees without formal training were operating forklifts, and the company had no written emergency plan.

The fine is just a proposal. Columbia Recycling has 15 days to contest it.

The company makes conveyor belt material from recycled textiles.