Combustible Dust Congressional Hearing

It's been a little over a month since 12 Imperial Sugar Employees were killed in an explosion at the Port Wentworth Plant.

While eleven employees still remain in critical condition at the Augusta Burn Center, the company is working to rebuild.

In the meantime, lawmakers and federal agencies met in Washington DC Wednesday to make sure something like this never happens again.

News Three's Night Side Reporter Alice Massimi has more.

The head of the Chemical Safety Board says “snow-like accumulations” of sugar dust were reported at the Imperial Sugar Plant prior to its explosion last month.

William Wright revealed this during a congressional hearing on proposed legislation.

The legislation is The Combustible Dust Explosion and Fire Prevention Act.

It would force OSHA to issue rules regulating combustible dusts that can build up to hazardous levels and explode.

OSHA has the authority to issue those rules without the legislation but Congressman John Barrow, along with other lawmakers and the Chemical and Safety Board, feel OSHA has failed to put any standards in place despite the fact that the dangers of combustible dust have been known for years.

As one Congressman put it, “Congress will step in until OSHA steps up.”

Congressman Jack Kingston agrees, but thinks more needs to be included in the proposed legislation.

“There are about eighty thousand plants across the country that have potential dust related hazards, but since this legislation doesn't call for additional inspections, housekeeping and violations of the general duty clause of current law could continue to be a problem. Perhaps the problem lies in OSHA not having enough inspectors on the ground,” said Kingston in the hearing on Wednesday.

The head of OSHA, Edwin Foulke, says OSHA is doing what they can and while they haven't put any regulations into place, he says there are standards they suggest.

Congressman John Barrow says that's not enough, the standards need to be mandatory.

“There have been standards on the books that effectively deal with this problem for literally decades but these standards are voluntary not mandatory. The agency that is responsible for figuring out what happens in cases like this is recommending that these voluntary standards be made mandatory for years now. The agency that is required to do things about this has been stalling and in a go slow mode for years now,” explains Barrow.

It was Congressman Miller, who is the committee's chairman, who had the strongest words of the day...saying that OSHA's “lack of urgency to protect workers is astounding,” adding that “clinging to the past on their part has turned out to be fatal.”

Strong words that will hopefully be backed up with action.

John Sheptor the CEO of Imperial Sugar released a statement in response to Wednesday’s hearings.

“The Port Wentworth Plant had a comprehensive housekeeping program, including aspects specifically focused on dust reduction. Dust hazards are taken very seriously at the plant. It is our hope that they are derived in the same spirit shared by those of us on site a dedication to ascertaining both the cause of this incident and in doing so, to helping prevent future tragedies.”