Bill to Prevent Industrial Dust Explosions Re-Introduced in the House

WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the senior Democrat of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, Rep. John Barrow (D-GA), and Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-CA), the senior Democrat of the Workforce Protections Subcommittee, reintroduced legislation today to prevent workplace explosions caused by combustible industrial dusts. 

 

Three years ago yesterday, a massive explosion the Imperial Sugar refinery in Port Wentworth, Ga. killed 14 workers, injured dozens and caused millions of dollars of property damage. Federal investigators from the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) concluded that the explosion was fueled by “massive accumulations of combustible sugar dust throughout the packaging building.” 

 

The Worker Protection Against Combustible Dust Explosions and Fires Act, would require the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to issue interim protections to prevent combustible dusts, like coal, sugar, or metals dust, from building up in industrial facilities to hazardous levels and explode. OSHA has just begun rulemaking in this area, but it will take at least four years before final protections are in place. 

 

“I commend OSHA for taking the first steps to protect workers and businesses from combustible dust explosions,” said Miller. “However, because of red tape, workers won’t be fully protected from these explosions for many years. While some industries have taken steps to address these hazards, workers are still being killed and injured from preventable combustible dust explosions. Regulatory delays should never be an excuse not to protect workers from a preventable tragedy.”

 

In the three years since the February 7, 2008 explosion at Imperial Sugar, there have been 24 combustible dust explosions or fires, causing four deaths and 65 injuries.

 

“I recently visited the Imperial Sugar facility and saw the steps they've taken to improve their facility. But thousands of other factory workers around the country are at risk of a similar disaster,” said Rep. Barrow. “Other manufacturers need to improve their safety programs as well. That’s why I'm pleased to have introduced this bill in the House today.  This legislation will finally provide our nation's factory workers with the protections they deserve.”

 

When dust builds up to dangerous levels in industrial worksites, it can become fuel for fires and explosions. Combustible dust can come from many sources, such as sugar, flour, feed, plastics, wood, rubber, furniture, textiles, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, dyes, coal, and metals, and therefore poses a risk across a number of different industries throughout the United States.   

 

“We know that standards OSHA has established in other areas have saved thousands of lives,” said Woolsey. “Workers need a standard on combustible dust, and they need it now.”

 

In 2006, following a series of fatal combustible dust explosions, the CSB conducted a major study of combustible dust hazards.  It identified 281 combustible dust incidents between 1980 and 2005 that killed 119 workers, injured 718 others, and extensively damaged industrial facilities. The CSB found no comprehensive OSHA rules that effectively control the risk of industrial dust explosions and recommended that OSHA issue a standard. 

 

The U.S. House of Representatives passed similar legislation in April 2008 by a bipartisan vote of 247 to 165.