Email to a Friend
Stumble It!
By AMY DOMINELLO
Media General News Service
WASHINGTON – A House panel moved Wednesday to create comprehensive regulations to prevent dust explosions such as the one that killed 13 people at the Imperial Sugar plant near Savannah, Ga.
The Committee on Education and Labor passed a bill on a voice vote which is expected to come before the full House of Representatives by the end of the month. It then would have to be approved by the Senate and signed into law by President Bush.
The U.S. Chemical Safety Board is investigating the Feb. 7 accident at Imperial Sugar, which also injured more than 60 people. The board’s preliminary findings suggest accumulated sugar dust ignited and triggered a series of explosions.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has regulations that apply to dust hazards but no specific standard on combustible dust.
“Although these rules have been interpreted to apply to combustible dust hazards, they do not provide the details on safe operating and cleaning procedures that would be included in a combustible dust standard,” said Rep. George Miller, D-Calif., the committee’s chairman.
Miller, along with Rep. John Barrow, D-Ga., introduced the bill in March to require OSHA to enact such standards.
The committee delayed dates for some of the standards, but the bill remained largely intact.
Requirements of major renovations -- such as changing plant building designs to help prevent explosions – will not be mandatory until 18 months after the standards become law.
But the bill will require OSHA to develop interim standards within three months to govern issues such as cleaning practices and creating better evacuation plans. OSHA would then have 18 months to finalize those standards.
“What can be done right away is going to be done right away,” Barrow said.
Some Republicans said changes needed to be made to protect worker safety. But, they said, the investigation into the Imperial Sugar accident had not been completed and the bill was a rush to judgment.
“Although it’s fair to ask tough questions about whether enough had been done, the best way to answer these questions is to complete the investigation,” said Rep. Howard P. “Buck” McKeon, R-Calif.
Rep. Jack Kingston, R-Ga., said the amended bill is an improvement and further changes may be made before it is finally approved. But he said a new law may not make a difference.
“As of right now we don’t have an exact determination about what caused the explosion,” he said.
Contact Amy Dominello at 202-662-7671 or adominello@mediageneral.com
Media General News Service
WASHINGTON – A House panel moved Wednesday to create comprehensive regulations to prevent dust explosions such as the one that killed 13 people at the Imperial Sugar plant near Savannah, Ga.
The Committee on Education and Labor passed a bill on a voice vote which is expected to come before the full House of Representatives by the end of the month. It then would have to be approved by the Senate and signed into law by President Bush.
The U.S. Chemical Safety Board is investigating the Feb. 7 accident at Imperial Sugar, which also injured more than 60 people. The board’s preliminary findings suggest accumulated sugar dust ignited and triggered a series of explosions.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has regulations that apply to dust hazards but no specific standard on combustible dust.
“Although these rules have been interpreted to apply to combustible dust hazards, they do not provide the details on safe operating and cleaning procedures that would be included in a combustible dust standard,” said Rep. George Miller, D-Calif., the committee’s chairman.
Miller, along with Rep. John Barrow, D-Ga., introduced the bill in March to require OSHA to enact such standards.
The committee delayed dates for some of the standards, but the bill remained largely intact.
Requirements of major renovations -- such as changing plant building designs to help prevent explosions – will not be mandatory until 18 months after the standards become law.
But the bill will require OSHA to develop interim standards within three months to govern issues such as cleaning practices and creating better evacuation plans. OSHA would then have 18 months to finalize those standards.
“What can be done right away is going to be done right away,” Barrow said.
Some Republicans said changes needed to be made to protect worker safety. But, they said, the investigation into the Imperial Sugar accident had not been completed and the bill was a rush to judgment.
“Although it’s fair to ask tough questions about whether enough had been done, the best way to answer these questions is to complete the investigation,” said Rep. Howard P. “Buck” McKeon, R-Calif.
Rep. Jack Kingston, R-Ga., said the amended bill is an improvement and further changes may be made before it is finally approved. But he said a new law may not make a difference.
“As of right now we don’t have an exact determination about what caused the explosion,” he said.
Contact Amy Dominello at 202-662-7671 or adominello@mediageneral.com