In a final draft report released on September 24, 2009, Chemical Safety Board (CSB) investigators have said the February 7, 2008, explosion at the Imperial Sugar refinery in Port Wentworth, Georgia, resulted from ongoing releases of sugar from inadequately designed and maintained dust collection equipment, conveyors, and sugar handling equipment. Inadequate housekeeping practices allowed highly combustible sugar dust and granulated sugar to build up throughout the refinery’s packing buildings, CSB investigators have concluded.
The first explosion—known as a primary event—likely occurred inside a sugar conveyor located beneath two large sugar storage silos. The conveyor had recently been enclosed with steel panels creating a confined, unventilated space where sugar dust could accumulate to an explosive concentration. Sugar dust inside the enclosed conveyor was likely ignited by an overheated bearing, causing an explosion that traveled into the adjacent packing buildings, dislodging sugar dust accumulations and spilled sugar located on equipment, floors, and other horizontal surfaces. The result was a powerful cascade of secondary dust explosions that fatally injured 14 workers and injured 36 others, many with life-threatening burns. The refinery’s packing buildings were largely destroyed by the blasts and ensuing fires.
The final report and proposed safety recommendations were approved by the CSB board members at a public meeting on September 24, in Savannah, Georgia. The CSB has also released a four-minute computer animation depicting the sequence of events that led to the accident.
CSB Investigation Supervisor, John Vorderbrueggen, P.E., who led the 19-month investigation, said, “Imperial’s management as well as the managers at the Port Wentworth refinery did not take effective actions over many years to control dust explosion hazards—even as smaller fires and explosions continued to occur at their plants and other sugar facilities around the country.”
The CSB report said that the sugar industry was familiar with dust explosion hazards at least as far back as 1925. Internal correspondence dating from 1967 showed that Port Wentworth refinery managers were seriously concerned about the possibility of a sugar dust explosion that could “travel from one area to another, wrecking large sections of a plant.” Precursor events included a 1998 explosion at Imperial’s plant in Sugar Land, Texas; an explosion at the Domino Sugar plant in Baltimore in November 2007; and two sugar dust explosions in the 1960’s that killed a total of ten workers. However, Imperial management did not correct the underlying causes of the sugar dust problem at the Port Wentworth facility, where workers testified that spilled sugar was knee-deep in places on the floor, and sugar dust had coated equipment and other elevated surfaces.
CSB Chairman John Bresland said, “Dust explosions can be among the deadliest of industrial hazards, particularly inside heavily occupied buildings. But these explosions are readily prevented through appropriate equipment design and maintenance and rigorous dust-cleaning programs. I call upon the sugar industry and other industries to be alert to this serious danger.”
The report said Imperial Sugar had not conducted evacuation drills for its employees and that the explosions and fires disabled most of the emergency lighting, making it difficult for workers to escape from the labyrinth of explosion-damaged buildings as the fires continued to spread.
The final report proposed a series of safety recommendations for Board consideration. Imperial Sugar was urged to comply with National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) recommended practices for preventing dust fires and explosions, develop dust training and housekeeping programs, and improve its evacuation procedures. The report also called on industry groups AIB International and the American Bakers Association to develop combustible dust training and auditing materials. Imperial’s insurer, Zurich Services, and an insurance industry trade association should improve their insurance audit procedures for dust hazards and share their dust hazard training materials with clients, investigators concluded.
A 2006 CSB study identified 281 combustible dust fires and explosions between 1980 and 2005 that killed 119 workers and injured 718, and extensively damaged industrial facilities. In November 2006, the CSB recommended the development of a comprehensive regulatory standard for combustible dust, based on existing NFPA consensus standards, with one goal of this standard being to improve requirements for dust hazard communication to workers. In April 2009, OSHA announced it would commence the development of a standard.
The CSB is an independent federal agency charged with investigating industrial chemical accidents. The agency’s board members are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate. CSB investigations look into all aspects of chemical accidents, including physical causes such as equipment failure as well as inadequacies in safety regulations, codes, standards, management systems, training, and industry practices. The CSB does not issue citations or fines but does make safety recommendations to plants, industry organizations, labor groups, and regulatory agencies such as OSHA and EPA.
For more information, contact Daniel Horowitz at 202-441-6074 or Hillary Cohen at 202-446-8094.
Video Depicts Reactive Chemical Accident that Killed 4 and Injured 32 at T2 Laboratories
The CSB has released a new nine-minute computer animated safety video depicting a tragic reactive chemical accident hat devastated T2 Laboratories in Jacksonville, Florida. The video is titled, “Runaway: Explosion at T2 Laboratories,” and it details the December 19, 2007, accident involving a thermal runaway chemical reaction at a small chemical manufacturer. The video includes a 3-D computer animation of the sequence of events leading to the runaway reaction and resulting explosion and fire.
T2 Laboratories was attempting to produce a batch of the gasoline additive MCMT when the reactor cooling system apparently malfunctioned—perhaps due to a blockage in the water supply piping or a valve failure. As the video shows, the temperature of the material in the reactor rose uncontrollably. The rupture disk burst on the reactor, but it was too late to relieve the pressure and the entire vessel blew apart, killing four workers including one of the company’s two owners. Four other T2 employees and 28 workers at nearby businesses were also injured.
The CSB’s final report on the accident was approved at a public meeting in Jacksonville on September 15, with CSB recommending increased education of undergraduate chemical engineers on reactive chemistry hazards.
OSHA Cites Two Companies for Fall Hazards with Combined Fines Totaling Nearly $100,000
OSHA’s Englewood, Colorado Area Office has cited two Texas-based companies, United Renovations and ABC Roofing, with penalties of $59,000 and $38,750, respectively, for violations of the Occupational Safety and Health Act related to fall hazards disclosed at an Aurora, Colorado, worksite. OSHA’s investigation led to one alleged willful and two alleged serious citations against United Renovation, based in Carrolton, Texas, and one alleged willful, two alleged serious, and one alleged other-than-serious citations against ABC Roofing, based in Euless, Texas. Both companies were engaged in roofing work at the Aurora worksite.
“Fall hazards are the biggest killers in the construction industry, a fact that shouldn’t be lost on any company,” said John Healy, OSHA’s area director in Englewood. “In the coming weeks, OSHA will be stepping up its enforcement of fall hazards, especially in those areas of the state that experienced significant hail damage this year—areas where we expect to see an influx in roofing work.”
For both companies, the alleged willful violations stem from a lack of fall protection for workers performing roof work and failing to use fall protection while workers were being machine lifted to the roof. OSHA issues a willful citation when an employer exhibits plain indifference to or intentional disregard for employee safety and health.
The alleged serious violations against both companies relate to fall hazards associated with the lift used to elevate workers to the roof and accessing the roof with ladders that did not extend 3 feet above the landing. ABC Roofing was further cited for accessing the roof with a ladder made longer by using a bungee cord to attach a second ladder to it and for failing to train workers in the use of ladders. OSHA issues a serious citation when death or serious physical harm is likely to result from a hazard about which an employer knew or should have known.
The other-than-serious violation, issued against ABC Roofing, is for failing to train workers in fall protection. OSHA issues other-than-serious citations when a violation is directly related to safety and health but unlikely to cause death or serious physical harm.
OSHA Proposes $79,000 in Fines for Machine Guarding and Lockout/Tagout Hazards
OSHA has cited Emhart Teknologies with 22 alleged serious, repeat, and other-than-serious violations of safety standards at its Shelter Rock Lane plant in Danbury, Connecticut. The maker of fasteners, wire, and brass inserts for the automotive and aerospace industries faces a total of $79,000 in proposed fines.
“The bulk of these citations address inadequate safeguards to prevent employees from being caught in the moving parts of machinery due to a lack of guarding against contact with those moving parts or the absence of procedures to prevent machines from unexpectedly starting up during servicing or maintenance,” said Robert Kowalski, OSHA’s area director in Bridgeport.
OSHA’s inspection found numerous instances of unguarded or inadequately guarded moving parts and switches on power presses and other machinery. The absence of such guarding exposes employees to crushing, laceration, and amputation injuries. The inspection also identified a blocked exit door, incomplete training of powered industrial truck operators, electrical hazards, a lack of periodic inspections of hazardous energy control procedures, and failure to exchange hazardous energy control information with outside service contractors.
These conditions resulted in the issuance of 17 serious citations, carrying $52,000 in proposed penalties.
OSHA also has issued Emhart Teknologies one repeat citation, with a $25,000 fine, for not developing and implementing specific hazardous energy control procedures for all machinery at the plant. OSHA had cited the company for a similar hazard in February 2007. Finally, the company was issued four other-than-serious citations, with $2,000 in fines, for an incomplete and uncertified illness and injury log.
Contractor Faces More than $69,000 in OSHA Fines Following Cave-in at Massachusetts Jobsite
OSHA has cited Lawrence-Lynch Corp., of Falmouth, Massachusetts, for alleged willful and serious violations of safety standards following an excavation collapse at a worksite in Kingston, Massachusetts. The construction contractor faces a total of $69,300 in proposed fines.
Lawrence-Lynch Corp., employees were working in a 5.5-feet-deep excavation, connecting a water line to a fire hydrant, when one of the excavation’s sidewalls collapsed. One employee was struck by large pieces of unsupported asphalt from atop the sidewall and partially buried. OSHA’s inspection found that the excavation lacked any sort of protection to prevent a collapse and that the asphalt had not been removed or supported to prevent it from falling on workers in the excavation.
“This case clearly shows that an unprotected excavation can turn deadly in seconds, trapping and burying workers before they can react or escape,” said Brenda Gordon, OSHA’s area director for Boston and southeastern Massachusetts. “While it is fortunate that no deaths occurred this time, worker safety cannot and must never be a matter of chance. Never place an employee in an excavation without collapse protection.”
As a result of its inspection, OSHA issued Lawrence-Lynch Corp., one willful citation, with a $63,000 proposed fine, for the unprotected excavation and one serious citation, with a $6,300 fine, for not supporting or removing the asphalt atop the excavation.
OSHA standards require that all excavations 5 feet or deeper be protected against collapses before workers enter them.
OSHA Cites Toys R Us for Exit Access Hazards at Bay Parkway Store in Brooklyn
OSHA has proposed $69,000 in fines against Toys R Us for 10 alleged repeat and serious violations of workplace safety standards following an inspection of the toy retailer’s store on Bay Parkway in Brooklyn, New York.
OSHA’s inspection found hazards that could impede the swift exit of workers from the store in the event of a fire or other emergency. These included obstructed exit access, missing or defective exit doors, an exit door that was painted over and could not be opened, improper or inadequate exit signage, employees not trained in fire extinguisher use, and all fire extinguishers not kept in their required locations.
“It is vital that emergency exit routes be available and properly marked at all times,” said Kay Gee, OSHA’s acting area director in Manhattan. “There can be no delay in exiting a workplace during a fire or other emergency when the difference between escape and injury or death can be measured in seconds.”
The store also has been cited for damaged storage racks that were prone to collapse, aisles not kept clear for mechanical handling equipment, an inadequately covered floor hole, and failure to certify that workers had been trained in the proper operation of motorized hand trucks.
OSHA has issued Toys R Us three repeat citations with $50,000 in proposed fines, for the obstructed exit route, blocked aisle, and damaged storage racks, as it had cited the company in 2006 and 2007 for similar hazards at stores in Parma, Ohio, and Watchung, New Jersey. Seven serious citations with $19,000 in fines have been issued for the remaining items.
“One way to prevent recurring hazards is to implement an effective safety and health management system through which employers and employees work together continuously to assess, identify and eliminate hazardous conditions,” said Robert Kulick, OSHA’s regional administrator in New York.
Connecticut Carwash Faces $62,500 in Fines Following Worker Injury
OSHA has cited Clearwater Management Inc., doing business as Splash Handwash, for alleged repeat and serious violations of safety standards and has proposed a total of $62,500 in fines after an employee was injured at the company’s Fairfield, Connecticut, carwash.
OSHA found the worker suffered foot and ankle injuries after he became caught in an unguarded opening on the operating conveyor track that moves vehicles through the carwash. OSHA’s inspection found that the opening should have been covered or guarded to prevent employees from being caught in the conveyor.
“You might not think of a carwash as a particularly dangerous workplace, but hazards can be present in any workplace if the proper safeguards are not provided and maintained,” said Robert Kowalski, OSHA’s area director in Bridgeport. “In this case, in addition to the unguarded conveyor opening, OSHA identified mechanical, chemical, electrical and other hazards associated with the equipment and chemicals used in carwashes.”
As a result of its inspection, OSHA has issued the company 11 serious citations, carrying $29,500 in proposed fines, for the unguarded conveyor opening and the following conditions: uncovered electrical outlets in wet areas; misused extension cords; energized grounding terminals; a locked emergency exit; a too narrow exit aisle; unmarked exit doors; tripping hazards from uneven concrete; hoses and cords lying in work areas; unguarded belts and pulleys; untested safety valves on air compressors; and lack of an emergency eyewash for employees working with corrosive cleaners.
Three repeat citations, with $30,000 in fines, have been issued for lack of eye and face protection for a worker spraying chemical cleaners and for not training workers on chemical hazards and required PPE. OSHA had cited the company in 2008 for similar hazards at Splash Handwash locations in Norwalk and Greenwich, Connecticut. Five other-than-serious citations, with $3,000 in fines, have been issued, chiefly for incomplete and uncertified injury and illness logs.
OSHA Cites Monarch Oil Inc. of Omaha for Safety Violations Following Accident Investigation
OSHA has cited Monarch Oil Inc., of Omaha, Nebraska, for alleged safety and health violations following an accident investigation. Proposed penalties total $52,000.
OSHA cited the company following an investigation into an accident in Omaha where one of three workers, who was transferring asphalt from rail cars into storage tanks, was severely burned. The worker was covered by almost 240-degree asphalt released from an open valve on the transfer system due to a pressure increase that separated the transfer hose from the system.
“Dangers associated with the transfer of hazardous materials must be addressed and mitigated,” said Charles Adkins, OSHA’s regional administrator in Kansas City, Missouri. “It is imperative that employers take all necessary steps to inspect equipment and provide training for their workers to prevent accidents like this from occurring.”
The inspection found six alleged serious and one alleged repeat violation of the Occupational Safety and Health Act. Two serious violations relate to the improper use, storage, inspection, and maintenance of hoses used to transfer hazardous materials and the use of PPE as needed to address exposure to hazardous materials during the transfer process. One serious violation addresses the lack of guardrails atop storage tanks. The final three serious violations relate to the use of fixed ladders that either had no fall protection cages, inadequate cages and/or side-rails that did not extend 3 feet 6 inches above the landing.
The alleged repeat violation relates to the employer’s failure to train workers on the hazards of the chemicals in the work area. OSHA issues a repeat citation when the employer has been issued a violation for a substantially similar hazard in the previous three years that has become a final order.
OSHA Cites Pennsylvania Tire Company Following Worker Amputation
OSHA has cited Emanual Tire of Pennsylvania for alleged workplace safety and health violations and has proposed $51,650 in penalties. OSHA initiated its investigation on March 25 after a worker suffered an amputation during a workplace accident. As a result, the company has been cited for 38 serious violations, with a penalty of $50,750, and three other-than-serious violations, with a $900 penalty.
The serious violations include unguarded machinery, inadequate training, failure to develop energy control (lockout/tagout) and hazard communication programs, obstructed emergency stop buttons, a lack of hand rails on industrial stairs, and failure to prohibit workers from riding on a conveyor.
“Without proper machine guarding, Emanual Tire workers will continue to be at risk of future workplace accidents,” said Jean Kulp, area director of OSHA’s office in Allentown, Pennsylvania. “It is imperative that the company abate all identified hazards as soon as possible.”
The Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, company recycles truck and car tires, and employs 26 workers.
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