Known since construction as the Dixie Crystal refinery, it was the main employer in Port Wentworth, a town of 3,500, prior to the disaster. Specialist crews and equipment were called in to complete work tackling the smoldering, molten sugar in the silos. Savannah Sugar Refinery Memorial - Port Wentworth, GA - Figurative "I know the people that are over there at the church. Imperial, based in Sugar Land, Texas, acquired Savannah Foods & Industries, the producer of Dixie Crystals, in 1997. Appreciate the prayers more excited to be back with the guys, Isaiah Bolden wrote in a social media post. The family-owned business has operated for nearly 100 years in southwest Florida, where it also cultivates several produce products via subsidiaries, including citrus and corn. Since the explosion, Imperial Sugar is producing and packaging sugar once again. Mike Wilson. To begin with he showed a photograph in which three large sugar storage silos were visible. Earl Quarterman Savannah Sugar Refinery Victim, 15. Broken equipment inside a steel conveyor belt sparked the first explosion at the Imperial Sugar refinery in Port Wentworth on a mild winter night 10 years ago. All rights reserved. Fire officials said original tongue-and-groove woodwork and other materials from its earliest construction helped feed the blaze that engulfed the plant. [10] Red Cross worker Joyce Baker, who was among the first to arrive at the scene, reported that it was like "walking into hell", with some of the men she treated having "no skin at all", while others had skin "just dripping off them".[20]. [12], The explosion seriously weakened the structure of the refinery, leaving it highly unstable. Even before the Imperial explosion, there was a push to correct the problem of combustible dust in the workplace nationwide. Blamed for Three Deaths, Several Still Missing", "Death toll in Georgia refinery blast rises to eight", "OSHA ComDust Standard Sorely Needed, Imperial Sugar's CEO Says. Bite-Size Bits of Local, National, and Global History, Port Wentworth in Chatham County, Georgia , Photographed By Brandon D Cross, September 26, 2021, 1. During demolition, 2,800,000 pounds (1,300,000kg) of fire-hardened sugar were recovered from one silo, and another 500,000 pounds (230,000kg) from the second. OSHA did request that the office of U.S. Attorney Edward J. Tarver consider criminal charges, but Tarver announced in February 2013 that he would not pursue a prosecution of Imperial or any of its executives, citing insufficient evidence and a lack of a felony provision under the prevailing statute. [32][33] In August 2008, Malcolm Frazier, who suffered burns over 85% of his body, succumbed to his injuries at the Joseph M. Still Burn Center, where he had remained since the explosion. ", "Burn victims of Georgia refinery explosion face long, painful recovery. 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 granular table sugar produced in the refinery passed through and was stored in these silos. A church close to the refinery was used as a point for families seeking information on relatives employed at the facility. Capable of pouring up more than 5,000 gallons of water per minute it put out the remaining molten sugar fires in the plant's silos. [37] OSHA fined Imperial $8.8 million in May 2010 after citing the company for 211 violations at the Port Wentworth plant and the plant in Louisiana. A prominent presence in town The Port Wentworth refinery turns raw cane sugar into crystal sugar sold in supermarkets. According to the Savannah Fire and Emergency Services, there were 100 to 150 minor injuries and 20 serious burn or blast injuries, but no confirmed fatalities. Holes were in the concrete. [21] So many people turned up that police requested that each family send only one representative. U.S. Sugar is a recognized leader in farming and food production, owned primarily by its employees and charities set up by its founder, Charles Stewart Mott. Witnesses from across the Savannah River in South Carolina reported seeing flames shoot up several stories high. Only five employees recalled having a fire drill. There was fire all over the building, said Nakishya Hill, a machine operator who said she escaped from the third floor of the refinery, near the Savannah River. [9] The factory's outdated construction materials and methods are believed to have contributed to the severity of the blaze. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Sugar silos at centre of Georgia, US refinery blast that killed 13 demolished, U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, "CSB Releases New Safety Video, "Inferno: Dust Explosion at Imperial Sugar", "No criminal charges in Imperial Sugar explosion that killed 14 workers. Both were settled after protracted motions and appeals. Most of the three-mile (5km) stretch of river that had previously been closed was reopened without restriction, although a patrol remained in place to enforce a safety zone. I still get emotional still.. Imperial Sugar of Sugar Land, Texas, acquired Savannah Foods & Industries Inc. in 1997. Most are preventable by removing fine-grain dust as it builds up, experts say. The river restrictions delayed one outgoing vessel and two incoming ones. Work began on April 18, 2008, after Imperial's board confirmed their intention to rebuild. More Than 100 Injured in Sugar Refinery Explosion - JEMS PORT WENTWORTH, Ga. (WTOC) - It's now been 14 years since a tragedy shook Port Wentworth. ", "NFPA 654: Standard for the Prevention of Fire and Dust Explosions from the Manufacturing, Processing, and Handling of Combustible Particulate Solids. U.S. Sugarcultivates and refinesmore than 200,000acres of sugar cane at its Clewiston, Florida, headquarters making it the largest producer of sugar in the U.S. I call upon the sugar industry and other industries to be alert to this serious danger.. Savannah Sugar Refinery Timeline 0 The privately held Florida agribusiness U.S. Sugar will purchase Imperial Sugar, the Sugar Land, Texas-based company that owns and operates the Port Wentworth sugar refinery that's. Copyright 2022 WTOC. [15] Congress introduced a bill in 2013 to require OSHA to issue an interim standard based on the voluntary combustible standard set by National Fire Protection Association[3][29], The CSB released its report in September 2009, saying the explosion had been "entirely preventable". H.R. Sugar Refinery Explosion Victims NULL SUGAR REFINERY EXPLOSION VICTIMS OBITUARY We invite you to share condolences for those who passed away in the sugar refinery explosion in Port. But the next required step in the federal rulemaking process, the convening of a Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act panel, was postponed eight times over the course of five years. The ceiling was of wooden tongue and groove design. Find her at znicholson@gannett.com, @zoenicholson_ on Twitter, and @zoenicholsonreporter on Instagram. Families of the victims of the sugar refinery explosion are still impacted by that horrific day. Its reopening in otherwise bleak economic times near the start of the Recession brought relief to the workers who depended on it for their livelihoods. Sugar refinery explosion - Chron "In an opinion, which will be made public soon, the court rejected the Department of Justices claim that the transaction would substantially lessen competition and found that the Governments theories did not comport with the commercial realities of the sugar industry," U.S. Sugar's press release states. Develop and implement combustible dust hazard awareness training for all facility audit personnel, and. There was also extensive smoke damage. Require routine emergency evacuation drills and critiques. Incorporate combustible dust hazard awareness into employee and member companies training programs, such as the Safety and Health Management Systems training course. CSB Investigation Supervisor John Vorderbrueggen, P.E., who led the 19-month investigation, said, Imperials 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.. Closed - Reconsidered/Superseded (C - R/S) - Recipient rejects the recommendation and also supports the rejection with a rationale with which the Board concurs. Patricia Procter who was working at Imperial Sugarto provide for her four children, was among the six people who died in the weeks after this explosion. 5522: Combustible Dust Explosion and Fire Prevention Act of 2008. Savannah Sugar Refinery Explosion Victim, 7. Sept. 24, 2009 ATLANTA A huge fire last year at a sugar refinery near Savannah, Ga., that killed 14 workers and injured 36 more was "entirely preventable," a federal official said Thursday as. The Imperial Sugar refinery first opened its doors asSavannah Sugar Refining Corporation in 1917. All Rights Reserved. [27] The bill passed the United States House of Representatives but never passed the United States Senate. Dozens others were injured but survived, 14 of them spending months at the Joseph M. Still Burn Center in Augusta. 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. [Still Burn Center medical director Dr. Fred MULLINS- talks about the burn victims.] (Studio: Anthony Mason) Report introduced. IE 11 is not supported. The U.S. Chemical Safety Board concluded in a special report in 2006 that OSHA had no comprehensive regulation to prevent these explosions and their program "inadequately addresses dust explosion hazards.". Specifically, internal company memorandums by managers in 1967 expressed their concern about the potential of explosions from sugar dust. Another investigation is ongoing into an explosion at a milling company in Wisconsin that claimed five lives on May 31, 2017. BENETEAU, JEANNEAU, DUFOUR, BAVARIA, HANSE: BUILDING AND DESIGN - Blogger The Smoke Comes Every Year. Imperial Sugar agreed in July 2010 to pay more than $4 million for safety violations at its Port Wentworth refinery as part of a company-wide $6 million settlement with regulators. By September 2010, 44 civil suits had been filed in Chatham County Court in relation to the explosion, and eighteen had been settled. A helicopter was used to search the river for anyone who may have been thrown into it by the blast. OSHA issued 124 safety citations at Imperial, most of which the agency called "willful," meaning the company acted with "plain indifference to, or intentional disregard for, employee safety and health.". It did institute a national program under which sites would be inspected for various issues including combustible dust to make sure they complied with federal regulations, OSHA spokesman Mike Wald said. 1964: Opens Everglades Sugar Refinery in Clewiston, Fla. They produce 'Dixie Crystals' sugar. Explosion Injures Dozens at Georgia Sugar Refinery It found 118 violations at the Port Wentworth plant. "All I know is, I heard a loud boom and everything came down," Hill said. Hanse and Bavaria should be checked model by model. [7] Within twenty-four hours, the explosive substance was identified as sugar dust. Local TV kinda sorta swung into action. During that time the CSB openly criticized OSHA's responses to its recommendations on combustible dust, with its board designating a Combustible Dust Standard as a "Most Wanted" regulation. Imperial Sugar memorial, St. Bernadette statue in Port Wentworth GA Earl Johnson Savannah Sugar Refinery Victim, 11. The company built a memorial park, called Legacy Park, adjacent to the main entrance to the facility to honor these victims. Better housekeeping would have prevented any loss of life, a federal investigation determined. 0:00 0:57 Timeline of Savannah Foods and Industries, Inc. "The city's probably here because of the sugar refinery," said the Rev. Lgacy Park is dedicated to the sweet loving memory of the fallen. At least four people known to be inside during the explosion were missing. Port Wentworth's economy declined because the factory was closed down. PORT WENTWORTH, Ga. A day after an explosive fireball cratered the sprawling Dixie Crystal sugar refinery, the anchor of this small community for decades, families of missing workers waited in. Imperial Sugar Explosion: Capitalists Profit, Workers Die He ruled in August 2010 that in several cases sufficient issues of fact existed for juries to determine damage claims, but none of the cases ever went before a jury. Provide a copy of your combustible dust hazard awareness training materials to your clients who deal with combustible dust. And Savannah attorney Mark Tate said he represented 15 individuals in State Court suits in the case and arrived at settlements for each, which allowed them to "begin to put their lives back together.". Accident: Imperial Sugar Company Dust Explosion and Fire, Accident Occurred On: 02/07/2008 | Final Report Released On: 09/24/2009, Accident Type: Combustible Dust Explosion and Fire. Install an emergency alert (alarm) system in the facility, and. TIMELINE: Imperial Sugar explosion from 2008 until today But that seemed little comfort to the workers hugging outside the gym knowing some of their colleagues could still be trapped, or dead, inside. Funerals begin for victims of sugar refinery explosion - The Hour said Savannah assistant fire chief William Handy, 45, a captain that February night in 2008. Add specific combustible dust inspection requirements and metrics to the Food Contact Packaging Facility audit procedures. Dozens have been injured; 13 remain hospitalized. No one was injured. They had talked about it since the 50s but didnt do enough to stop the explosion. (front) On the evening of February 7, 2008 an explosion and fire at the Savannah Sugar Refinery claimed the lives of 14 associates and injured dozens more. OSHA also proposed the Combustible Dust Explosion and Fire Prevention Act of 2008, a new bill aimed at introducing regulations to reduce the risk of dust explosions. Sugar Companies Say the Air Is Safe. He also cited a lack of federal criminal laws specifically related to safety in the sugar industry as a reason for his decision. The report said the company 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 acquisition comes after a U.S. District Court judge in Delaware rejected the federal government's antitrust lawsuit to stop the buyout from happening. Savannah Sugar Refinery Explosion Victim, 6. After settlement negotiations the company agreed to pay $6 million, while admitting no fault. The CSB found that between 1980 and 2005, there had been 281 explosions involving combustible dust, resulting in 119 deaths and 718 injuries. Kathy Lohr, NPR It's been two weeks since the Imperial Sugar refinery in Port Wentworth, Ga., exploded. Volatile substance; inspections at plant Sugar dust is so combustible that static electricity, sparks from metal tools or a cigarette can ignite explosions. After adjustments, if you continue to experience problems, please contact us. Meanwhile, workers continue to die in combustible dust incidents. The report also called on industry groups AIB International and the American Bakers Association to develop combustible dust training and auditing materials. Sugar Companies Say the Air Is Safe. According to a press release, investments and upgrades are planned for the Georgia-25 location. After 14 people died at Imperial, however, OSHA announced in April 2009 that it was initiating a comprehensive rulemaking on combustible dust. Those lives lost from the Feb. 7, 2008, tragedy were Eric Barnes, John Calvin Butler Jr., Truitt Byers, Alphonso Fields Sr., Michael Kelly Fields, Malcolm Frazier, McKinley "Von" Habersham Sr., Shelathia "Shon" Harvey, Earl Johnson, Patricia Ann "Pat" Lowe Proctor, Earl Quarterman, Byron Singleton, Tony Thomas and Michael "Big Mike" Williams. 90% of the raw sugar supplied to the facility came from overseas in that year, and Imperial expected the "vast majority" to come in from abroad in the year of the explosion as well. ", "Widow files lawsuit in sugar refinery blast. Youre Acting as His Pulse: Rookie 911 Dispatcher Helped CA Woman Focus on Aiding Husband, FL High School Football Player Suffers Medical Emergency during Game, CO Police: Woman Assaults Officer, EMTs during Arrest, Paramedics and EMTs Sue Elite Ambulance for Deducting Wages to Pay for Traffic Tickets, 2023 JEMS: EMS, Emergency Medical Services - Training, Paramedic, EMT News, 20 Triaged as Driver Trying to Park Crashes into Busy FL Res, Patriots Isaiah Bolden Evaluated, Released from Hospi, IAEMSC Issues Policy Statement on Prehospital Administration, Dr. Ed Dickinson Steps Down as JEMS Medical Director. "Inferno: Dust Explosion at Imperial Sugar". The tragedy and its aftermath reached deep into the community, in part because it happened at a refinery that had been a major employer here since 1917 and where 121 people were working that night. ", "Burn victims in Georgia face long recovery. Most declined to speak to reporters, saying company executives had asked them not to. ", "TIMELINE: Imperial Sugar explosion from 2008 until today. Some victims filed up to 44 lawsuits for damages against Imperial and/or the company hired to clean up the site; eighteen have been settled. (Port Wentworth: Kelly Cobiella) The explosion and fire Thursday at a sugar refinery in Savannah, Georgia, featured; scenes shown from the site; details given about the explosion of sugar dust. [10][11] Workers described the factory as antiquated, with much of the machinery dating back more than twenty-eight years. The 911 Center also now has the ability to connect different channels. The explosion and subsequent fire killed 14 employees and injured many more. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. Savannah Sugar Refinery Explosion Victem, 17. PORT WENTWORTH, Georgia (CNN) -- The bodies of four workers were discovered Friday in the ruins of a sugar refinery near Savannah, Georgia, that was gutted by a massive explosion and fire. Subsequently, Savage filed suit in State Court for the families of five children of victims of the fire and explosion after discovering that money held in trust for them in Chatham County Probate Court was missing through the misconduct of fired clerk Kim Birge. On February 7, an explosion at the Dixie Crystals sugar refinery just outside Savannah, Georgia, ignited the plant and set it ablaze. [3], Within a month of the accident, OSHA, fearing that relevant employers may be unaware their facilities presented a risk of dust explosions, sent a letter to 30,000 employees to alert them to the danger of a similar explosion occurring. [17] There were 112 employees on-site at the time. CSB Chairman John Bresland said, Dust explosions can be among the deadliest of industrial hazards, particularly inside heavily occupied buildings. In all, 22 different departments and a total of 232 firefighters responded to the fire with the Port Wentworth department responding first and establishing command. The U.S. Chemical Safety Board released its report on the incident in September 2009, saying that the explosion had been "entirely preventable". The U.S. Chemical Safety Board says poor housekeeping caused highly combustible sugar dust and granulated sugar to build up and eventually explode. She says thats how shes honoring her mothers memoryadding that she is helping to raise money for a Savannah area non-profit now by being part of this years local Dancing with the Stars fundraiser. [10] The United States Coast Guard closed off the river in the area, and a firefighting tugboat was used to douse the fire from the river. Eleven workers have died so far. John Butler Savannah Sugar Refinery Victim, 13. Instead, all cases settled out of court or were resolved. The first explosion known as a primary event likely occurred inside a sugar conveyor located beneath two large sugar storage silos. [30][31], In March 2008, Raquel Islas, a female worker whose arms were burnt, sued Savannah-based company Stokes Contracting, who was a contracted construction company. On 26 September 1980, 13 people were killed (including the perpetrator) and more than 200 injured by the explosion of an improvised explosive device (IED) at the main entrance of the Oktoberfest festival in Munich, West Germany.The bombing was attributed to the right-wing extremist and geology student . Dust explosions had been an issue of concern among U.S. authorities since three fatal accidents in 2003, with efforts made to improve safety and reduce the risk of reoccurrence. More than a year after the blast, the occupational Health and Safety Administration cited Imperial Sugar for more than 100 violations. Its a feeling. OSHA fined Imperial $36,000 over safety legislation violations at that plant. The acquisition doubled Imperials size, making it the largest processor and refiner of sugar in the country, according to the Web site. The company touted the new plant as the most modern and efficient sugar refinery in the country, with state-of-the-art technologies and safety. ", "Lives and a Georgia Community's Anchor Are Lost", "Crews still battling refinery blast; toll rises to 8", "Imperial Sugar Refinery Blast Kills 6, Injures 42", "OSHA announces development of a combustible dust standard. ", "Board to rebuke OSHA for failing to write safety rules. [6] It noted that the sugar industry had been aware of the risk of dust explosions since 1926. ATLANTA More than 100 people were hurt Thursday night when an explosion rocked a sugar refinery near Savannah.The explosion occurred shortly before 7:30 p.m. in a back room of the. ", "Imperial Sugar Refinery Blast in Port Wentworth, Ga. Imperial, based in Sugar Land, Texas, had bought the refinery and its brand name in 1997 from a previous local owner. Savannah, Georgia / Sugar Refinery Explosion | Vanderbilt Television The Feb. 7 fire at the plant just outside Savannah, burned for seven days. The last two annual reports by Imperial before the explosion said that any damage to the facility at Port Wentworth would "have a material effect on the company's business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows". The CSB called for a new combustible dust standard in 2006, but OSHA responded instead with a program that called mainly for increased inspections. ", "Explosion at Chatham County Sugar Refinery. The company hoped to recycle the product for ethanol production. [8], Meanwhile, in 2004 the Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) conducted a study into the risks presented by dust explosions after three fatal accidents in the year before. [12], Federal investigations by OSHA and the CSB were launched, and they interviewed witnesses, checked documentation, and conducted on-scene examination of the plant. Once classified as one of the largest companies in the country and known as Savannah Foods, the company remained family-owned until it was acquired by Imperial Holly in 1997. Several were airlifted to a burn center in Augusta, 130 miles up the Savannah River. Inferno: Dust Explosion at Imperial Sugar, The Danger of Combustible Dust - NYT Op-ed, U.S. Chemical Safety Board Determines OSHA Response to Seven Open CSB Recommendations on Dust, Fuel Gas, and Process Safety Management to be Unacceptable; Board Votes to Designate a Combustible Dust Standard as Most Wanted, CSB Announces Public Meeting in Washington to Vote on Key Safety Recommendations and Initiate the CSB Most Wanted Program, Statement from CSB Chairman Moure-Eraso on the Four Year Anniversary of the Catastrophic Imperial Sugar Explosion Chairman Continues to Encourage Industry to Support a Combustible Dust Standard and Applauds Success of Recommendations, CSB Receives Gold and Silver TIVA Peer Awards for Agency Safety Videos; Imperial Sugar Animation and Combustible Dust Video are Winners, CSB Releases New Safety Video, Inferno: Dust Explosion at Imperial Sugar, Final CSB Report on Imperial Sugar Disaster Concludes Inadequate Equipment Design, Maintenance, and Housekeeping Led to Massive Sugar Dust Explosions, CSB to Hold Public Meeting in Savannah, Georgia, September 24; Board will Consider Final Investigation Report on Fatal Dust Explosion at Imperial Sugar Refinery, CSB Releases New Safety Video, Combustible Dust: An Insidious Hazard Features Three New Animations of Major Dust Accidents, Shows Need for Comprehensive Standard and Improved Safety Practices, CSB Chairman John Bresland Calls on OSHA to Adopt CSB Recommendation on Comprehensive Combustible Dust Standard, Says Imperial Sugar Explosion Shows "Urgency for Action Is Greater than Ever", Testimony of CSB Board Member William Wright before House Education and Labor Committee Hearing on Combustible Dust Hazards, Statement of CSB Investigations Manager Stephen Selk, P.E., Updating the Public on the Investigation of the Imperial Sugar Company Explosion and Fire, Savannah, Georgia, Investigative Team from U.S. Chemical Safety Board Deploys to Explosion at Georgia Sugar Refinery, Drivers of Critical Chemical Safety Change, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Risk and Insurance Management Society (RIMS), CSB Public Meeting to Vote on Key Safety Recommendations and Initiate "Most Wanted" Program, July 29, 2008 - Testimony of CSB Chairman John Bresland Before Senate Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety, March 12, 2008 - Testimony of CSB Board Member William Wright Before House Education and Labor Committee, Transcript of Board Public Meeting, Savannah, GA, 9.24.2009, Website design & development by Americaneagle.com, NFPA 61: Standard for the Prevention of Fires and Dust Explosions in Agricultural and Food Processing Facilities. Smaller Hanse models are now built with single skin (monolithic skin), the 418 is the first with a sandwich-hull but the new 458 comes with a single skin hull and only bigger boats have a sandwich-hull. SAVANNAH, Ga. AP - The widow of a worker killed in a devastating sugar refinery explosion is suing the plant's owner, accusing the company of negligence by failing to clean up combustible. The action taken meets the objectives envisioned by the Board. Learn the difference here between cheap and expensive cast-iron cookware and how you can get started cooking all your favorite meals with it. "How do you anticipate that magnitude? Deaths and injuries More than 30 employees were rushed to hospitals as ambulances lined up a dozen at a time outside the refinery's sole entrance road. After more than 30 years, Dr. Ed Dickinson steps down as JEMS medical director. [9], The refinery sat on a 160 acres (0.65km2; 0.25sqmi) site and was spread across 872,000 square feet (81,000m2). The creosote used throughout was known as fat lighter, because of the fire risk it posed. At this time, seven bodies had been recovered, and an eighth person had died in the hospital. [24] Heavy equipment had to be used to shore up the partially collapsed structure before firefighters could enter it to search for victims.

Askari Flats Dha 5 Islamabad For Sale, Ashburn, Va Land For Sale, Articles S