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There were few if any surprises at Thursday night's public hearing on the latest federal probe of last year's deadly disaster at Imperial Sugar Co.'s Port Wentworth refinery.
About 130 people showed up to watch the U.S. Chemical Safety Board put the finishing touches on its long-awaited report. Read the report.
The report mostly blamed Imperial for the 14 deaths and dozens of injuries caused by the Feb. 7, 2008, explosions and fires at the plant.
Board chairman John Bresland restated a contention made earlier in the day that the incident was "entirely preventable."
His claim was underscored by a computer animation re-creating the events that led up to the conflagration.
Most members of the audience sat in rapt attention as they saw images of buildings blowing up, flames and flashes, and charred, twisted metal.
Bandages still covering parts of his hands, one burn victim of the incident pointed and gestured at the screen during the video.
The audience also was attentive as investigation supervisor John Vorderbrueggen showed an October 2006 photo of a pile of powdery sugar at the plant.
"The picture says it all," Vorderbrueggen said. "There's dust everywhere."
After hearing lengthy summaries of items in the 84-page report, the panel voted 4-0 to adopt the document.
The only change was a recommendation to the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which regulates industries on worker safety issues.
By the same margin, the safety board called on OSHA to "proceed expeditiously" in adopting comprehensive new rules on combustible dust.
The board and other agencies say combustible sugar dust fueled last year's inferno at Port Wentworth.
Board members noted that, despite their pleas, OSHA dragged its feet on pushing for new rules until earlier this year.
But Evan Yeats of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union said the board action was just a "public relations maneuver."
It still could take years for OSHA to enact regulations using the current process, Yeats said.
"We really can't wait that long," he said.
He said the board instead should demand OSHA adopt an emergency rule. That is a quicker process, but one Bresland said earlier Thursday is impractical.
The only person who spoke during the time the board allotted for public comment was Ralph Clement, Imperial's Sugar's vice president for manufacturing.
Echoing a statement earlier Thursday by Imperial CEO and President John Sheptor, Clement did not contest the report's findings.
Instead, he praised the investigation and said the company planned to fully implement the board's recommendations.
Those called for better maintenance, housekeeping and emergency escape procedures, and for safety improvements as the company rebuilds the plant.
Clement said the company will "meet or exceed" the standards set forth and that the rebuilt plant will be the "safest ... of its kind in the entire country."
Board member William Wright praised that commitment, but lamented "it took such a catastrophe" to inspire it.
Find complete coverage of the Imperial Sugar tragedy at savannahnow.com/news/explosion.
To see more of the Savannah Morning News, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.savannahnow.com. Copyright (c) 2009, Savannah Morning News, Ga. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.
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