The Incident
On February 7, 2008, a catastrophic dust explosion ripped through the Imperial Sugar refinery in Port Wentworth, Georgia. The initial explosion triggered a chain of secondary explosions throughout the facility as accumulated sugar dust ignited in a devastating domino effect.
Fourteen workers were killed and 36 were seriously injured, many with severe burns covering large portions of their bodies. The facility was largely destroyed.
What Went Wrong
The U.S. Chemical Safety Board investigation found that combustible sugar dust had accumulated throughout the facility over years of inadequate housekeeping. The dust had built up on elevated surfaces, inside enclosed conveyor systems, and in areas with poor ventilation.
When an initial ignition source — likely from overheated equipment — set off a small dust explosion, the pressure wave dislodged accumulated dust from surfaces throughout the plant, creating massive secondary explosions that were far more destructive than the initial blast.
How WHMIS Training Could Have Helped
Combustible dust explosions are a significant hazard in Canadian food processing, grain handling, and manufacturing facilities:
Flame Pictogram: Combustible dusts, including sugar, flour, grain, wood, and metal dusts, carry the flame pictogram. WHMIS training teaches workers that the flame symbol doesn't just mean "liquid that burns" — it includes any material that can ignite, including dusts and powders.
Physical Hazards: WHMIS training covers physical hazards beyond chemical toxicity. Combustible dust is a physical hazard that many workers don't recognize because the individual particles seem harmless. Training helps workers understand that finely divided materials can explode with devastating force.
SDS Section 9 — Physical and Chemical Properties: The SDS for combustible materials includes information about particle size, dust explosion severity, and minimum ignition energy. WHMIS-trained workers understand that these properties determine the explosion risk.
SDS Section 7 — Handling and Storage: Proper housekeeping to prevent dust accumulation is specified in the SDS for combustible materials. WHMIS training reinforces that keeping work areas clean isn't just about tidiness — it's about preventing explosions.
Hazard Assessment: WHMIS training teaches workers to think critically about the hazards in their workplace. A worker trained to ask "What are the hazardous products here and what can they do?" would recognize that accumulated dust in an enclosed space is a bomb waiting for a spark.
Sugar seems harmless. But when it's finely ground and suspended in air, it's as explosive as gunpowder. WHMIS training teaches workers to see the hidden hazards that can kill.
Source: U.S. Chemical Safety Board investigation