Last week the Associated Press reported that an executive at the Imperial Sugar Co. testified at a hearing before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions subcommittee on workplace safety that he had found such "shocking" and "disgraceful" conditions at the Georgia plant last year that he warned his superiors that a fatal disaster was likely. A month later, an explosion ripped through the plant in Port Wentworth, GA, killing 13 workers and injuring dozens more.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) have proposed nearly $9 million in fines against the sugar company for what is said were willful and egregious safety violations. Criminal charges are also being considered.

This unfortunate situation that happened at a sugar refinery should help to illustrate the potential impact incidents like this have and hopefully, help drive awareness around process safety and how seriously our federal government considers it.

This is for all of you naysayers out there who have thought to themselves…"I’ve been working here over 5 years, and not once have I seen an OSHA inspector". Consider yourself lucky (and now warned).