The number of incidents in the grain industry fell sharply after those regulations were imposed. However, the Obama administration decided to take a broader look at the combustible dust standards, citing a 2008 explosion at a sugar refinery in Georgia that killed 14 people. Assistant Labor Secretary David Michaels, who oversees the OSHA, has said that new safety rules are "urgently needed." The agency is holding a public meeting on the issue next month in Atlanta.
The OSHA cited the grain-handling rules as an example of how such standards can make an industry safer, but the agency didn't rule out revising the regulations for grain dust and that is what has the industry concerned.
When he was up for confirmation last year, Michaels was asked by senators about the agency's plans with regard to the grain standards. His answer, in writing, was this: "I will make my best effort to ensure that the grain handling industry is not burdened with unnecessary or redundant regulation."
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