In addition to the threat of chemical or biological disasters, care providers of all types and local communities, in partnership with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, throughout the United States must be vigilant and prepared to respond to such matters efficiently for the health safety of the masses.
The Environmental Management- Strategies for Chemical Disasters by Bhawana and Fulekar writes "the growth of chemical industries has led to increase in the risk of occurrence of accidents associated with hazardous chemicals" (2011). In response to the rise in chemical industrial businesses there is a greater need for the use of best- practices for ensured safety and minimal accidents. Most chemical accidents are caused by "deficiencies in safety management systems and human error, or they may occur as a consequence of natural calamities or sabotage activities" (Bhawana and Fulekar, 2011). Chemical accidents are referred to by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention as the hazardous release of chemicals, unintentional or intentional, which can cause harm to human health (2013). Chemical accidents can be spillage, release of toxins, fires, or explosions. The scope of damage from chemical accidents can easily be multiplied dependent of the chemical-type and exposure to environmental elements, such as oxygen or dust. .
In February 2008, the Savannah Sugar Refinery made national headlines when the four-story building located in Port Wentworth, Georgia exploded on the banks of the Savannah River. The ninety-year-old building that produced nearly nine percent of the nation's sugar was operating under normal procedures when a dust explosion happened at the center of the factory. The United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration defines "dust explosions" known as combustible dust as "a solid material solid material composed of distinct particles or pieces, regardless of size, shape, or chemical composition, which presents a fire or deflagration hazard when suspended in air or some other oxidizing medium over a range of concentrations"(Occupational Safety and Health Administration, n.