The Financial Impact on Families of the Injured and Deceased Workers
By Jim Robinson

The Imperial Sugar Company refinery known to Savannahians as The Dixie Crystals or the Savannah Sugar Refinery was heavily damaged by explosions and fire Thursday night on February 7th, 2008. The explosion ripped apart the plant on the Savannah River in Port Wentworth, Ga.

 

Approximately 450 workers are located here in the plant on the Savannah River in Port Wentworth, Georgia just a few miles west of Savannah Georgia. More than 100 second-shift workers were on the job at the time. 

Imperial Sugar Company (is the oldest company in Texas with over 160 years headquartered in a family-friendly community that has grown around and is named after the Company. Imperial Sugar Company has over 825 associates nationwide.

 

“The New Normal”
The first concerns of the workers were rescue. This involved Firefighters, Doctors, Emergency Medical Technicians and Police. Recovery efforts are next. This involves debris and hazard removal. The third phrase is rebuilding. Imperial Sugar Company plans to rebuild the plant. There is a fourth stage… The “New Normal”.

 

Deceased Families “New Normal”
The families of the deceased workers must adjust to a “New Normal”. Lifestyles in these households will either remain the same or must adjust to lower level of living. This will depend on the assets of the families. This would include Life Insurance proceeds.  My advise to these families is there's no cause for haste or rush. Make the final arrangements for your loved one(s). Take care of your loved one(s) and after the initial flurry of activity, you should have plenty of time to get the information you need, weigh the options and make good decisions. Family(ies) will need time to pull itself together and recoup.

 

Injured and Disabled Families “New Normal”
In the household of the survivors i.e. the injured workers, the issues are centered on both long term and short term disabilities. Occupational Exposures to Carcinogens, Toxic fumes, Smoke and Dust may cause long term and short term disabilities.

The Savannah News in its in-depth and continuing coverage reported that “Memorial University Medical Center spokesman Michael Notrica said 30 victims from the refinery blast were taken to Memorial. Of those, he said, 18 were flown to the Joseph M. Still Burn Center in Augusta, and two went to the nearby Medical College of Georgia…In Augusta, burn center medical director Fred Mullins said some of the "very, very critical" patients with deep burns probably have about a 10 percent to 20 percent chance of survival, while the critical patients are about 60 percent to 80 percent likely to survive.”

Unharmed Workers “New Normal”
In the household of the workers who escaped the explosion unharmed, the issues of general unemployment prevail. This plant employs about 450 people. The good news is that the Imperial Sugar Company have plans to rebuild the plant.

 

Resources That Help
We provide HELPFUL RESOURCES to help the workers and families affected by the Imperial (Dixie Crystals) Sugar Plant Explosion in Savannah Georgia. Resources For Imperial Sugar Plant Exposion Workers & Families