Sugar Safety
Sugar Safety
SUGAR MANUFACTURING
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The EHS Guidelines for sugar manufacturing provide recommendations should be based on the professional opinion
information that is specific to facilities in this industry sector. of qualified and experienced persons.
∗
Note: Attribution of all references, including verification for completeness and
accuracy, to be completed for final draft.
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1.0 Industry-Specific Impacts raw materials into commercially viable by-products such as
paper making and particle board manufacturing, providing a
and Management
potential additional source of revenue. Other solid wastes from
The following section provides a summary of EHS issues
the sugar manufacturing process include spent filter material
associated with sugar manufacturing that occur during the
such as active carbon, resins from the ion exchange process,
operational phase, along with recommendations for their
acids from chemical cleaning of equipment, vinasse or spent
management.
wash from the distillation of fermented molasses-sugar juice,
Recommendations for the management of EHS issues common and ashes from the steam boiler plant.
to most large industrial facilities during the construction and
The recommended techniques for prevention and control of
decommissioning phases are provided in the General EHS
solid waste from sugar cane and beets include the following:
Guidelines.
bagasse fiber from the cane, mud and soil arriving at the plant the raw material and accumulate during the washing
with the raw material, and lime solids from the juice clarification. process, as an energy-rich feed for ruminants;
Generated mainly from the primary treatment of raw materials, • Collect waste products, such as beet tops from the
these waste materials may also present a risk from pesticide washing process, for use in by-products or as animal feed;
residues. The amount of waste generated depends on the • Convert beet pulp into cattle feed––during the processing
quality of the raw materials themselves and on the initial season it can be sent as return loads on empty beet lorries;
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• Separate stones from the beet during the washing process organic material arriving with the beet or cane. Wastewater
and reuse in other industrial applications, including road resulting from the washing of incoming raw materials may also
building and construction industries; contain crop pests, pesticide residues, and pathogens.
• Remove soil and earth from the beet while in the field and
before transport to reduce the risk of spreading pesticide Wastewater Management
residues; Recommended wastewater management includes the following
• Use organic material in the wastewater and the spent wash prevention strategies:
from distillation to produce biogas;
• Use filter and dry lime from the juice clarification process to • Reduce the organic load of liquid waste by preventing the
make a soil-conditioning product for agricultural land; entry of solid wastes and concentrated liquids into the
• Compost organic solids from press mud (cane laundry) to wastewater stream:
make high-quality organic manure for agricultural o Prioritize the removal of waste in its solid form;
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improve its calorific value and overall efficiency for steam facilities are similar to those of other industrial facilities.
generation and avoid the need for supplemental fuels. Recommendations for the management of these issues can be
Depending on production capacity and raw material input found in the General EHS Guidelines. In addition, occupational
volumes, using bagasse as a fuel can meet the plant health and safety issues that may be specifically associated with
energy demand, even generating excess electrical energy sugar manufacturing operations include the following:
for sale;
• Physical hazards
• Anaerobically digest high-strength organic wastes such as
• Exposure to dust and biological hazards
vinasse or spent wash from distillery and organic chemical
• Exposure to chemicals (including gases and vapors)
manufacturing to produce biogas. Use biogas to fire
• Exposure to heat and cold and radiation
distillery boilers or to operate combined heat and power
• Exposure to noise and vibrations
systems generating electric energy and hot water or steam;
• Keep heating surfaces clean by adding chemicals to
Physical Hazards
prevent incrustations. Incrustations are generated by
The most common risks for accidents in sugar manufacturing
mineral salts that are not removed in during clarification
are trips and falls caused by slippery floors, stairs, and elevated
and may be prevented or reduced by adding special
platforms, the incorrect use of equipment (for example,
polymers to the thin juice;
packaging and transport equipment), contact with sharp edges
• Ensure even energy consumption by management of batch
on process equipment (for example, replacing worn beet slicing
processes (centrifuges, vacuum pans) to schedule energy
knives in the slicing machines), and explosions (for example,
demand and equalize steam demand on the boilers;
sugar drying and storing, gas, fuels, boilers).
• Reuse vapor from vacuum pans for heating juice or water;
Recommendations for the management of these issues can be
• Use an evaporator with at least five effects; and
found in the General EHS Guidelines.
• Combine drying of beet pulp with the main energy system
in the factory to achieve an overall energy system.
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Community health and safety impacts during the construction, on the receiving water use classification as described in the
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Resource Use
Table 1. Effluent levels for sugar manufacturing
Table 2 provides examples of resource consumption indicators
Pollutant Unit Guideline Value
in this sector. Industry benchmark values are provided for
pH pH 6–9 comparative purposes only and individual projects should target
BOD mg/L 50 continual improvement in these areas.
COD mg/L 250
Environmental Monitoring a
b
EC (2005)
CEFS (2003)
Environmental monitoring programs for this sector should be
implemented to address all activities that have been identified to
have potentially significant impacts on the environment, during
normal operations and upset conditions. Environmental
monitoring activities should be based on direct or indirect
indicators of emissions, effluents, and resource use applicable
to the particular project.
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2.2 Occupational Health and Safety occupational health and safety monitoring program. Facilities
should also maintain a record of occupational accidents and
Occupational Health and Safety Guidelines diseases and dangerous occurrences and accidents. Additional
Occupational health and safety performance should be guidance on occupational health and safety monitoring
evaluated against internationally published exposure guidelines, programs is provided in the General EHS Guidelines.
of which examples include the Threshold Limit Value (TLV®)
occupational exposure guidelines and Biological Exposure
Indices (BEIs®) published by American Conference of
Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH),2 the United States
National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety (NIOSH),3
Permissible Exposure Limits (PELs) published by the
Occupational Safety and Health Administration of the United
States (OSHA),4 Indicative Occupational Exposure Limit Values
published by European Union member states,5 or other similar
sources.
2 http://www.acgih.org/TLV/
3 http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npg/
4
http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=STANDAR
DS&p_id=9992
5 http://europe.osha.eu.int/good_practice/risks/ds/oel/
6 http://www.bls.gov/iif/ and http://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/index.htm
7 Credential professionals may include Certified Industrial Hygienists, Registered
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3.0 References
Arbejdstilsynet. 2005. Anmeldte arbejdsbetingede lidelser 1999–2000. Exposure to Endotoxins and Microbes in the Treatment of Waste Water and in
Årsopgørelse 2004. Copenhagen: Arbejdstilsynet. (Reported accumulated the Industrial Debarking of Wood. Available at
occupational disease 1999–2004. Annual report 2004). Available at http://europe.osha.eu.int/OSHA/index_html/newsboard_view
http://www.at.dk/graphics/at/07-Arbejdsmiljoe-i-tal/02-
Arbejdsskader/Aarsopgoerelser/Anmeldte-arbejdsbetingede-lidelser-2004.pdf FAO and WHO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and
World Health Organization).1962–2005. Codex Alimentarius. Geneva: FAO and
BLS (US Bureau of Labor Statistics). 2004a. Industry Injury and Illness Data – WHO. Available at http://www.codexalimentarius.net/web/index_en.jsp
2004. Supplemental News Release Tables. Table SNR05: Incident rate and
number of nonfatal occupational injuries by industry, 2004. Available at Harrison, Tom, et al. 1999. Investing in Sugar in Emerging Markets. International
http://www.bls.gov/iif/home.htm and Sugar Journal 101:. Commonwealth Development Corporation.
http://www.bls.gov/iif/oshwc/osh/os/ostb1479.pdf
HSE (Health and Safety Executive UK). United Kingdom,Food and Drink
BLS (US Bureau of Labor Statistics). 2004b. Census of Fatal Occupational Manufacture. London: HSE. Available at http://www.hse.gov.uk/food/index.htm
Injuries Charts, 1992–2004. Table (p.10): Number and rate of fatal occupational
injuries by private industry sector, 2004. (). Available at
http://www.bls.gov/iif/oshwc/cfoi/cfch0003.pdf ICIDCA (Instituto Cubano de Derivados de la Caña de Azúcar). Manual de los
Derivados de la Caña de Azúcar. Havana: ICIDCA. Available at
http://www.icidca.cu/Publicaciones/Manual.htm
CEFS (European Committee of Sugar Manufacturers). 2001. Guide to
Establishing BAT in the Sugar Industry. CEFS.
NSW . Sugar Milling, Waste Minimization and Energy Efficiency. NSW.
Available at http://www.deh.gov.au/settlements/industry/corporate/eecp/case-
CEFS (European Committee of Sugar Manufacturers). 2003. Environmental studies/nswsugar.html
Report Beet Growing and Sugar Production in Europe. CEFS. Available at
http://www.comitesucre.org/www/pdf/environ.pdf
Queensland Government. HS Codes for Sugar Industry. Queensland. Available
at http://www.dir.qld.gov.au/workplace/law/codes/sugar/index.htm
EC (European Commission). 2005. Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control,
Reference Document on Best Available Techniques in the Food, Drink and Milk
Industries. Adopted final draft. EC. Available at hailand MOSTE (Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment).1996.
http://eippcb.jrc.es/pages/FActivities.htm Industrial Effluent Standard. Source: Notification the Ministry of Science,
Technology and Environment, No. 3, B.E.2539 (1996) issued under the
Enhancement and Conservation of the National Environmental Quality Act
EC (European Communities). 1996. Council Directive 96/61/EC of 24 B.E.2535 (1992). MOSTE. Available at
September 1996 concerning integrated pollution prevention and control (IPPC). http://www.pcd.go.th/info_serv/en_reg_std_water04.html#s1
EC. Available at http://europa.eu.int/eur-
lex/en/consleg/pdf/1996/en_1996L0061_do_001.pdf
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Pressing pulp
separating the crystals in the centrifuges. In the process, the
molasses is recirculated a number of times to improve the yield Purification lime sludge
of crystalline sugar, but the final molasses still contains some Evaporation
sugar with noncrystalline sugars, minerals, and color particles. Crystallisation molasses
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Washing and Extraction of Cane cossettes in the beet pulp are then pressed and dried to
Traditionally, cane has been burned in the field before produce a high-energy and top-quality animal feed. If the
transport to processing facilities to remove any leaves from remaining beet pulp is dried, storage capability is increased,
the cane stalk. The current trend is to harvest green and transport over a longer distance is viable. Drying used to
unburned cane, returning leaves to the field where the crop be done with fuel burners, but new methods use steam
residue promotes soil conservation. Cane factories may have integrated in the factory steam supply, thus reducing overall
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