The Democratic-controlled House passed a bill (by a vote of 247-165) in late April requiring new mandatory OSHA requirements to stop workplaces from having large levels of dust that can become fuel for fires and explosions, reported the Associated Press.

A fatal explosion motivated the House’s action, coupled with a series of documented dust explosions in recent years. In February, a blast at an Imperial Sugar Co. refinery outside Savannah, Ga., killed 13 people and has been blamed on dust that ignited.

The legislation would require OSHA to come up with temporary safety standards within 90 days and final safety standards 18 months after the legislation is signed into law.

OSHA put combustible dust standards in place for the grain industry after a series of explosions in the 1980s. But OSHA chief Edwin Foulke has said a general industry rule is not necessary, pointing to the agency’s nationwide inspection program of potentially explosive sites, and various training and education materials it has made available.

"We owe it to the families of the workers who have needlessly lost their lives to pass this legislation," said Rep. George Miller, D-Calif, chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, according to AP.

The bill now moves to the Senate. But the White House has threatened to veto the bill if it makes it out of Congress, according to AP. "The administration has serious concerns with the expedited and one-size-fits-all regulatory approach required by the bill," the administration said in a statement.