Combustible Dust Fire Basics

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OSHA Stalling on Combustible Dust Standard

Sixteen months after OSHA received the Chemical Safety Boards recommendations on preventing combustible dust explosions, Edwin Foulke, the director of OSHA argues that the department is still in the process of looking into whether a comprehensive combustible dust standard should be implemented versus maintaining the status quo of the current inadequate OSHA general industry rules of housekeeping, ventilation, and electrical standards. This is a good point the director makes for workplaces that are not exposed to combustible dusts but invalid when general industry is generating hazardous atmospheres during the manufacturing processes.

Furthermore, Mr. Foulke, has no idea of the magnitude of the problem when he states there are approximately 10-15 combustible dusts that would be effected by a dust standard. For example, in the 2006 investigative report completed by the Chemical Safety Board, which the director is referring to, there are over 200 combustible dusts that require a dust standard. As an attorney by former training , Mr Foulke is not qualified to provide expert opinion on combustible dusts only opinion on compliance enforcement and litigation actions of OSHA.

Chemical Safety Board Recommendations For Combustible Dusts


1. Comprehensive Combustible Dust Standard
2. Revise the Hazard Communication Standard
3. Amendthe UNECE Globally Harmonized System (GHS) of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals
4. Provide Training through the OSHA Training Institute (OTI)
5. Implement a National Emphasis Program (NEP)
6.Modify ANSI Z400.1 American National Standard for Hazardous Industrial Chemicals

Dust Regulation Threat of Losing Jobs Offshore

An interesting snapshot of Congressman Jack Kingston's view that if a comprehensive combustible dust standard for general industry is promulgated then a potential threat arises in industry moving offshore instead of compliance with health and safety issues . How many agricultural business's moved offshore after the grain combustible dust standard was implemented in 1987? In either case a cost-benefit analysis is needed to move forward in the protection of the nation's workforce.

Combustible Dust Hazards: Alarming Trend

http://www.bismarcktribune.com/articles/2008/03/01/news/state/150068.txt

An alarming trend is occurring across the nation at processing facilities in general industry where fires and explosions are occurring repeatedly, especially where combustible dusts are generated. In many instances no injuries or fatalities occur; only damage to the facility and a negative economic impact to the community.

In less fortunate instances, such as the preventable recent tragic Dixie Crystal sugar refinery explosion located in the heart of Dixie, lives are senselessly lost in conjunction with insurmountable physical pain and suffering to workers and their loved ones.

It was only two years ago that the Chemical Safety Board submitted, at the completion of a Combustible Dust Study, a report to the Department of Labor recommending the implementation of an OSHA comprehensive dust standard to protect the health and safety of workers from the hazards of combustible dust explosions and fires. So far the OSHA has failed to act. In the meantime combustible dust explosions and fires continue across a wide spectrum of industries across the nation's heartland.

GRAND FORKS (AP)..."The fire early Thursday morning was contained in the dust collection system at the North American Foods plant..."

In the CSB study for the period of 1980-2005, investigators discovered that over 40 percent of combustible dust fires and explosions occurred in the dust collection systems and 24 percent of these incidents were sparked in food processing facilities such as the one at North American Foods in Grand Forks, North Dakota.

The CSB found that in all industries, dust collectors are the equipment most often involved in incidents;similarly, Zalosh et al. (2005) report that dust collectors account for more than 40 percent of all dust explosions.

Findings of the actual ignition source of the Grand Forks dehydrated potato plant has yet to be determined. In retrospect, all plant managers throughout the nation , through close scrutiny of their Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) will have to reassess their current operating procedures to insure minimum explosive concentrations (MEC) and minimum ignition temperatures (MIT) are not breached in the vicinity of potential ignition sources such as non-compliant electrical fixtures.

Biggest challenge is...most MSDS, fail to list these important physical properties in contrast and analogous to flammable liquid flash points listed for petroleum product. Incidents of combustible fires and explosions will continue while the workforce is in the dark in regards to the combustible dusts hazards they are daily working with across the nation.

Welcome Post

Welcome to the debut of the Combustible Dust Explosion/Fire Blog. I'll keep you updated on news events concerning combustible dust related explosions and fires that occur in the workplace at facilities throughout the United States. Hopefully in the future an OSHA general industry comprehensive dust standard will be implemented, which will prevent additional preventable incidents from occurring.


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