Cogeneration Plant fire/dust explosion in Netherlands .

• In a cogeneration plant in the Netherlands a major fire/dust explosion broke out. - Annotated

  I'd like to thank Roger Bours Sales manager at Fike Europe in Antwerp Area, Belgium for sharing this news story with me so I can share with others in the ComDust network. It's extremely important in conducting risk analysis concerning ComDust hazards that an understanding of probability of occurrence throughout all industries is vital.
  
  Here is just one example where a situational proactive awareness will be helpful to all. To translate the entire article, I highly recommend the Google Toolbar, which has the translate function. In Dutch a dust explosion is referred to as a stofexplosie.

• tags: cogeneration plant, dust explosion, Netherlands, stofexplosie
  
  

  Translations from Dutch of Excerpts
  
  
  
  • DE LIER – In een warmtekrachtcentrale aan de Hofzichtlaan is vrijdagmiddag een grote brand uitgebroken.
    • In a cogeneration plant to the Hofzichtlaan Friday is a major fire broke out. - post by comdust
      
      
  • Oorzaak van de brand is een stofexplosie in een bunker met zaagsel, dat als brandstof voor de warmtekrachtcentrale wordt gebruikt. Persoonlijke ongelukken deden zich niet voor.
    • Translation from Dutch "Cause of the fire is a dust in a bunker with sawdust, as fuel for cogeneration is used. Personal accident did not occur." - post by comdust
      
      
  • Omdat er gevaar bestond van nog meer stofexplosies werden bedrijven en een aantal vrijstaande woningen in de omgeving ontruimd
    • Because there is danger of further explosions were substance and a number of detached dwellings in the area evacuated - post by comdust

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General Duty Clause Explained -ComDust

http://oshaaboveground.blogspot.com/2009/06/general-duty-clause-citations.html

I highly recommend everyone to mosey on over to the OSHA Aboveground site and read Abel's excellent description of what a combustible dust General Duty Clause citation is all about. If you want to learn more about such citations then visit the OSHA IMIS database where you'll find a multitude of combustible dust General Duty Clause 5(a)(1) citations. You can learn quite a bit about best engineering practices through abatement measures that are found in the NFPA combustible dust standards with references to these in previous OSHA 5(a)(1) citations.

Have fun with your establishment, SIC, and General Duty Clause searches on the database :)

Someday Combustible Dust Monitor for Explosive Concentrations?

• The Basics of Gas Monitors (Part 2) - Online Safety Community

  It would be great if there was a monitor for minimum explosive concentrations (MEC) of combustible dust. Just like there is for LEL of gases and vapors. Which all have the potential for explosive atmospheres as recognized by ATEX in the EU Great post!I

  tags: explosive_atmosphere, LEL, minimum_explosive_concentration, MEC, explosion_monitor

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Economic Aspect OSHA ComDust Regulation Another Issue

• U.S. letting manufacturing slip away | detnews.com | The Detroit News

  Great article. The economic aspect of future governmental regulations concerning manufacturing needs to be addressed in the OSHA ComDust rulemaking.

  tags: manufacturing, OSHA, combustible_dust_rulemaking

  • Countries -- China, India, Russia, Brazil -- are no different. They understand the value of making things and selling them to others, the contribution competitive manufacturing makes to stability, economic growth and innovation.
  • But she was short -- indeed, silent in her opening remarks -- on tax, regulatory and other government-assessed burdens weighing on business, partly explaining why the Big Mitten has lost so many of the jobs she rightly lamented.

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Remodeling/Hot Work Adjacent to Combustible Dust Hazard

Remodeling work continues to present ignition hazards adjacent to combustible dust hazards. The news report does not mention whether the injured worked was a contractor or not. Would flame resistant clothing (FRC'S) minimized the burn injuries?

• Man Burned in Chemical Dust Fire - Updated

  "He was using a cutting torch to remove some metal, some spark then ignited some old paint dust on the floor and it rapidly spread throughout the interior of the paint booth,"says Corporal Mark Chamberlain, Webster County Sheriff's Office.

  tags: dust_explosion, remodeling

  • remodeling/hot work combustible dust hazards - post by comdust

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Footprints to Disaster-Combustible Dust

Justin Clift, Industrial Market Specialist at Hazard Control Technologies shares with readers at the Industrial Fire Journal an educational article in understanding how to assess, evaluate, and control combustible dust hazards in the workplace. Justin has extensive experience in providing coal fired power plants the professional guidance in minimizing the probability and reducing the severity of combustible dust related fires and explosions. There are dozens of other national industries that also have combustible dust hazards and stakeholders can acquire a basic understanding in how combustible dust hazards develop so as to initiate preventative and mitigative measures using administrative controls and best engineering practices as outlined in the article.

Enlightening topics that are discussed in Justin's very thorough article are float dust, fugitive dust, fire department education on combustible dust hazards, and incident investigation follow-up of combustible dust incidents no matter how minor. Of extreme importance highlighted in the article is the explosive severity, where the Kst of combustible dust can change during the process while transferring from different stages during product movement. This problem is not just specific to the handling of coal but throughout all manufacturer sectors. Do you know the Kst of your raw products during the manufacturing process?

For additional questions specific to your facility or if your facility desires training courses, focusing on Fire Protection/Suppression/Prevention and Emergency Response contact Justin at Hazard Control Technologies

Resource
A blueprint for disaster Justin Clift Article in Industrial Fire Journal