At 4:00 p.m. on July 4, 2022, an employee was cutting off a motor and base of a dust collection system using an oxygen-acetylene torch at a farm machinery and equipment manufacturing facility. When the employee moved the cutoff motor base, a dust cloud formed and ignited, causing an explosion. The employee sustained second and…...
Demo’ing a Combustible Dust Collection System leads to fatal explosion Read More »
OSHA has revised its Combustible Dust National Emphasis Program (NEP) based on enforcement history and combustible dust incident reports. In 2018, wood and food products comprised an average of 70 percent of the materials involved in combustible dust fires and explosions. Incident reports indicate that the majority of the industries involved in combustible dust hazards…...
OSHA’s revised Combustible Dust National Emphasis Program (NEP) Read More »
Dust collectors for combustible dust will have a deflagration vent(s). These vents are like weak-seam welded roofs in that they are large surface area vent covers that relieve the pressure inside the dust collector should there be an explosion inside the collector. As one can imagine, someone standing in the path of these vent covers…...
Are your Deflagration vent discharge area markings in place? Read More »
An old dog is never too old to learn something new. NOTE: This clarification was made in the 2021 edition of NFPA 499. In NFPA 499, the definition of a Class II, Div 1 HAZLOC is as follows: (emphasis by me)… Membership Required You must be a member to access this content.View Membership LevelsAlready a...
Group E (Metal Dusts) only have Div 1 locations (NFPA 499) Read More »
The criteria for a dust hazard are typically based on an evaluation of dust accumulations in areas of the facility. The combustible dust accumulation level that would support a fire and/or explosion, if there was an ignition source present, depends on numerous factors. For some dusts, accumulation limits are specified. For other dusts, accumulation limits…...
Combustible Dusts accumulations limitations Read More »
OSHA has been piece-mealing its own standards along with NFPA standards to formulate a Combustible Dusts National Emphasis Program (NEP) since the 2008 Port Wentworth, GeorgiaSugar Refinery explosion. There is always some confusion about OSHA using consensus standards outside of their own safety standards and when it comes to Com Dust enforcement, they rely heavily…...
OSHA’s use of NFPA standards in their enforcement of Combustible Dusts hazards Read More »
Ever wonder what an OSHA Compliance Safety and Health Officer (CSHO) looks for to establish that a combustible dust hazard may be present? Here are the top 10 indicators they look for when wondering if the business has a Combustible Dust…… Membership Required You must be a member to access this content.View Membership LevelsAlready a...
OSHA’s Top 10 Indicators that a combustible dust hazard may be present Read More »
During the pandemic, OSHA’s Combustible Dust team was updating OSHA’s Technical Manual with a new chapter on Combustible Dust. If you are looking to learn more about the hazards of Com Dusts, this would be a great starting point for your reading. And if your business manages Com Dusts, this is a MUST READ. The…...
OSHA updated their Technical Manual for Combustible Dusts Read More »
NFPA updated NFPA 499: Recommended Practice for the Classification of Combustible Dusts and of Hazardous (Classified) Locations for Electrical Installations in Chemical Process Areas (2021 edition) with a revised definition of “combustible flyings”…. Membership Required You must be a member to access this content.View Membership LevelsAlready a member? Log in here...
NFPA updates 499 (Combustible Dust) with a new definition of combustible flyings Read More »
The 2021 edition of the International Fire ode (IFC) basically re-wrote the entire chapter on Combustible dust; which is a major improvement from the 2018 edition. Here are the highlights from the 2021 IFC, Chapter 22 – Combustible Dust-Producing Operations…… Membership Required You must be a member to access this content.View Membership LevelsAlready a member?...
2021 IFC rewrites CHAPTER 22 Combustible Dust-Producing Operations Read More »
In the most recent revision of the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS), they list some very interesting potential ignition sources for dust explosions; several I have never ever even considered being an ignition source. Check these out…… Membership Required You must be a member to access this content.View Membership LevelsAlready...
For many of us, it will be coming! Most states in the USA adopt the International Fire Code (IFC) as their Fire Code and HAZMAT Code; although most adopt a “revised” version of the IFC and most states run anywhere from 5-15 years behind the actual IFC. For example, my home state of OH just…...
Did the 2018 IFC just codify NFPA 652? Read More »
