Combustible Dusts

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…...

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…...

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…...

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…...

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...

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…...

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...

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…...

OSHA has proposed $1,837,861 in fines against a corn milling facility following a May 31, 2017, explosion that killed five workers and injured 12 others, including a 21-year-old employee who suffered a double leg amputation after being crushed by a railcar. OSHA found that the explosion likely resulted from failures to correct the leakage and…...