Combustible Dusts

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has initiated rulemaking to develop a combustible dust standard for general industry. OSHA will use information gathered, including from an upcoming SBREFA panel, to develop a comprehensive standard that addresses combustible dust hazards.  CLICK HERE for the May 2016 OMB’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) posting…. Membership Required...

DHA is an acronym from NFPA’s 652, Standard on the Fundamentals of Combustible Dust, 2016 Edition. This NFPA standard came out in 2015 and is VERY MUCH in line with OSHA’s process safety principles, in that it outlines how combustible dust hazards are to be identified and managed. One of these management tools is a…...

I have received quite a few e-mails and phone calls asking about NFPA 652: Standard on the Fundamentals of Combustible Dust, 2016 Edition and what it means to those it applies to.  This article will try and break down the basic requirements which can be put into four (4) categories.  PLEASE NOTE, this article assumes that…...

In case you missed it, NFPA published their new COM DUST standard last month.  This FIRST edition of NFPA 652, Standard on Combustible Dusts (link to free access), was issued by the Standards Council on August 18, 2015, with an effective date of September 7, 2015.  NFPA 652, Standard on the Fundamentals of Combustible Dust, provides…...

WARNING – this video shows the ignition of the dust cloud and people within the dust cloud on fire and trying to escape.  The sights and sounds of this video ARE VERY GRAPHIC in nature, but shows the hazards of Corn Starch and its ease to ignite.  Corn Starch has one of the lowest MIE’s…...

The U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) completed a study of combustible dust hazards in late 2006, which identified 281 combustible dust incidents between 1980 and 2005 that killed 119 workers and injured another 718.  Based on these findings, the CSB recommended OSHA pursue a rulemaking on this issue. OSHA has previously addressed aspects of this…...

April 21, 2015 MEMORANDUM FOR: REGIONAL ADMINISTRATORS THROUGH: DOROTHY DOUGHERTY Deputy Assistant Secretary FROM: THOMAS GALASSI, Director Directorate of Enforcement Programs SUBJECT: Evaluating Hazardous Levels of Accumulation Depth for Combustible Dusts   The purpose of this memorandum is to provide guidance in calculating the levels of dust accumulations that may be allowed at workplaces for…...

(A) Section 1301 General (1) 1301.1 Scope. The equipment, processes and operations involving dust explosion hazards shall comply with the provisions of this rule. (2) 1301.2 Permits. Permits shall be required for combustible dust-producing operations as set forth in rule 1301:7-7-01 of the Administrative Code. (B) Section 1302 Definitions (1) 1302.1 Definition. The following word…...

The flash fire that burned seven workers, one seriously, in 2012 resulted from the accumulation of combustible dust inside a poorly designed dust collection system that had been put into operation only four days before the accident.  The CSB  investigation team concludes that the system was so flawed it only took a day to accumulate…...

UPDATE on 7/21/14 – The Jan. 20 structural collapse was caused by overloading nine storage bins on the building’s roof level, an OSHA investigation has found. The collapse at the livestock feed supplement manufacturer caused the death of two workers and injuries to nine others.  The investigation determined a structural failure of the east side truss,…...

Today in Omaha, NE there was an industrial accident at a business where one would expect to find combustible dusts. The accident resulted in several employees being treated for burns and there are two confirmed fatalities as of this evening. And although, we were quick to point out this accident may have involved a combustible…...