Combustible Dust Explosions: Is Your Workforce at Risk?
Dust explosions continue to be a persistent problem for many industries resulting in loss of life, injuries and destruction of property.
- By Tim Turney
- Sep 01, 2021
Combustible dust-fueled fires and explosions continue to injure and claim workers' lives across a broad spectrum of industries. Agriculture, food production and wood processing make up the largest proportion of the overall fire and explosion incidents. However, any workforce that generates dust may be at risk, with incidents occurring in businesses as diverse as pulp and paper, textiles and pharmaceuticals.
Tragedies such as the Imperial Sugar refinery explosion in Georgia, responsible for 14 deaths and deemed by the U.S. Chemical Safety Board as the most devasting dust explosion in decades, offer a grave reminder that businesses need to monitor dust levels efficiently. It is also now well understood that short and long-term exposure to dust poses significant health risks. Effects range from increased hospital admissions to a higher risk of premature death, primarily due to cardiovascular and respiratory disorders.
While the cost to worker health is incalculable, employers run the risk of reduced productivity, rising costs due to sickness days, increased costs for training and recruitment and catastrophic penalties and compensation claims. For example, OSHA proposed penalties of $215,525 for an explosion believed to be caused by dust ignition sources at MFA Enterprises Inc. last December, leaving the company’s employee severely injured.
Understanding How Dust is Created
Dust is created when materials are transported, handled, processed, polished, ground and shaped. Dust can also form from abrasive blasting, cutting, crushing, mixing, sifting or screening dry materials. In addition, the build-up of dried residue from the processing of wet materials can generate dust. Dust in the workplace rises daily from these activities, which is why employers need to stay vigilant to exposure levels to protect workers from hazardous incidents and the potential of life-threatening consequences.
How Employers Can Cut the Risk of a Combustible Dust Explosion
Explosive and combustible dust is covered under OSHA's General Duty Clause. To prove that a company has violated the clause, the federal agency must show that the business knew of a hazard in their workplace and did nothing to prevent or stop it.
These conditions apply if:
*The employer did not keep the business free of the hazard and exposed workers to it
*The hazard is recognizable
*The hazard is likely to cause severe injury or death
This article originally appeared in the September 2021 issue of Occupational Health & Safety.