Take Heed
Take heed. The CSB US Chemical Safety Board has finalized their report on the Imperial Sugar disaster, and concluded that the combustible dust explosions and consequential injuries and loss of life were preventable . While we do not necessarily believe all explosions are preventable, we do believe this report characterizes the sate of industry in this country. European countries have long implemented ATEX standards as law for preventing fires and explosions in process industry. In the United States, we have had current best engineering practices, NFPA and FM Global standards for preventing these type incidences for decades, but many in industry have ignored them, unless prompted by OSHA or their insurance company. This attitude gets people hurt. It opens your company up to lawsuits and affects your reputation in your community, industry, and with your customers. I have had many mangers tell me they have run their plants for years with no incidences of fires. Many t...