Wood Processing Plants Continue to Fail Regulatory Inspections
WPAC - Lack of concern - from Canadian Biomass Magazine Despite dust explosion tragedies, many mills fail inspections. Written by Gordon Murray It has been more than two years since the January and April 2012 explosions that destroyed the Babine and Lakeland sawmills in central British Columbia, tragically killing four workers, injuring forty-four more, and putting hundreds out of work. Investigations by WorkSafe BC (WSBC) and BC Safety Authority (BCSA) determined that both explosions were preventable, having been caused by ineffective control of combustible dust. Each mill was cutting beetle-killed pine, which produces a considerably greater volume of wood dust and much finer dust than from cutting green wood. Suspended dust, confined space, oxygen, and an ignition source combined to cause both explosions. Regulators and forest industry leadership responded swiftly and aggressively. WSBC developed a combustible dust strategy ...