Industrial Fire Prevention

From SAFTENG the Safety Engineering Network, this blog post brings up some good questions.  This is one area of major concern, as several of the fires that caused massive amounts of damage in facilities that create or process combustible dust were started by contractors welding on a duct, dust collector or vessel, or near these areas where combustible dust had built up. Hot Work Safety - Hot Work Requirements and Combustible Dusts - Safety Engineering Network (SAFTENG) OSHA has clearly established that hotwork can not take place in the presence of combustible dusts. 1910.252(a)(2)(vi) Prohibited areas. Cutting or welding shall not be permitted in the following situations: 1910.252(a)(2)(vi)(A) In areas not authorized by management. 1910.252(a)(2)(vi)(B) In sprinklered buildings while such protection is impaired. 1910.252(a)(2)(vi)(C) In the presence of explosive atmospheres (mixtures of flammable gases, vapors, liquids, or dusts with air), or explosive atmospheres that ...

From Risk Factors blog and WestField Insurance, here is a good overview of the current state of the OSHA Combustible Dust Standard, with related links. February 16, 2011 Risk Factors: Combustible Dust Standards Update Background/History Combustible dust has become a much more visible hazard in the past few years as the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) in 2008 communicated that they were proposing a new standard on combustible dust . They also set in play a new directive for their staff to step up their inspections of plants that produce combustible dust, and began forcing companies to control the risk of explosion/fire (and related health concerns) through the execution of the general duty clause using best practice industry consensus standards (mostly National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards). The concern was that in the past couple decades, multiple industries experienced dust explosions that resulted in the loss of life/injuries and m...

In The News: Interactive Combustible Dust Guide Now Available The Dust Task Force of the Wood Machinery Manufacturers of America (WMMA) recently released the "WMMA NFPA 664 Interactive ComDust Guide" to help simplify the requirements set out by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). "NFPA has issued several standards and it can be quite difficult to get a good overview of these standards," according to a release issued by WMMA. "It is important for the user to understand that in each case the user must consult the applicable standard to assure the particular facility/process being assessed complies with the correct standard." Read More. NFPA664requirements.pdf