Industrial Fire Prevention

"...had no sprinkler systems, stored the chemical in wooden bins and did not report to local emergency responders the potential hazards of storing tons of ammonium nitrate because the law does not require them to do so..." Fertilizer Plant Explosion Investigators Report Lax Regulation of Chemicals HOUSTON (AP) — A federal agency investigating a deadly explosion at a Texas fertilizer plant will tell a Senate committee Thursday that regulation of the dangerous chemicals used in the industry fall under a "patchwork" of standards that are decades old and are far weaker than rules used by other countries. The damage from the fertilizer plant explosion is seen from helicopters in accompanying President Barack Obama in West, Texas, in this April 25, 2013 file photo. The U.S Chemical Safety Board will tell a Senate committee Thursday June 27, 2013 that regulation of the dangerous chemicals used in the industry fall under a “patchwork” of stand...

 From our friends at ThomasNet. How Can Manufacturers Reduce the Risk of Dust Fires and Explosions? How Can Manufacturers Reduce the Risk of Dust Fires and Explosions? by Ahvi Spindell | June 26th, 2013     Combustible dust fires are an ever-present risk in processing industries across the country and are a much bigger problem than reported by the federal government. These combustible dust fires are often precursors to catastrophic explosions. In fact, most dust can be combustible under the right circumstances.  In 2012, Astad’s institute reported results from a preliminary analysis of 2011 National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) data obtained from the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA). The report detailed 500-plus combustible-dust-related fires and explosions in many industrial sectors throughout the U.S. The majority of incidents were classified as “near-misses,” meaning they did not result in injuries or fatalities. NFIRS is a volu...

combustible dust - USDOL OSHA Public Web Site Search Results Combustible Dust - An Explosion Hazard www.osha.gov/dsg/.../index.html Any combustible material can burn rapidly when in a finely divided form. If such a dust is suspended in air in the right concentration, under certain conditions ...   Combustible Dust in Industry: Preventing and Mitigating the ... www.osha.gov/dts/shib/shib073105.html Additional Elements Needed for a Combustible Dust Explosion : 4. Dispersion of dust particles in sufficient quantity and concentration; and, 5.   [PDF] Combustible Dust www.osha.gov/.../combustibledustposter.pdf combustible dust locations. PreventionMeasures The facility has separator devices to remove foreign materials capable of igniting combustible dusts.   Combustible Dust - An Explosion Hazard - Occupational Safety and ... www.osha.gov/dsg/.../guidance.html OSHA Guidance. The following OSHA publications contain voluntar...