Industrial Fire Prevention

What You Need to Know About ComDust From our friends at Wood Products – December 2012 What You Need to Know About ComDustby our friend Jamison Scott at Air Handling Systems With the increase of combustible dust incidents, OSHA is visiting woodworking facilities with greater frequency Combustible dust is a serious issue in the woodworking industry. Gaining national attention in 2008 when a major sugar refinery in Georgia exploded due to combustible dust, in 2012 alone, the woodworking industry saw a major sawmill in British Columbia, Canada, launch a fireball reportedly 60 meters high due to a suspected combustible dust explosion. Additionally a wood pellet maker in New Hampshire suffered a third combustible dust related incident. While the occurrences and severity of combustible wood dust related fires have been increasing, the incidence of OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) inspections related to combustible dust in woodworking facilities has al...

From our friends at| Harrington Group, Inc.   Fire Prevention Tips for Wood Pellet Plants Posted on Thursday, January 16th, 2014 My last blog discussed the dangers of wood pellet plant facilities and included an overview of several recent incidents. Today, I would like to review a few fire prevention tips for wood pellet plants. The process of manufacturing wood pellets involves all the right ingredients for explosions and fires to occur with a concerning frequency the potential to cause serious injuries, damage to property, and interruption of production. The amount of wood, dust, various ignition sources inherent in the wood pellet production process presents a high risk of explosion and fire. However, there are strategies that can be implemented to reduce the risk of fire and explosions and to mitigate the impact should they occur: Conduct a Risk Assessment – professionals, like fire protection engineers,...