Industrial Fire Prevention

From our friends at Baghouse.com Dust Collector Fire and Explosion Highlights Need for Combustible Dust Considerations In System Design A massive fire and explosion in the dust collection system of a New Hampshire wood pellet manufacturer demonstrates the need for adequate system design to prevent combustible dust explosions in general industry. May 16 2012 – Baghouse.com Editorial | We recently published a news article on Environmental-Expert.com about OSHA’s enforcement actions concerning last year’s combustible dust fire and explosion at the New England Wood Pellet Company’s Jaffrey, New Hampshire wood pellet plant. On October 20 2011, a combustible dust fire began in the wood pellet cooler, most likely caused by a spark or ember from the pellet hammer mill. The fire then spread through the ductwork throughout the plant, eventually reaching the dust collector causing it to explode. When the collector exploded, the explosion vented through the baghouse’s explosio...

CSB Releases Video Documenting the Blast Damage in West, Texas - Investigations - News | the U.S. Chemical Safety Board CSB Releases Video Documenting the Blast Damage in West, Texas On May 3, 2013, U.S. Chemical Safety Board investigator Jerad Denton took a film crew into West, Texas, to document the level of community damage from the fertilizer explosion that killed 14 and injured about 200 others. This 3-minute video shows the devastation.  Also see:           New CSB video provides an up-close-and-personal look at damage from the recent Texas plant explosion The Chemical Safety Board (CSB), the federal agency charged with investigating industrial accidents, recently released a video underscoring the damage from the ammonium nitrate fertilizer explosion in West, Texas, that killed 14 people and injured about 200 others. Narrated by a CSB investigator, the video illustrates the destruction of schools, residences, a ...

Metal Dust Ignites Fire at Manufacturing Facility From Harrington Group, Inc.  Metal Dust Ignites Fire at Manufacturing Facility Posted on Thursday, March 28th, 2013  Earlier this month, metal dust ignited and burned inside duct work at a RSA Engineered Products manufacturing facility. RSA designs and manufactures components and assemblies for military and commercial aircraft OE manufacturers, systems integration companies, and several government entities around the world. Their products have been a part of various types of aircraft for over 50 years. The fire in the Simi Valley facility was reported around 10am on March 5 th when employees noticed smoke coming from a vent in the ceiling and called 911. Approximately 70 employees were evacuated from the facility, but no one was injured.  About 40 firefighters, police officers, and hazmat team members reported to the scene. According to fire department officials, the machine sho...

Fire at Wooden Pallet Yard Causes $2.5M in Damages From Harrington Group, Inc. Fire at Wooden Pallet Yard Causes $2.5 Million in Damages  Posted on Friday, June 15th, 2012 In May, a fire ripping through a 10-acre wooden pallet yard and spreading to a nearby tire center, caused an estimated $2.5 million in damages. Nearby residents were evacuated, but thankfully, no one was injured. The fire started at Pallet Market, Inc. in Fontana, California. Pallet Market supplies wooden pallets and pallet related services to various industries, including food, office, and logistics. The business opened 10 years ago will have to close, at least temporarily, until they can figure out what to do next. Pallet Market employed 60 people. Authorities say the yard was full of thousands of dry wooden pallets, stacked hundreds high. Residents said that smoke could be seen for miles.Flames burned 80 feet high and took over five hours to get under control. App...

Spark Detection: Your First Line of Defense for Preventing Combustible Dust Fires and Explosions Our article on Spark Detection as published in Powder/Bulk Solids Spark Detection: First Line of Defense for Preventing Combustible Dust Fires and Explosions According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Standard 654, the Standard for the Prevention of Fire and Dust Explosions (2013 edition), combustible dust is defined as “a finely divided combustible particulate solid that presents a flash fire hazard or explosions hazard when suspended in air or the process-specific oxidizing medium over a range of concentrations.” The dust may be from organic or non-organic matter in any combination, and a dust explosion can have the same impact as a gasoline explosion. The key to avoiding a catastrophic event is to install an effective prevention technology for detecting all sparks and embers in the incipient stage in the process material flow, and extinguishing or div...

Dust Collector Fire and Explosion Highlights Need for Combustible Dust Considerations In System Designs from Baghouse.com Dust Collector Fire and Explosion Highlights Need for Combustible Dust Considerations In System Designs A massive fire and explosion in the dust collection system of a New Hampshire wood pellet manufacturer demonstrates the need for adequate system design to prevent combustible dust explosions in general industry. May 16 2012 – Baghouse.com Editorial | We recently published a news article on Environmental-Expert.com about OSHA’s enforcement actions concerning last year’s combustible dust fire and explosion at the New England Wood Pellet Company’s Jaffrey, New Hampshire wood pellet plant. On October 20 2011, a combustible dust fire began in the wood pellet cooler, most likely caused by a spark or ember from the pellet hammer mill. The fire then spread through the ductwork throughout the plant, eventually reaching the dust collector causing it to ...

Combustible dust explosions cause injuries and deaths in the workplace From EIN News and World News Report Combustible dust explosions cause injuries and deaths in the workplace Under certain conditions, combustible materials and materials that do not normally burn, can explode in dust form, causing serious injuries and wrongful deaths in the workplace.   March 20, 2013 /24-7PressRelease/ -- In the past six years, there have been over 50 combustible dust fires or explosions in the nation, causing nearly 170 injuries and more than 30 deaths. One explosion at a sugar refinery killed 14 workers and injured over 40 people. Such explosions and fires also cause extensive damage to industrial buildings and facilities each year. Combustible dust Under certain conditions, combustible materials -- and materials that do not normally burn -- can explode in dust form, causing serious injuries and wrongful deaths . A wide range of materials fall withi...