Article,
Combustible dusts: A serious industrial hazard
JHazMat, 142 (3): 589--591 (April 2007)
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2006.06.127
Abstract
After investigating three fatal explosions in manufacturing plants,
the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) has
concluded: The explosive hazard of combustible dust is not well known,
and helping industry to understand this hazard is a priority. Prompted
by these three incidents in North Carolina, Kentucky and Indiana
and the need to increase the hazard awareness, CSB is conducting
a study to examine the nature and scope of dust explosion risks in
industry and to identify initiatives that may be necessary to more
effectively prevent combustible dust fires and explosions. Such initiatives
may include regulatory action, voluntary consensus standards, or
other measures that could be taken by industry, labor, government,
and other parties. A critical task of the dust study is analyzing
past incidents to determine the severity of the problem within industry.
The analysis is focusing on the number of incidents, injuries and
fatalities, industrial sectors affected, and regulatory oversight.
This paper presents the preliminary findings from CSBs analysis of
combustible dust incidents over the past 25 years. This paper has
not been approved by the Board and is published for general informational
purposes only. Every effort has been made to accurately present the
contents of any Board-approved report mentioned in this paper. Any
material in the paper that did not originate in a Board-approved
report is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not represent
an official finding, conclusion, or position of the Board.
Tags
- acoustics;
- board;
- chemical
- combustible
- csb;
- cta
- dust
- explosion;
- fire;
- hayes
- hazards;
- incidents
- lemmerz;
- pharmaceutical
- safety
- services;
- study;
- west
