COMBUSTIBLE DUST in the WOOD PRODUCTS INDUSTRY

Transcription

1 COMBUSTIBLE DUST in the WOOD PRODUCTS INDUSTRY Produced by NWCEP, Inc. This material was produced under grant SH23597SH2 from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor. It does not reflect the views or policies of the U.S. Department of Labor, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organization imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.

2 Pretest 5 Minutes

3 What is Combustible Dust? NFPA 654 Definition of Combustible Dust A finely divided combustible particulate solid that presents a flash fire hazard or explosion hazard when suspended in air or the process-specific oxidizing medium over a ranger of concentrations(section of NFPA ) OSHA s Combustible Dust Definition (CPL ) Combustible particulate solid that presents a fire or deflagration hazard when suspended in air or some other oxidizing medium over a range of concentrations, regardless of particle size or shape

4 Learning Objectives Basic Understanding of Combustible Dust Hazards Related to Combustible Dust Combustible Dust Dangers Employee s Role Awareness Prevention

5 OSHA, NFPA & CSB OSHA OSHA is part of the United States Department of Labor They ensure safe and healthful working conditions for working men and women by setting and enforcing standards and by providing training, outreach, education, and assistance. NFPA Advocate of fire prevention and an authoritative source on public safety. They reduce the worldwide burden of fire and other hazards on the quality of life by providing and advocating consensus codes and standards, research, training, and education. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) An independent federal agency investigating chemical accidents to protect workers, the public, and the environment. They conduct root cause investigations of chemical accidents at fixed industrial facilities.

6 What types of dust are Combustible? Metal dust such as Aluminum and Magnesium, Coal and other Carbon dusts, Plastic dust and additives, Bio-solids, Other organic dust such as sugar, flour, paper, soap, and dried blood, Certain textiles, AND WOOD DUST This list is not all inclusive there are other types of combustible dust!!

7 HAZARDS Related to Combustible Dust In INCREASING ORDER of occurrence and severity, the hazards are: 1 FIRE 2 DEFLAGRATION 3 EXPLOSION This material was produced by Timber Product Manufacturers Association

8 FIRE TRIANGLE A Fire or Flaming Combustion Hazard results when there is: OXYGEN (air), FUEL (wood dust) on any surface or in the air, AND HEAT (a source of ignition). Sources of ignition include, but not limited to: Overheated equipment bearings, Open flame, sparks, Hot metal fragments, welding activity, Electrical shorts, static electricity discharges, Forklifts in the area NOT RATED for use in combustible dust areas Space heaters, heat guns, and similar conditions or devices. This material was produced by Timber Product Manufacturers Association

9 DEFLAGRATION Deflagration - is a term describing subsonic combustion propagating through heat transfer; hot burning material heats the next layer of cold material and ignites it. A DEFLAGRATION occurs when you have: + Dispersion of wood dust in air In other words, FIRE TRIANGLE conditions where there s a cloud of wood dust particles that can become and remain airborne. At some airborne concentration, a DEFLAGRATION may occur. Most "fire" found in daily life, from flames to explosions, is technically deflagration. This material was produced by Timber Product Manufacturers Association

10 EXPLOSION PENTAGON Explosion = The bursting or rupture of an enclosure or a container due to the development of internal pressure from deflagration. An EXPLOSION occurs when you have: Deflagration + Confinement = Explosion In other words, Deflagration conditions where there s a cloud of wood dust that can become and remain airborne, AND It s UNDER CONFINEMENT within collection ductwork, silos, storage bins, bag houses, cyclones and other enclosed structures. This material was produced by Timber Product Manufacturers Association

11 Combustible Dust Dangers The US Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) identified 281 combustible dust incidents between 1980 and 2005, with 119 workers killed and 718 injured. CSB reports 70 new incidents since In 2003 three dust explosions killed 14 workers. In 2008 an explosion at a Georgia Sugar refinery killed 14 and injured more than 40 in one of the deadliest industrial incidents in three decades. At a Michigan electrical power generation facility, six people were killed and 14 injured when natural gas from a boiler exploded, setting off another explosion caused by disturbed coal dust.

12 Combustible Dust Dangers, cont. At a rubber fabricating plant in Mississippi, five died from burns and six were seriously injured during an explosion involving accumulations of highly combustible rubber dust. At a pharmaceutical plant in North Carolina, six died and dozens were injured in an explosion and fire fueled by plastic powder accumulating above a suspended ceiling. In the aftermath, hundreds more lost their jobs. At a Kentucky fiberglass insulation plant, seven employees were killed by an explosion and fire fueled by resin. At a wheel manufacturing plant in Indiana, explosions of accumulated Aluminum dust severely burned three employees, one fatally.

13 Video US Chemical Safety Board Combustible Dust: An Insidious Hazard

14 Combustible Dust Accidents On January 29, 2003 West Pharmaceutical Services Kinston, North Carolina 1/29/03 6 employees died, and injuring 38 others, including two firefighters who responded to the accident. The blast occurred without warning at 1:28 p.m. during a routine workday and could be heard 25 miles from the plant. A student at a school more than half a mile away was injured by shattered glass. Flaming debris set woods on fire as far as two miles away. Information obtained from U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board Investigation Digest April 2005

15 Combustible Dust Accidents, cont. CTA Acoustics Corbin, KY 2/20/03 On February 20, workers died and injuring more than 30. The fire spread quickly over a wide area of the plant. The facility primarily produced fiberglass acoustic foam for the automotive industry, using a phenolic resin powder as a binder. The resin is similar in consistency to talcum powder. Information obtained from U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board REPORT NO I-KY FEBRUARY 2005

16 Combustible Dust Accidents, cont. October 29, 2003 Hayes Lemmerz Huntington, IN 10/29/03 1 Employee Died, 2 Severely Burned, 6 Total Injured A secondary explosion occurred some minutes later in the dust collection equipment, and there were also smaller blasts involving gas cylinders and tires located outside of the building in an environmental contractor's trailer. Information obtained from U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board REPORT NO I-IN SEPTEMBER 2005

17 Combustible Dust Accidents, cont. Imperial Sugar Refinery Port Wentworth, GA 2/7/08 February 7, Employees Died, 36 Employees Injured The Imperial Sugar plant outside Savannah, known for its Dixie Crystals brand, was destroyed in a fire fueled by sugar dust that burned for a week. Information obtained from U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board REPORT NO I-KY FEBRUARY 2005

18 Combustible Dust Accidents, cont. Hoeganaes Corporation Gallatin, TN 1/31/11, 3/29/11 5/27/11 A combustible iron dust explosion, believed to be fueled by Hydrogen gas that killed two workers and seriously injured a third on May 27. The Hoeganaes facility in Gallatin was also the site of a flash fire on January 31 that fatally burned two workers. A similar flash fire occurred on March 29 and caused one injury. Information obtained from U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board Case Study

19 EMPLOYEE S ROLE How you can make a difference! Inspect your work area FREQUENTLY! - Make certain you follow supervision s directions on the frequency of cleanups! Housekeeping! Housekeeping Awareness Training

20 Inspections Visual Inspections of your area Look for dust build up All surfaces, even those out of sight Look for and control ignition sources Examples: ELECTRICAL Friction Heat Static Bearings General Maintenance Protocols Identify potential cause for concerns

21 Housekeeping Good housekeeping can prevent fires and deflagrations outside of process equipment and can drastically reduce the risk of a secondary combustible dust explosion Housekeeping is a significant step in preventing secondary combustible dust explosions Approximately 1/32 inches of dust roughly the thickness of a dime. (NFPA ) Remove dust from all surfaces Especially out of sight places Do not do vigorous sweeping/blow down Move dust by means of ventilation or mechanically

22 Awareness Employee Training Training others in the facility who did not receive the training Being vigilant

23 Employee Rights A safe and healthful workplace Know about hazardous chemicals Report injury to employer Complain or request hazard correction from employer Training Hazard exposure and medical records File a complaint with OSHA Participate in an OSHA inspection Be free from retaliation for exercising safety and health rights Information obtained fromwww.osha.gov/publications/osha3165.pdf

24 Post Test 10 Minutes

25 Q/A Any questions?

26 Thank You Produced by NWCEP, Inc. through the This material was produced under grant SH23597SH2 from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor. It does not reflect the views or policies of the U.S. Department of Labor, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organization imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.