Bulwark Training. Combustible Dust: Understanding the Basics

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Diana Carroll
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1 Bulwark Training Combustible Dust: Understanding the Basics

2 Background Involved with the Flame Resistant Clothing market from the service, manufacturing and garment sides for over 15 years. Over the past 6 years worked closely with fortune 1000 companies as they look develop PPE programs within their Electrical Safe Work Practices to comply with NFPA70E/NESC and also Flash Fire programs for NFPA Developed and conducted over 150 educational and informational seminars on the Hazards of Arc Flash and Flash Fire for NSC, ASSE, VPPPA, NJATC, NECA, CAER and numerous other associations.

3 Topics for Today Why is everyone talking about combustible dust? What makes combustible dust hazardous? What regulations govern combustible dust? What s the bottom line?

4 OSHA General Duty Clause Employer s responsibility / Choosing FR Each employer shall furnish to each of his employees employment and a place of employment which are free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm.

5 Enforcement Strategies Increase presence in the workplace Strengthen enforcement Protect vulnerable workers in high-hazard occupations Overhaul penalties Strengthen regulations Goal = Make workplaces safe and healthy

6 Why is everyone talking about combustible dust?

7 What is a combustible dust? A combustible particulate solid that presents a fire or deflagration hazard when suspended in air or some oxidizing medium over a range of concentrations, regardless of particle size or shape. As defined in NFPA 654, 2006 Edition

8 Known Injuries & Deaths Over Time

9 Recent History Nearly 300 explosions have injured or killed over 800 workers since OSHA has cited over 1,000 firms for combustible dust. Of firms visited, 87% have received citations. NEP and Rulemaking

10 Hayes Lemmerz Huntington, IN 2003 Aluminum Dust

11 Imperial Sugar Port Wentworth, GA

13 Post Event On Feb. 7, 2008, a combustible dust explosion ripped through the Imperial Sugar Co. refinery in Port Wentworth, Ga., killing 14 employees and injuring dozens. The incident triggered $8 million in proposed OSHA fines, a Senate hearing, a renewed call for an OSHA standard and widespread concerns about combustible dust hazards. It also prompted Imperial Sugar to make some changes in its facilities and procedures including outfitting all workers in fireresistant (FR) clothing. Post-event, we have required all employees and visitors to the manufacturing areas to wear fire-resistant clothing. It's a blanket requirement and one that is we believe quite conservative, says Ron Allen, who joined Imperial Sugar as senior director of environmental, health, safety and quality in March It's probably unusual for a manufacturer of dry product to require fireresistant clothing plant-wide for all employees.

14 Investigating the Hazard In 2006, the Chemical Safety Board undertook a study of combustible dust accidents in U.S. industry 281 combustible dust accidents from deaths 718 injuries Encouraged OSHA to develop a federal standard on combustible dust

15 The Chemical Safety Board has produced training videos describing how combustible dust explosions occur Visit their website at

Consumer Segmentation Combustible Dust Materials that may form combustible dust include metals (such as aluminum and magnesium), wood, coal, plastics, biosolids, sugar, paper, soap, dried blood, and

16 Consumer Segmentation Combustible Dust Materials that may form combustible dust include metals (such as aluminum and magnesium), wood, coal, plastics, biosolids, sugar, paper, soap, dried blood, and certain textiles. A combustible dust explosion hazard may exist in a variety of industries, including: food (e.g., candy, sugar, spice, starch, flour, feed), grain, tobacco, plastics, wood, paper, pulp, rubber, furniture, textiles, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, dyes, coal, metals (e.g., aluminum, chromium, iron, magnesium, and zinc), and fossil fuel power generation.

17 OSHA Poster

18 Combustible Dust Product or Materials Agricultural Products Egg white Milk, powdered Milk, nonfat, dry Soy flour Starch, corn Starch, rice Starch, wheat Sugar Sugar, milk Sugar, beet Tapioca Whey Wood flour Agricultural Dusts Alfalfa Apple Beet root Carrageen Carrot Cocoa bean dust Cocoa powder Coconut shell dust Coffee dust Corn meal Cornstarch Cotton Cottonseed Garlic powder Gluten Grass dust Green coffee Hops (malted) Lemon peel dust Lemon pulp Linseed Locust bean gum Malt Oat flour Oat grain dust Olive pellets Onion powder Parsley (dehydrated) Peach Peanut meal and skins Peat Potato Potato flour Potato starch Raw yucca seed dust Rice dust Rice flour Rice starch Rye flour Semolina Soybean dust Spice dust Spice powder Sugar (10x) Sunflower Sunflower seed dust Tea Tobacco blend Tomato Walnut dust Wheat flour Wheat grain dust Wheat starch Xanthan gum Carbonaceous Dusts Charcoal, activated Charcoal, wood Coal, bituminous Coke, petroleum Lampblack Lignite Peat, 22%H20 Soot, pine Cellulose Cellulose pulp Cork Corn Chemical Dusts Adipic acid Anthraquinone Ascorbic acid Calcium acetate Calcium stearate Carboxymethylcellulose Dextrin Lactose Lead stearate Methyl-cellulose Paraformaldehyde Sodium ascorbate Sodium stearate Sulfur Metal Dusts Aluminum Bronze Iron carbonyl Magnesium Zinc Plastic Dusts (poly) Acrylamide (poly) Acrylonitrile (poly) Ethylene (low-pressure process) Epoxy resin Melamine resin Melamine, molded (phenol-cellulose) Melamine, molded (wood flour and mineral filled phenolformaldehyde) (poly) Methyl acrylate (poly) Methyl acrylate, emulsion polymer Phenolic resin (poly) Propylene Terpene-phenol resin Urea-formaldehyde/ cellulose, molded (poly) Vinyl acetate/ ethylene copolymer (poly) Vinyl alcohol (poly) Vinyl butyral (poly) Vinyl chloride/ ethylene/vinyl acetylene suspension copolymer (poly) Vinyl chloride/ vinyl acetylene emulsion copolymer

19 Fire Triangle Heat Fuel Oxygen 3 elements are needed for a fire to start and continue to burn

20 Dust Explosion Pentagon Dispersion

22 Common Sources of Ignition Mechanical Sparks Frictional Heat Hot Work Electrical Equipment Powered Industrial Trucks Open Flames Static Electricity Hot Surfaces

23 Combustible Dust Explosions 2008 Combustible Dust Explosions Paper 7% Non Mfg. 3% Utility 7% Food 24% Rubber/Plastics 10% Metal 13% Wood 23% Chemical 13%

24 How much dust is a problem? Cannot discern the color of the covered surface Boot print is left behind

26 Combustible Dust Regulations OSHA has established an NEP (National Emphasis Program) on combustible dust 30,000 Workplaces Receiving OSHA's SHIB (Safety and Health Info Bulletin)titled Combustible Dust in Industry: Preventing and Mitigating the Effects of Fire and Explosions (March 2008) Has held stakeholder meetings but has not yet issued a federal standard OSHA Pertinent NFPA standards NFPA revision Up coming edition of NFPA 654 will reference NFPA 2112/2113 & the need for workers to wear flame resistant clothing The new NFPA 652 Standard will include FR language

27 Number of Inspections by Industry

29 NSC Recommendations Damage Control Even if controls are put in place as required for all types of operations listed the potential for dust explosions still exist. With such a case protection of employees and property is still required to minimize the impacts. Property damage control is usually accomplished through a combination of engineering installations designed to direct any pressure increase out of the building or suppress it and isolate the explosion to one area of a process. Protection of employees in affected areas is accomplished through use of appropriate PPE such as Flame Resistant (FR) clothing, and an ongoing training program.

30 What can I do? Employees who could be exposed to a combustible dust explosion should be in FR clothing Refer to NFPA 2112, Standard on Flame-Resistant Garments for Protection of Industrial Personnel Against Flash Fire Much more to come in terms of. Regulation Standards Impact on demand for FR clothing

31 Why Not Wear Everyday Street Clothes? Everyday fabrics can ignite, burn and possibly melt when exposed to an electric arc Cotton Polypropylene Acetate Polyester Nylon Wool If everyday fabric does ignite and burn, it will increase the extent of a worker s injury

32 FR101: The Basics Need for FR Non-FR is Combustible Reaction to ignition (FR and non-fr) 100% Cotton myth Common Ignition sources Ignition of flammable liquids Contact with, or close proximity to, molten metals Contact with sparks & slag from welding Contact with open flames High energy electrical discharges Explosion of vapors from volatile liquids Ignition of combustible dusts

33 What is Flame Resistant Clothing? Clothing made from fabrics that self-extinguish Fabrics may be natural or synthetic Designed to limit (not eliminate) burn injury Survival, extent of injury, recovery time and quality of life are all dependent on FRC performance

34 Why is FR Needed? Most severe burn injuries and fatalities are caused by non-flame resistant clothing igniting and continuing to burn Flame resistant clothing will self-extinguish, thus limiting the injury Body area under non-fr clothing is often burned more severely than exposed skin

significant exposure to molten substance splash, radiant heat, and flame is likely to occur.

35 Primary vs. Secondary Primary Protective Clothing Definition; Clothing that is designed to be worn for work activities where significant exposure to molten substance splash, radiant heat, and flame is likely to occur. Example- Firefighter Turnout Gear Secondary Protective Clothing Definition; Clothing that is designed for continuous wear in designated locations where intermittent exposure to molten substance splash, radiant heat, and flame is possible.

36 What Flame Resistant Clothing is Not!

37 Engineered Flame Resistant Fabrics Natural fibers Synthetic fibers Natural / synthetic blends NOTE: Flame resistance must be durable to launderings, wear, the environment, etc. for the service life of the garment All FR fabrics are engineered do not let marketing terms confuse you inherent treated etc. Look for proven products!

38 What Is a Burn? A chemical process which progressively injures skin; severity relates to depth 1 st : redness, pain not permanent 2 nd : blistering skin will regenerate 3 rd : total skin depth destroyed. Will not regenerate requires grafting 4 th : Underlying muscle damaged

39 Burn Survival Burn percentage, more than severity, predicts survival because skin is infection barrier 2nd and 3rd degree break skin, providing an infection pathway Most hospital deaths 2-4 weeks post-exposure are infection (gram-neg staph)

40 Burn Injury Chances of Survival 100 % Survival % Body Burn 50% Body Burn 75% Body Burn Age Range, Years Source: American Burn Association ( Study)

41 Burn Injury Costs Burn treatment requires approx. 1.5 days hospitalization per % burn Average hospitalization is 19 days, at costs exceeding $18,000/day Total hospitalization cost typically ranges from $200,000 to $750,000, with many over $1,000,000 USD

42 Burn Costs: FR vs Non-FR Medical Indemnity Vocational Expenses Total Medical Indemnity Vocational Expenses Total Accidents Before FR Paid 562, , $618, , , , $217, Reserve 250, , , $978, , , , $151, Accidents After FR 32, , , $40, , , , $12, Source: PECO Presentation by Bill Mattiford, PES-IEEE Seminar.

43 Summary Flame Resistant (FR) Clothing Does not ignite and burn, melt or drip Maintains a barrier Insulates the wearer from heat Resists breaking open Reduces burn injury and increases chances of survival

44 Define the Hazard 2112 Flash Fire - A Fire that spreads by means of a flame front rapidly through a diffuse fuel such as a dust, gas or vapors of an ignitable liquid, without the production of damaging pressure

45 The Next Step Already performed hazard analysis Decided level of protection is needed Clothing must be chosen Everyday garments Shirts, pants or coveralls Outerwear? Training

46 Comfort The Bottom Line Never make comfort decisions from graphs, data, office samples or appearance There is simply no substitute for a wear test

47 Training Proper Use FRC should be appropriate to hazard Always the outermost layer Worn correctly; zipped, buttoned, etc All natural, non-melting undergarments Clean, no flammable contaminants Repaired correctly and removed from service when needed

48 Maintenance of FRC Garments should be cleaned to maximize performance Contaminants can mask or negate flame resistance Care choices Home laundry Industrial Laundry Dry-cleaning

49 Summary Objections to FR are usually based on either cost or comfort Wear tests and current programs clearly show comfort of newer generation FR clothing is equal to like weights of non FR cotton clothing Get your assessment done know your hazard Any FR is better than No FR Get your layering solutions tested

50 Thank You Bulwark Protective Apparel

Combustible Dusts. Some recent examples of dust explosion losses in the U.S. include:

Combustible Dusts. Some recent examples of dust explosion losses in the U.S. include: Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty Tech Talk Volume 10 Combustible Dusts August 2012 Allianz Risk Consulting Introduction In the past decade, there have been several large property losses at industrial