SAFETY ORDER COMBUSTIBLE DUST HAZARD TO REGULATED ELECTRICALL AND GAS EQUIPMENT LOCATED IN WOOD PROCESSING FACILITIES Date of Issue: xxxxxx, 2013 NO: SO-ASA-2013-01 This safety order is issued pursuant to section 31 of the Safety Standards Act. A person affected by this safety order may appeal this order in writing to the Safety Standards Appeal Board within 30 days. The appeal process is set out on the Safety Standards Appeal Board's website at http://www.housing.gov.bc.ca/ssab/. This order may not be stayed during an appeal. Failure to comply with a safety order is an offence under section 72 of the Safety Standards Act. Introduction As a result of investigation findings collected from a 2012 explosion and fire at a BC sawmill the BC Safety Authority is issuing this Safety Order to help prevent, avoid or reducee the risk of personal injury or damage to property. The presence of combustible dust or fibre may create a hazardous location for the operation of electricall or gas equipment. Both electrical equipment and gas equipment are regulated under the Safety Standards Act. The BC Electrical Code and the BC Natural Gas and Propane Code contain requirements for the installation and operation of regulated equipment located in hazardous locations. The BC Safety Authority has issued an Information Bulletin (under development) that provides further guidance on hazardous locations and the application to regulated electrical and gas equipment. This safety order applies to all wood processing facilities utilizing regulated electrical or gas equipment. Some of the requirements of this safety order only apply to wood processing facilities that have electrical or gas installations of sufficient size to require an operating permit. Details on requirements for operating permits can be found in BC Safety Authority directive D- E3 070801 7 Electrical Operating Permit Requirements or in bulletin B-G5-0411084 Gas Operating Permit Requirements. Required Actions I. Any owner or operator of a wood processing facility that utilizes regulated electrical or gas equipment will take the following actions at any facility under its direction or control as soon as feasible: 1. Conduct an assessment of your wood processing facility to identify combustible dust hazardous locations in relation to regulated electrical and gas equipment located in that facility: a. This assessment shall be conducted by a professional that is qualified to identify combustible dust hazardous locations; Safety Order No: SO-ASA-2013-01 Page 1 of 3 505 SIXTH STREET, SUITE 200, NEW WESTMINSTER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA V3L 0E1 Toll Free: 1-866-566-7233 Fax: 778-396-2064 Web Site: www.safetyauthority.caa E-mail: info@ @safetyauthority.ca FRM-1128-05 (2011-10-18)
SAFETY ORDER b. The assessment shall be carried out in accordance with a recognized industry standard for combustible dust hazardous locations; and, c. The processes used in these assessments and the results of the assessments shall be documented in the records located at the wood processing facility. 2. Where combustible dust hazardous locations are identified and contain electrical or gas equipment, develop and document a plan to either: a. Employ auditable wood dust management practices for these locations that are accepted by a qualified person as an effective means to manage the combustion hazard, or b. Configure the equipment for safe operation given the presence of the combustible dust hazard. Any operation of the equipment prior to the reconfiguration must be done under wood dust management practices required in item 2a of this safety order. 3. Incorporate any identifiedd combustible dust hazardous locations and the chosen means to manage the combustion hazards into the facility s Fire Safety Plan, or where no Fire Safety Plan is required, another suitable facility document. II. Any owner or operator of a wood processing facility that utilizes regulated electrical or gas equipment that requires a permit to operate that equipment will no later than June 15 th, 2013, take the following actions at any facility under its direction or control: 4. Complete the attached Safety Order and submit it to the BC Safety Authority; 5. Apply to the BC Safety Authority for a variance to operate equipment in a hazardous location when dust management practices referred to in item 2 of this safety order are utilized to control the hazardous location; 6. Have the Fire Safety Plan or other suitable document referred to in item 3 of this safety order available at the facility for audit by the BC Safety Authority. If you have any questions regarding this safety order, please contact your local electrical safety or gas safety officer through the BC Safety Authority call centre by phone at 1.866.566.72333 or by email at info@safetyauthority.ca. Stephen Hinde, P.Eng Provincial Safety Manager Safety Order No: SO-ASA-2013-01 Page 2 of 3 505 SIXTH STREET, SUITE 200, NEW WESTMINSTER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA V3L 0E1 Toll Free: 1-866-566-7233 Fax: 778-396-2064 Web Site: www.safetyauthority.caa E-mail: info@ @safetyauthority.ca FRM-1128-05 (2011-10-18)
SAFETY ORDER References: SBC 2003, c. 39 B.C. Reg. 105/2004 B.C. Reg. 100/2004 D-E3 070801 7 B-G5-0411084 IB-xxxxxxx Safety Standards Act Safety Standards General Regulation Electrical Safety Regulation Electrical Operating Permit Requirements Gas Operating Permit Requirements Informationn bulletin under development Safety Order No: SO-ASA-2013-01 Page 3 of 3 505 SIXTH STREET, SUITE 200, NEW WESTMINSTER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA V3L 0E1 Toll Free: 1-866-566-7233 Fax: 778-396-2064 Web Site: www.safetyauthority.caa E-mail: info@ @safetyauthority.ca FRM-1128-05 (2011-10-18)
SAFETY ORDER RESPONSE FORM Safety Orderr No: SO-ASA-2013-01 The information on this form is collected to administer the provisionss of the BC Safety Standards Act, and is subject to section 26 of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. If you have any questions about the collection, use, or disclosure of this information, contact the Records, Information and Privacy Analyst for the BC Safety Authority at 1-866-566-7233. The company, or designated representative, in receipt of a safety order must fill out and submit a completed copy of this Safety Order (pages 1 & 2) to the BC Safety Authority before June 15 th, 2013 Verify that the following items have been completed as required in the above safety order: Yes No Required Action: 1. Verify that an assessment to identify combustible wood dust hazardous locations has been completed for your wood processing facility. 2. Verify that the assessment, to identify combustible wood dust hazardous locations, has been carried out by a professional who is qualified as described in the Information Bulletin (under development) 3. Verify that the process used, in the assessment to identify combustible wood dust hazardous locations, and the results of the assessment have been documented in records located at your wood processing facility. 4. Verify that you have developed auditable wood dust management practices for all combustible wood dust hazardous locations. 5. Verify that the auditable wood dust management plan has been accepted by a qualified person as an effective means to manage the hazard. 6. Verify that you have configured the equipment for safe operation given the presence of the combustible dust hazard. 7. Verify that your wood processing facility Fire Safety Plan has been updatedd to include identification of combustible dust hazardous locations and the chosen means to manage the combustion hazards in those locations. 8. Verify that you have a valid Electrical Operating permit in place for the operation and maintenance of electrical equipment located at your wood processing facility. ( Directive D- E3 070801 7 Electrical Operating Permit Requirements provides further details on requirements for electrical operating permits.) 9. If your wood processing facility requires an Electrical Operating permit and you do not currently hold an Electrical Operating permit for this facility, verify that you have completed and submitted an application for an Electrical Operating permit to the BC Safety Authority. 10. If your wood processing facility requires an Gas Operating permit and you do not currently hold an Gas Operating permit for this facility, verify that you have completed and submitted an application for an Gas Operating permit to the BC Safety Authority. Information Bulletin http://www.safetyauthority.ca/sites/default/files/b-g5-041108_4 Gas_Operating_Permits_Rqmnts_obtain_ instl_permit.pdf provides further details on requirements for Gas Operating permits. 11. Verify that you have applied for and obtained a variance to operate electrical equipment within a wood dust hazardous location. SO-ASA-2013-01 Page 1 of 3 505 SIXTH STREET, SUITE 200, NEW WESTMINSTER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA V3L 0E1 Toll Free: 1-866-566-7233 Fax: 778-396-2064 Web Site: www.safetyauthority.ca E-mail: info@safetyauthority.ca
SAFETY ORDER RESPONSE FORM Safety Orderr No: SO-ASA-2013-01 Completion Date: Month / Day / Year Operating Company Name: Wood Processing Facility Address: Company representative signifying completion of Safety Orderr requirements: (Please print name) Position Title: Signature: E-mail: Phone number: Qualified Company representative or consulting professional who conductedd the Hazardous Location assessment: (Please print name) Position Title: Signature: Email: Phone number: Valid Electricall Operating Permit Number: Valid Electricall Field Safety Representative (FSR) named on Electrical Operating Permit. Name: Valid Electricall Field Safety Representative (FSR) named on Electrical Operating Permit. Registration Number: If applicable - Valid Gas Operating Permit Number: SO-ASA-2013-01 Page 2 of 3 505 SIXTH STREET, SUITE 200, NEW WESTMINSTER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA V3L 0E1 Toll Free: 1-866-566-7233 Fax: 778-396-2064 Web Site: www.safetyauthority.ca E-mail: info@safetyauthority.ca
SAFETY ORDER RESPONSE FORM Safety Orderr No: SO-ASA-2013-01 Return this form before June 15 th, 2013 to: by mail BC Safety Authority 505 Sixth St. New Westminster, BC V3L 0E1 Attn: Safety Order Hazardous Locations by fax 778-396-2064 Attn: Safety Order - Hazardous Locations by email info@ @safetyauthority.ca Subject: Safety Order-Hazardous Locations SO-ASA-2013-01 Page 3 of 3 505 SIXTH STREET, SUITE 200, NEW WESTMINSTER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA V3L 0E1 Toll Free: 1-866-566-7233 Fax: 778-396-2064 Web Site: www.safetyauthority.ca E-mail: info@safetyauthority.ca