Resources for Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)

New OSHA Directive Stirs Dust Explosion Controversy

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Industrial dust explosion protection continues to draw attention as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) releases a new directive. In the latest directive aimed at placing emphasis on industrial dust explosions, OSHA has perhaps unwittingly stirred controversy. One of the key documents referenced in OSHA’s directive is NFPA 654 ‘Standard for the Prevention of Fire and Dust Explosions from the Manufacturing, Processing, and Handling of Combustible Particulate Solids’ 2006 Edition.

The concern is housekeeping and the amount of dust that poses a credible risk for loss. A 654 task group meeting was held last week in Tampa to grapple with this issue. Several recent industrial dust explosions have either been caused by fugitive dust or have been made far worse by the presence of dust outside of process equipment, such as on floors, trusses, I-beams, adjacent machinery, and so forth. The amount of dust that poses a significant risk is not great and the controversy surrounds the quantity, how best to measure it, and how best to control it in a cost effective manner.

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