News Article: Charges Considered In Grain Elevator Blast

It seems that we are seeing and reading about combustible dust explosions weekly and even daily at times.  A recent article by Mike McGraw with the Kansas City Star revisited the deadly Bartlett Grain Elevator explosion of 2011 that killed four workers and two inspectors at the Atchison facility.    Federal prosecutors are now considering criminal charges against the grain operation owners.

This does not guarantee that criminal case will be filed.  Criminal charges in most workplace deaths are rare.   Many safety advocates contend that charges may avoid future deaths.  William Kauffman, a retired University of Michigan professor and aerospace engineer who has investigated grain elevator explosions for OSHA states “Criminal charges in these cases do change behavior.”  

Although Kansas is one of the leading states in grain elevator deaths, federal officials are not aware of such charges being brought before.  A statement released by the company reads  “Bartlett Grain has done everything in its power to learn the truth about this accident and we look forward to proving that the OSHA allegations are untrue and unfounded.”  According to research at Kansas State University, Kansas ranks third in the nation in grain dust explosions, with 64 since 1958.  Grain dust can be six times as explosive as black powder, often being ignited by overheated motors, misaligned conveyor belts, sparks or overheated bearings.   In 1987 OSHA revamped its regulations by reducing the amount of explosive grain dust in the elevators and by eliminating ignition points.  

OSHA can refer a matter to the local U.S. attorney for criminal prosecution, but the final decision to prosecute is up to U.S. attorney.  If federal prosecutors decide to take a criminal case and prove an employer “willfully” violated a safety standard that resulted in a worker’s death, the company can be fined up to $500,000.  The top company officials can also be sentenced up to six months in prison as a federal misdemeanor.

For more information click the links below.

To read the full article with video "Charges Considered In Grain Elevator Blast" 
Combustible dust testing information "Understanding Your Dust" 
OSHA "Prevention of Future Elevator Explosions"

Article: Recirculating Air From Dust Collectors

When deciding on a dust collection system, one of the top concerns is recirculating the return air from a dust collector back into the facility.  An article by dust collection expert Lee Morgan will give you information needed to make the right decision that is best for your application.  The article  "Recirculating Air From Dust Collectors" explores the benefits, safety issues, media, filter monitoring, fire safety and explosions, as well as the recirculation process.

By containing the air totally inside a building, the plant engineer deals with OSHA instead of the EPA  who has strict environmental standards, permit appllications, testing and regulatory paperwork.  When a dust collector is designed to recirculate heated or cooled air back through the plant, the cost to replace that conditioned air is eliminated which can lead to higher energy savings. Dust collecting systems for welding shops with high ceilings can often improve the efficiency of a heating system by taking hot air off the ceiling and delivering it at ground level where employees are working.  

Another critical concern is to ensure that the dust collection system is adequately removed dust to protect the workers' health.   OSHA has set an indoor limit of 5 mg of nonspecific or nuisance dust (< 10 microns in size) per cubic meter of air. Toxic dusts, such as silica, carry an indoor limit of only 0.05 mg per cubic meter - 100 times stricter than the allowable threshold for nuisance dust. A crucial concern with any recirculating dust collector is to ensure the system has adequately removed the dust to protect workers' health.  Meeting OSHA standards and following guidelines published by the American Conference of Governmenlal Industrial Hygienists (ACGlH) can ensure regulatory compliance.

Dust testing is strongly recommended, especially when toxic dusts are involved. A qualified test laboratory can perform a series of bench tests on a representative dust sample to determine its characteristics - which can influence collector design.  Selecting the right filter media is critical to meeting emission requirements.  With a wide variety of filter media available.  It is critical to have the correct media for the application.

To prevent contamination from filters rupturing and releasing dust back inside the plant, the use of a safety monitoring system is recommended.  The systems typically include a side-access housing, prefilter, and high efficiency ASHRAE filter, which form a backup system to keep emissions at acceptable levels in the event of a dust collector failure.

When the captured dust is explosive or flammable, special safety concerns must be addressed.  Some combustible dust can prevent recirculating air back into a facility.  Others can be recirculated inside as long as adequate safety precautions are followed.  Explosions and fire are a big concern.  Collectors requiring explosion vents should be located outside and vent away from buildings and populated areas.

You can explore more detailed information regarding this article by following the links  below.

Full article:  Recirculating Air From Dust Collectors
OSHA website
EPA website
American Conference of Governmenlal Industrial Hygienists (ACGlH)

Article: When the Dust Settles

A recent article published in Plant Services Magazine by Editor in Chief, Mike Bacidore, explores in detail the effects of deadly combustible dust in the work place.  Besides being a major safety concern it can by a health hazard as well as make plant housekeeping difficult .  Maintaining breathable air can improve your product quality with the use of proper dust collection, ventilation and filtration.  The some of the dust collection industries best experts are interviewed and give informative answers that can assist you with keeping your facility safe and clean from combustible dust.

“Dust impacts people, who are forced to breathe unhealthy air,” says Charles Dix, engineer and co-owner, Carolina Hydro Technologies in Providence, North Carolina.  “Also, dust collects in motors, and a lot of electrical cabinets are not airtight.  It can have an effect on product quality and the general housekeeping quality of a plant.”

Airborne contaminants occur in gaseous form or as aerosols, explains Ivan D. Ivanov, MD, PhD, team leader, occupational health, Department of Public Health and Environment, World Health Organization (WHO, www.who.int) in Geneva, Switzerland. “In scientific terminology, an aerosol is defined as a system of particles suspended in a gaseous medium, usually air, in the context of occupational hygiene,” he says. “Aerosols may exist in the form of airborne dusts, sprays, mists, smokes and fumes. In the occupational setting, all these forms may be important because they relate to a wide range of occupational diseases. Airborne dusts are of particular concern because they are well known to be associated with classical widespread occupational lung diseases, as well as with systemic intoxications such as lead poisoning, especially at higher levels of exposure.”

“Excessive dust is a potential health hazard to employees in the plant,” explains Tomm Frungillo, vice president of focus markets & Latin America sales at Camfil Air Pollution Control. “There are countless documented cases of workers who are healthier and more productive when the indoor air is clean of dust and fumes, with reductions experienced in a wide range of symptoms from headaches and nasal congestion to more serious and chronic upper respiratory problems.”

To read the full article and get your free subscription visit plantservices.com.
Carolina Hydro Technologies in Providence, North Carolina information link.
Click to learn more about the World Health Organization.
Camfil Air Pollution Control website link.