Phoenix Industrial Dust Explosion Sends Workers to the Hospital

Oct. 15, 2012 - PRLog -- Last month, two workers were rushed to a Phoenix hospital after suffering second and third degree burns following a combustible dust fire at their place of employment.  The explosion occurred while the employees were cleaning a loft area of the business that had accumulated significant wood dust.

Combustible dust explosions happen all too often in the work environment and they can often be caused by wood dust.  Wood dust is made up of fine particles that can present an explosion hazard when they are suspended in air and come into contact with an ignition source. Wood dust hazards are a potential threat to any business that saws, cuts, drills, grinds, and sands wood materials to either prepare lumber or to use it to manufacture products.  

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) offer a list of recommendations for businesses that are at risk.  They include:
•   Implement a hazardous dust inspection, testing, housekeeping, and control program;
•   Use proper dust collection systems and filters;
•   Minimize the escape of dust from process equipment or ventilation systems;
•   Use surfaces that minimize dust accumulation and facilitate cleaning;
•   Provide access to all hidden areas to permit inspection;
•   Inspect for dust residues in open and hidden areas at regular intervals;
•   If ignition sources are present, use cleaning methods that do not generate dust clouds;
•   Use only vacuum cleaners approved for dust collection; and
•   Locate relief valves away from dust deposits.

Throughout the Southwest and West Coast, one of the leading combustible dust consulting firms is Clark Seif Clark (CSC).   “Anytime there is a sufficient quantity and concentration of any combustible material, when in a finely divided form, it can rapidly become combustible,” reported Franco Seif, President of Clark Seif Clark.  “If such dust is suspended in air in the right concentration, under certain conditions, such as in the building in Phoenix, it can become explosive.  These types of explosions are preventable. At CSC, our indoor air quality and health & safety experts offer testing and consulting services to prevent these dangerous and costly tragedies.”

CSC supports an educational video about combustible dust hazards that can be seen at:
http://youtu.be/xX0apupkO3E



To learn more about combustible dust testing services, or other indoor air quality (IAQ), industrial hygiene, and health and safety issues, please visit http://www.csceng.com, email csc@csceng.com or call (800) 807-1118.  

About Clark Seif Clark (CSC)
CSC was established in 1989 to help clients in both public and private sectors address environmental, IAQ, and health and safety (EH&S) issues.  CSC is a leading provider of these services with multiple offices along the western seaboard and southwest. The company believes in science-based protocols and has a strong background in engineering, making them the preferred environmental consultants to healthcare facilities, architects, schools, builders, contractors, developers and real estate professionals.