A manufacturer of wood pellets for the home heating market was cited by U.S. OSHA for workplace violations following an August 2009 combustible dust explosion at the company’s plant in Strong, Maine. U.S. OSHA proposed a $27,000 fine for an alleged six serious violations at the facility.
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Download NowOSHA says its inspection found that the plant’s employees were exposed to potential dust explosions and fires stemming from deficiencies in the construction, design, or location of the plant’s wood pellet processing system, the use of an unapproved spark-producing shop vacuum in a Class II, Division 2, location, and not training employees on specific work procedures to protect themselves from the explosive properties of wood dust.
Combustible dusts, including wood dust, are fine particles that present a potentially catastrophic explosion hazard when suspended in the air in certain conditions. Since 1980, more than 130 workers have been killed and 780 injured in combustible dust explosions in a variety of industries across the nation. OSHA is working to develop a combustible dust standard.
Absent a specific combustible dust standard, OSHA has been relying on its General Duty Clause (Section 5(a)(1) of the OSH Act) to enforce combustible dust hazards. The General Duty Clause requires employers to “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 to his employees.”