Wood Products Firm Fined $114K for Combustible Dust

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Industrial Dust Powder

British Columbia’s workplace regulatory body, WorkSafeBC, fined West Fraser Mills, a wood product firm that operates in both the United States and in Canada, $115,000 for having combustible dust present at several of their locations. Inspectors noticed the potentially combustible wood dust around several electrical fixtures, appliances, motors, and moving machinery parts. The flammable dust is supposed to be collected and cleaned up in the locations in which it’s produced. Places with heat and electricity become safety hazards quickly when the dust is not taken care of properly.

Key Takeaways:

  • West Fraser Mills was issued a hefty fine for letting wood dust accumulate in their warehouses.
  • Fine wood dust comes from milling different wood products and can build up in several places.
  • Fine would dust is susceptible to catching on fire and would not need much to get it started.

“British Columbia’s occupational safety regulator, WorkSafeBC, issued a CAD$150,000 (about $114,000) fine to wood products firm West Fraser Mills this November for accumulations of combustible dust in several buildings at its Quesnel, BC manufacturing site.”

Read more: https://www.powderbulksolids.com/news/Wood-Products-Firm-Fined-114K-for-Combustible-Dust-12-17-2019

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Dust Collector Fire Doused at LED Lighting Plant

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An image of an industrial facility before its dust collector caught fire

According to local media, a dust collector at the Innotec LED factory briefly caught fire at 11:30 in the morning on 7 May. Five fire trucks were dispatched to the Zeeland, Michigan manufacturing facility. All ten of the Innotec workers present at the time were able to evacuate safely, and the blaze was suppressed in under ten minutes. Innotec, a company founded in the early nineties in Hudsonville, Michigan, is a producer of LED lighting used for heavy machinery, automotive uses and other applications.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Innotec Plant experienced a fire, fortunately without loss of life, on Tuesday, the 7th of May.
  • The Zeeland Plant fire in MI, on West Washington, was reported on by the Holland Sentinel.
  • The blaze ignited around 11:30 AM, followed by the safe evacuation of about ten workers on site.

“During that incident, flames were contained to the building where the dust collector was located and no one was hurt.”

Read more: https://www.powderbulksolids.com/news/Dust-Collector-Fire-Doused-at-LED-Lighting-Plant-05-08-2019

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Texas to reduce ozone-creating emissions for Greater Houston Area

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An image of smoke bellowing out of an industrial smoke stack

Changes to Texas’ clean air plan has now been approved by the EPA. The clean air plan serves to improve the regulation of storage tanks and also give reasonable control for technology that serves to guide the regulation of emissions that go to the ozone layer. This move would help the Houston-Galveston-Brazoria area to enhance the quality of its air and to better attain the 2008 ozone standard that was set. The state of Texas is committed to improving the ozone layer and makings its air cleaner, a spokesperson for the state says, because this would help communities that are living in the state. In the 2008 ozone standard, the area under consideration was analyzed as a moderate non-attainable classification from a marginal non-attainable classification. Therefore, the EPA has now shown that is it approving Texas’ plans to regulate the emission of volatile organic compounds from storage tanks. It was determined by the EPA that this new move will work with the state’s already existing regulations on volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxide. This is important because these two compounds, volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxide, react in the presence of sunlight to produce ozone pollution at the ground level that harms the quality of the air. Next, some background on ozone pollution and air quality is analyzed.

Key Takeaways:

  • The State of Texas’ clean air plan has now been approved by the EPA and this encompasses improving the regulation of storage tanks.
  • Texas, according to the spokesperson, is showing a commitment to improving the air quality of its area for its citizens by reducing ozone emissions.
  • When there is ozone in the air that we breathe, our health is compromised and this is more dangerous for children and the elderly.

“The agency said the changes will help the Houston-Galveston-Brazoria area move toward better air quality and attainment of the 2008 ozone standard.”

Read more: https://www.ishn.com/articles/110713-texas-to-reduce-ozone-creating-emissions-for-greater-houston-area

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Welding safety precautions

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Welding Dust Collectors

There are several methods of joining metals today but the most common is welding. During welding, two metals are joined together or fused using heat, pressure, or even both techniques. This produces a final joint that could be as strong as or even stronger than the two metals from which it was produced. Some of the potential hazards in welding that the author states are harmful dust, heat, smoke, fumes, and light radiation that is injurious. The smoke produced by welding can be toxic in itself since they are gases. The heat that is generated by the welding activity can result in burns when it comes in contact with the skin some of which are eye injuries when pieces of chips that are hot come in contact with the eye. Even the light that is emitted during welding can cause damage if the eye is not protected. Added to this is the danger of one getting electrocuted during the welding activity. The NIOSH has established a hierarchy of hazard controls which has become the widely accepted industry standard for determining the feasibility and potential causes of injuries and hazards during a welding operation. The five levels of the hierarchy are next discussed in the blog.

Key Takeaways:

  • Welders are at a high risk of eye injures from the hot slag and metal chips.
  • Wearing a welding helmet with filter plates will help protect you from rays and weld sparks.
  • Adequate ventilation is crucial to keep welders from inhaling too many airborne contaminants.

“Impact, penetration, harmful dust, smoke, fumes, heat and injurious light radiation are all potential hazards associated with welding. Welding “smoke” is a mixture of very fine particles (fumes) and gases.”

Read more: https://www.ishn.com/articles/110590-welding-safety-precautions

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