Is Enough Done To Stop Explosive Dust?

Sugar Plant Blast In February That Killed 13 Is The Latest Preventable Tragedy

(CBS)  You might not think of sugar, corn, or metal as materials that can cause a catastrophic explosion in a factory, but when they're ground into dust-and suspended in the air-all it takes is a small spark to set off a major disaster. As correspondent Scott Pelley reports, devastating dust explosions at American factories are more common now than ever.

Since 1980, there have been at least 350 such explosions in the U.S., killing 133 people and injuring hundreds more. There are at least 30,000 factories in the nation vulnerable to dust explosions, and yet, some top federal safety officials tell 60 Minutes the government agency whose job it is to protect workers is ignoring a tried-and-true way to prevent those explosions.

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On the night of Oct, 29, 2003, the Hayes Lemmerz factory in Huntington, Ind., exploded in a ball of fire. The plant made wheels for cars, and federal investigators said aluminum dust had piled up and detonated.

Thirty-three-year-old Shawn Boone was a mechanic at the plant. His sister, Tammy Miser, got a call with word that her brother was seriously injured. "Shawn and a couple of his co-workers were in the furnace room. And there was an explosion. And then there was a second more intense blast," she remembers.

Asked what happened to him, Tammy tells Pelley, "He laid on the building floor. And the aluminum dust actually continued to burn through his flesh."

Tammy says her brother had third and fourth-degree burns on 92 to 100 percent of his body. She says the doctors said there wasn't any hope. "That his internal organs were burned beyond repair. They wouldn't even bandage him. They said that the only solution we had was to take him off of life support."

Shawn Boone was one of 15 people killed in dust explosions that year. It was a turning point for Carolyn Merritt, who was then the head of the Chemical Safety Board, the federal government's own experts who find the cause of the nation's worst industrial disasters.

Merritt ordered the most comprehensive investigation ever done on dust explosions. Her conclusion: hundreds of industries create huge amounts of lethal dust and aren't even aware of the risk. "If this material were gasoline, there would be no doubt in any owner's or operator's mind what needed to be done," Merritt tells Pelley.

Asked if that would be an emergency, Merritt says, "Absolutely."

"Is dust, functionally, the same thing?" Pelley asks.

"It has the same power if a dust explosion occurs," Merritt explains.

"Can you just explain to me how it is that the dust is explosive, I mean, what’s going on here?" Pelley asks,

"Okay, if you take an ear of corn, you're not gonna be able to light it with a match. But if you grind that into a powder, the smaller the particle size, the more explosive it is. Metal dust. People don't think metal can burn. But you turn it into a fine powder, and you have a very explosive and flammable material," she explains.

Even a thin layer of dust, once airborne, can be ignited by the smallest spark-a machine being plugged in or a forklift scraping the ground.

One explosion, also in 2003, at West Pharmaceutical Industries in Kinston, N.C., showed just how insidious the problem can be. Because it was a drug company, the factory floor was immaculate. But plastic dust was hidden above the workers' heads.

"We know that as much as two inches of dust had accumulated in the ceiling, probably about a ton of material. That makes for a powerful explosion," Merritt says.

Hours after the blast employees were still trapped inside; seven died and scores were injured. Merritt's investigation concluded that OSHA-the government agency created to safeguard workplaces-had no effective regulation on its books to deal with explosive dust. And she found that OSHA inspectors routinely overlooked the hazard.

Merritt tells Pelley OSHA had been at that worksite before the explosion and that they didn't find any dust issues.

[downsteamjim]

I bet we could trade this dust to muslims for oil.

[cyberus-2009]

133 people in ** 28 years ** ....

... how many people died last *year* due to medical error?

100000?

Whats wrong with this picture that this is NEWS!

More like another "LOOK OVER THERE" distraction inquiry

[rf35]

As this is the first time I''ve heard about this in the news, I''d say the answer to the title question is "Yes!"

If an employee notices dust building up, he should halt the process responsible, notify his superiors, and then just wait for the dust to settle.

Most factory dust issues can be solved with a hole and a large fan. Do we really need to legislate this?

[zim573]

rf35 Tell that to the families who lost someone in the Imperial Sugar plant (they also had to have a plant shut down in LA because of the same issue) there were many articles written%u2026also there have been multiple articles about combustible dust since 2003. This is not just a dusty factory starting a fan in a room filled with sugar dust would be a fatal mistake, one spark would cause sugar (and many other products/bi products) to ignite shake the dust up further and cause a mega explosion. We would not need legislation if OSHA would do it%u2019s job but since they will not, yes we do need someone to step in. I feel it is a good cause and it will keep other families from dying a agonizing death or worse life there after. If someone would have stepped up to the plate sooner my brother may still be here. Instead he was left on a floor smoldering, while his flesh and muscle tissue continued to burn even after the fire was out. He lost his eyes and was still conscious and asking for help. His limbs were burned to the bone and his organs were burned. What if this were someone you loved? Would you set back and allow it to continue? I suppose there are those who are miserable enough in life that is does not matter or those who have money at stake but for the most part I feel people have a heart and do care if people are dying just trying to provide for a family or if a child is killed trying to save for a car. Yes we need regulations and if it takes legislation then it does.

[zim573]

Cyberus The problem is we loose 6,000 people a (not including the 60,000 who die from occupational diseases and illnesses) year and dust is just one factor. I am sure that your 100000 (figure?) is not due to one type of error. Meaning it has multiple issues to tackle and if you feel it should be addressed maybe you should work on it and not waist your time trying to beat down a good thing. As far as you wonderful little quote, %u201CWhats wrong with this picture that this is NEWS! More like another "LOOK OVER THERE" distraction inquiry%u201D If you feel you can do better than do so until then leave it up to the experts! That means the ones getting paid because there word has validity.

[stewballs1]

60 minutes VOID OF TALENT. the DUST problem is an insurance problem... you don''t NEED THE GOVERNMENT.
if the company doesn''t follow the standards the insurance is not available.. believe me.. the dust problem will be gone in one day.

[pm76227]

I watched the episode on dust explosions. I could not believe the reporter on TV trying to put it on OSHA...blaming them...another example of the United States blaming everyone but the people who run the business. Same with the lawmakers. It is the employers responsibility. Not OSHA. Osha is to make sure they are complying. Thats is blame everyone else....that is what this country loves to do .....plac ethe blame on everyone except the ones responsible. Idiots

[whatever8888]

Everyone knows that men do NOT see dust (of any kind)
(anywhere). Get some women inspectors. Problem solved!!

[agentkanis]

let me get this right...they have created another "crisis" you fall for it and now we need more governement...yeah!!! So, the manufactors that make the products that you consume everyday are intentionally risking their million dollar investments to save a dollar? I doubt it. But, wait!!! When they shut down your going to yip that we have a lack of product X or it costs to much the governement should do something...and the cycle will continue. then you wonder why everything costs so much. Get a clue...LESS MEDIA CONTROL AND LESS GOVERMENT will drive prices down. And you get product X at a price you can afford. How about not telling the people that died, but the people that are gainfully employeed feeding their families that we are sorry but we have to let you go because we have to shut down, because the media is looking for another stupid crisis to manage!!! Now tell their kids sorry no dinner for you.

[frankbowers]

A sin that a major news here N Am. can say that OSHA isn''t trained as a inspector of dust.N the ''99 explosion he inspected he didn''t have the knowledge.*** bell I had no training&would&have known this problem,my dad nearly lost his life in the T C Exp in''47I was a child&that is the thing that stands out in my mind
supposed experts are being paid not to know.They the inspectors could care less its inspectors know that neither will not be there Ncase of an explosion.
MY?WHY DO U SET THEIRnYOUR OVERSTUFFED CHAIR W/this MAN&SAY THEYrCOMPLEX.This is just a lie&u set there & say nothing whydon''t you tell them they have to be either in a dark hole&r just lying yes it is the gw bush admin. that does not care as he is paid well not 2B worried after all that sob will not be there that is a shame.i mean it is a shame gw is not. gw idea of protecting the big business btm line.
This whole story pissed me off I will not be watching much of yfour progams any more as you aid the admin. in spreading liesI want U 2know I am a republican & plan to vote on McCain.
You even stated it is gw bush''s way of helping the big busines&going to veto the pending bill,tell THE *** DEMOCRATS SEND THE *** THE SAME BILL UNTIL HE DOESn''t IF IT HAS TO BE A DIFFERENT BILL JUST CHANGE THE ***#UNTIL HE EITHERS DIES,LEAVES OFFICE BUTnTHE MEAN TIME CONGRESS CAN SHUT DOWN BUSINESS IF THEY REALLY WANT2JUST CLAIM THEY ARE TERRORIST MAKING bombs&KILING AMERICAN WORKERS.512 8267019FrankBowers

[frankbowers]

rf 35
are you that stupid R,
R U just dumb,
is some one talking to you and asking you to write such.
Frank

[staceyann5]

Are plant reuses dust, we sift it by hand so it is very fine and we use it to make patch for are molds then we sand that down and paint over that. Is there danger in storing dust in buckets?

[franssusan]

I want an answer to this question, CBS: Why did Scott Pelly not interview anyone from any of the factories that burned? The OSHA representative clearly stated that the factories did not comply with housekeeping guidelines already in place that would have prevented the fires, if the factories had followed the OSHA directives. Why was no one at either factory not asked ''why didn''t you remove the dust?'' That''s the question to ask the manufacturing companies, not the government. The government is not supposed to take care of every little item in our lives. We must be responsible for ourselves. I want to know why the officers at the manufacturing companies were negligent! This is a poor example of investigative reporting/journalism! CBS, what is your excuse for this?

[maiingan]

Special training? All OSHA has to do is deploy an army of people who are persnickety about housekeeping. They can detect any dust with a graceful stroke of a white-gloved fingertip, and order the plant to "Clean this place up!"

[jamestowncbs]

CBS Keep with this story, do follows up
your right and good job CBS for taking a step above the other networks.

[diamondhd]

I worked in a coal-fired power plant in Montana for 20+ years. I fixed small coal leaks and wrote maintenance requests to fix large coal leaks. This leaks/coal dust/ran from 0 to 10 of importance in the eyes of maintenance supervisors. I was taught as an operator that any leak should be of high importance and fixed--especially when dust is a factor. Explosions can happen with any substance of dust. OSHA needs to address this problem upon tours of a facility, but also place critical importance on the plant forces to repair any problems that encompass leaks. This goes for any manufacturing facility, whether it be electricity or sugar processing. Ultimately the burden should be on the owners of the company and the supervisors down to the work force. We all have to pay attention and make sure someone listens to fix these occurrences.

[diamondhd]

OSHA requires that employees are provided a safe work environment. Safety is in all of our hands at any given moment as well. If factory owners, supervisors or leaders ignor unsafe work practices and situations they are should be held accountable. It is their job to make sure their workers go home safe and sound every day. It is not OSHA that should be monitoring these plants, but the bosses, owners and work force. Without training on dust explosions etc. no one would every know problems that lie in wait.

[kr168146]

My 8th or 9th grade science teacher (this would have been 1957 or ''58) demonstrated a dust explosion in the class (using Lycopodium powder, the favorite of magicians of the time, for producing impressive flashes), and then discussed the risk and power of dust explosions and cited a dust explosion that had recently been in the news. He reviewed the precautions that must be taken in specific industries and the effectiveness of such precautions, in preventing dust explosions. This was not a technical high school, but a small school in rural/suburban NJ.

Amazing, that after that one science class in ''57 or ''58, I and my fellow students were more aware of dust explosions, their significance and their prevention, than did OSHA and its inspectors a half-century later.

dk

[kr168146]

My 8th or 9th grade science teacher (this would have been 1957 or ''58) demonstrated a dust explosion in the class (using Lycopodium powder, the favorite of magicians of the time, for producing impressive flashes), and then discussed the risk and power of dust explosions and cited a dust explosion that had recently been in the news. He reviewed the precautions that must be taken in specific industries and the effectiveness of such precautions, in preventing dust explosions. This was not a technical high school, but a small school in rural/suburban NJ.

Amazing, that after that one science class in ''57 or ''58, I and my fellow students were more aware of dust explosions, their significance and their prevention, than was OSHA and its inspectors a half-century later.

dk

[kr168146]

My 8th or 9th grade science teacher (this would have been 1957 or ''58) demonstrated a dust explosion in the class (using Lycopodium powder, the favorite of magicians of the time, for producing impressive flashes), and then discussed the risk and power of dust explosions and cited a dust explosion that had recently been in the news. He reviewed the precautions that must be taken in specific industries and the effectiveness of such precautions, in preventing dust explosions. This was not a technical high school, but a small school in rural/suburban NJ.

Amazing, that after that one science class in ''57 or ''58, I and my fellow students were more aware of dust explosions, their significance and their prevention, than was OSHA and its inspectors a half-century later.

dk

[kr168146]

My 8th or 9th grade science teacher (this would have been 1957 or ''58) demonstrated a dust explosion in the class (using Lycopodium powder, the favorite of magicians of the time, for producing impressive flashes), and then discussed the risk and power of dust explosions and cited a dust explosion that had recently been in the news. He reviewed the precautions that must be taken in specific industries and the effectiveness of such precautions, in preventing dust explosions. This was not a technical high school, but a small school in rural/suburban NJ.

Amazing, that after that one science class in ''57 or ''58, I and my fellow students were more aware of dust explosions, their significance and their prevention, than was OSHA and its inspectors a half-century later.

dk

[roramius]

How come on the story about explosive dust nobody blamed the owners of the plants that exploded??

Why does it always fall to the government?
To be fair you should have looked at the whole story.
Business owners are or should be experts in their field. It is up to them to keep a safe and clean workspace.
Unfortunately in todays society it is easier for the media and victims to blame the government.

This was just another hit piece against the Bush administration.
Bring back real reporting, or call yourself a tabloid.
Not a news source.

[bruha00]

My heart goes out to the families and victims of these terrible explosions. My question is, "Why are the owners/managers/supervisors not taking sole blame for these disasters?" They are in those positions because they should know the MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheets) of the whole company''s materials and they should be responsible for the employees training. "When are we going to start taking responsibility for our own actions?"

[mjmbluford-2009]

I am employed at a factory that fabricates numerous parts for our customers from fiberglass roll stock. As part of the, this causes numerous dust particles that float throughout the plant and eventually land on the machinery and also the plant floor. This dust is so thick, and when I say thick, I mean at least a 1/4", that you can read someones shoe print without a problem to say the least. Would this dust be in the same catagory? Anybody

[zim573]

bruha00
In 2006 that was one of the request that the CSB had made. This issues were not stated on the MSDS sheets in a broken down form. meaning if the dust is a bi product it was not required and the dust is mostly a bi product.

mjmbluford
To be honest I am not sure however there are ways to find out...contact someone from the COSH network http://www.usmwf.org/resources/cosh.htm or even call OSHA in your area. There is also a way to do so anonymously through my safe workplace http://www.mysafeworkplace.com/. Also I would be more than happy to find out the information if you would like to contact me. You will find my info on USMWF

There have been many asking why the companies are not to blame...the companies are to blame but the only way to get some and I am not saying all companies to do so is with regulations. This is OSHA''s job they were created to keep workers safe and healthful from recognized hazards and if they do not recognize the hazard they don''t have to deal with it.

roramius

It should not fall on the government, I agree but there has to be something in place to oversee and cross reference if it is going keep from being corrupt in any form. We really should need the court system. In a perfect world no one would kill or steal but they do and we need protection when it does happen.

[Hansharriet]

Watching your presentation of the dust explosions, I found that your presentation blamed OSHA wrongly for not being effective in its investigations and in taking preventative action. In my opinion, the owners of th facilities where the explosions occur were responsible for not having safety inspections and employees should have blown the whistle, if and when they had been aware of these safety violations.

It is always easy to blame the government for tragic occurrences, but OSHA is always verbally yattacked by manufacturers for not giving exercising too much control over them. They lobby against increasing the OSHA budget. It seems that the present Administration wants to reduce the power OSHA has and reduce their number of inspections.
OSHA, in my opinion, should get increased money and manpower budget to be able to better protect the employees and us citizens.

[losted-2009]

I just watched your story about the dust explosions and I thought why not use that dust for fuel? With 30,000 factories in the US that produce dust, someone could use huge vacuums to collect it and then use it for fuel. It would be a great solution to multiple problems.

[republic1776]

Save us Uncle Sam!
Make new laws and large oversights.
Provide a means of kickbacks to the politicians.
---------------------------
Then the problem will never go away.


More people die in auto accidents.
Let the Factories address it.

[jsnbase]

It doesn''t matter what the dust is, it''s almost entirely related to the surface area of the particles. You can demonstrate this to yourself with a butane lighter and a bottle of standard talcum baby powder. Although I guess you probably shouldn''t....

As for whether or not government should get involved, I can''t see a single legitimate reason why they shouldn''t, only Internet-Standard Knee-Jerk Libertarianism(TM).

We are an overly legislated society, sure, but without regulations on things like this, there''s no incentive to improve. Hence the statistics stated in the article.

[lw837821]

The bottom line is that OSHA needs to and should upgrade their standards on dust control. Most importantly, companies need to be more responsible, forceful and liable in carrying out those standards. If not, Well, as your insurance carrier, we wont supply until you have met these standards. My heart goes out to all families who have been affected and have lost a loved one in a dust explosion.

[sistatee-2009]

Oh NO! Not the dreaded, CORN DUST BOMB!!!!

[pete_in_az]

people only do what they are inspected to do. Unfortunately OSHA is like a traffic cop - I speed all the time but haven''t (knock on wood) gotten a ticket in years. But if I was in an accident I guarantee the traffic cop would give me a citation on the spot. If you are relying on the government to keep you safe you haven''t been paying attention. Don''t blame it on the Bush administration (yes i''m a liberal thank you) blame it on the people who run the place period. Its not rocket science, its not a new discovery, its so common of a hazard it makes me angry to see it portrayed otherwise.

[samrensho]

I think the Whitehouse should immediately declare a war on dust and set up a cabinet level post of Director of Dust Security. Take the millions of illegal aliens, give them dust rags and send them out across the nation to combat this new enemy of freedom and democracy.

[oneworldusa]

I lost a family member in an incident such as this. One of the 133.

[andy01013]

It is clear to me that the corporation with the bigge$t lobby will dictate OSHA policy. Perhaps the best route to pursue would not be through the government but rather through the insurance industry. We all know how the insurance industry can often dictate public policy such as seat-belt laws. In the case of dust explosions, I can only imagine the billions they must have paid out in accidental death benefits, disability benefits, workman''s compensation, property damage and civil lawsuits. Maybe if they had their eyes opened as to how profitable it would be for them to force these rules as a condition for insurability, then things might change.

[figanootz]

It is ridiculous to blame the government for this problem. The fault rest squarely on the companies involved. They know what is right and what is wrong yet the choose to do wrong because it cost money to clean up the dust. When are people going to learn the government will never be able to protect you. You have to look out for yourself.

[figanootz]

It is ridiculous to blame the government for this problem. The fault rest squarely on the companies involved. They know what is right and what is wrong yet the choose to do wrong because it cost money to clean up the dust. When are people going to learn the government will never be able to protect you. You have to look out for yourself.

[figanootz]

It is ridiculous to blame the government for this problem. The fault rest squarely on the companies involved. They know what is right and what is wrong yet the choose to do wrong because it cost money to clean up the dust. When are people going to learn the government will never be able to protect you. You have to look out for yourself.

[cockapoo8]

Ventilation. Ventilation is the key factor in dust removal. The higher the cfm, the better.

[cockapoo8]

There''s even an economic incentive to remove dust. At least underground there is. Water attracts dust like a magnet, until it gets heavy and drops down to the gutter, where it flows to get extracted. So they use what they call "atomizers". Just water shot out a tiny nozzle at high pressure to create this mist.

[bobwhiterwi]

refuse to take the risk of dust explosions seriously. Many manufacturers will not spend the money on this equipment until forced to do so by either a government agency or their insurance company. Safety standards have been developed by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) but so far they are only RECOMMENDATIONS. This is where the government could help. These recommendations need to be added to the building code as REQUIREMENTS. This would put teeth into the law that is needed to motivate the manufacturers who are willing to overlook safety to save a buck.

[bobwhiterwi]

refuse to take the risk of dust explosions seriously. Many manufacturers will not spend the money on this equipment until forced to do so by either a government agency or their insurance company. Safety standards have been developed by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) but so far they are only RECOMMENDATIONS. This is where the government could help. These recommendations need to be added to the building code as REQUIREMENTS. This would put teeth into the law that is needed to motivate the manufacturers who are willing to overlook safety to save a buck.

[uropinesuks]

minor issue; Carolyn Merritt states "...the smaller the particle size, the more explosive it is." Actually, the smaller the more combustible it is. The more saturated an environment is with dust , the more explosive it is.

I can not understand why Scott Pelley would not pose the question, either to the retired inspector or the head of OSHA, why no comments are made on inspections as to the saturation of dust?

It seems obvious to any intelligent being that Bush''s laissez faire government is woefully inadequate as to regulatory affairs. The head of OSHA is the epitome of ''hands-off'' appointments. However, requiring industry to do more does not always translate in higher prices for the consumer. We pay it in higher insurance rates to keep that industry solvent when factories are exploding everywhere.

Stop applying taxes to corporate profit, but rather to corporate revenues (incomes). The former is economically inefficient and the latter is societally responsive.

[uropinesuks]

minor issue; Carolyn Merritt states "...the smaller the particle size, the more explosive it is." Actually, the smaller the more combustible it is. The more saturated an environment is with dust , the more explosive it is.

I can not understand why Scott Pelley would not pose the question, either to the retired inspector or the head of OSHA, why no comments are made on inspections as to the saturation of dust?

It seems obvious to any intelligent being that Bush''s laissez faire government is woefully inadequate as to regulatory affairs. The head of OSHA is the epitome of ''hands-off'' appointments. However, requiring industry to do more does not always translate in higher prices for the consumer. We pay it in higher insurance rates to keep that industry solvent when factories are exploding everywhere.

Stop applying taxes to corporate profit, but rather to corporate revenues (incomes). The former is economically inefficient and the latter is societally responsive.

[rf35]

...without regulations on things like this, there''s no incentive to improve...
Posted by jsnbase at 12:07 AM : Jun 09, 2008

If a multi-million dollar factory is not incentive enough to keep dust down, I don''t see how a law will be expected motivate these businesses. I would hypothesize that the companies are unaware, at corporate level, that there are problems. The supervisors and managers on the floor are the failure point here. I would also expect, based on places I have worked, that appropriate safety regulations from the HQ are written. Whether or not they are followed is another first-line supervision issue.

CBS is falling once again to the standard of tabloid reporting. I doubt more than 30 minutes of solid research went into this story. As a member of a more responsible media outlet, I know when something is cobbled together as a quick filler. Not sure how this even made it to the Internet in this condition. I guess they are obligated to post everything from the TV whether it%u2019s good, bad, or ugly.

USMWF, I am truly sorry for your loss, but don%u2019t blame the government or expect them to legislate for a problem that is, in harsh reality, relatively tiny. Your need to lash out indicates more therapy is called for. As many others have stated, the insurance industry is in the best position to force changes. They could pressure for better upper-management oversight to ensure dust is under control.

[dan19491]

Dust is a result of the process, it can be minized with controles, the danger never goes away.

All processes that handle grain, food, coal, or wood, have some dust generated. Even plants that manufacture shoes & dog food have some explosion potential.

All of the companies I have worked with try to do good house keeping, good equipmnet maintance & good training. In many companies, in a dust enviroment, if anyone is on a job site with even a LIGHTER in their pocket,they may be fired on the spot. Training of employees is esential. If an OSHA inspector goes to a site that makes saidd oil, Hexane gas is present. He better know whathis is or he is not a good inspector. He cannot ignore the MSDS data available,by federal law, to everone on site.

Goverment regulations will always be insuficent to overcome a poor company attitude. But good companies can ocasionally have a motor spark cause a blast, that is why good companies limit access to especially dusty areas.

[trumpetcr]

This is one of the shallowest segments I have seen 60 Minutes broadcast. If you don''t know enough about a subject to present a responsible program, don''t do it.

This is not an OSHA problem. OSHA doesn''t exist to perform research. 50 years ago the aluminum industry recognized that there was an explosion hazard involving molten aluminum and water in casting operations. The Aluminum Association initiated extensive testing to determine the causes and make recommendations to prevent explosions. That''s what is needed in every industry whose processes produce oxidizable dust.

And by the way, only oxidizable airborne dusts in certain densities have explosive potential. To all those people living along dusty roads that you scared to death last night, you should apologize.

[tigerloose-2009]

I am a building inspector for a large jurisdiction. I was assigned to a new post and on my first visit I closed a paper products factory that is state of the art and only seven months old at the time. This factory is several hundred thousand square feet and the investment must be well over $20,000,000.00. From the roof sheathing to the floor, every horizontal surface except the floor was covered with a 1/2" to 3/4" layer of fine dust. None of the electrical system is classified dust tight and virtually none of the machinery is UL listed. Obviously the government was not doing it''s job until I showed up. It is up to the building dept. to ensure that what is being built is safe and the fire dept. to ensure that it remains safe.
OSHA is a joke. We never see OSHA until after the accident. I have had no dust training since I was a child living in a farm town fifty years ago. Heck, I inspect carnivals with no training. Oddly enough my supervisor is way upset that I closed the factory. But hey, my mother loves me and right away she said please stay out of that factory and check your truck every morning for bombs.

[tigerloose-2009]

I am a building inspector for a large jurisdiction. I was assigned to a new post and on my first visit I closed a paper products factory that is state of the art and only seven months old at the time. This factory is several hundred thousand square feet and the investment must be well over $20,000,000.00. From the roof sheathing to the floor, every horizontal surface except the floor was covered with a 1/2" to 3/4" layer of fine dust. None of the electrical system is classified dust tight and virtually none of the machinery is UL listed. Obviously the government was not doing it''s job until I showed up. It is up to the building dept. to ensure that what is being built is safe and the fire dept. to ensure that it remains safe.
OSHA is a joke to us. We never see OSHA until after the accident. I have had no dust training since I was a child in the farm town of Rochelle IL. Heck, I inspect carnivals with no training. Oddly enough my supervisor is way upset that I closed the factory. But hey, my mother loves me and right away she said please stay out of that factory and check your truck every morning for bombs.

[exguru]

It is clear to me that 99.9% of the posters are clueless about explosion hazardous areas. Building codes and regulations and NFPA 70 are pretty solid and cover the basis. OSHA inspectors are not building inspectors or licensed electricians. They use guidelines developed by OSHA in Washington to perform their job. OSHA in Washington should be held responsible for the guidelines they publish.
OSHA should take full responsibility for the errors and misrepresentations of equipment suitability in OSHA 1910.178, which allows untested and uncertified equipment in explosion hazardous areas. OSHA knows that all authority having jurisdictions use this guideline to determine suitability, yet it does not appear that they ever bothered reading UL583 and UL558 to verify NFPA 505 claims of equipment suitability.
To all the authority having jurisdictions I suggest to read the equipment ID tag before allowing the use of equipment in explosion hazardous areas. If the equipment ID tag lists an explosion hazardous area, it can be used in that specific area. However, if an OEM is unwilling to list a hazardous area rating on the ID tag, than the equipment is probably not designed, build, tested and certified for this purpose.