Safety In The News

• Since 1980, the US Chemical Safety & Hazard Investigation Board has investigated over 281 chemical fires and explosions, which have caused 119 fatalities and 718 serious injuries
• Dr. Chris Cloney, Managing Director and Lead Researcher at DustEx Research Ltd. reported in a webinar in 2019 that since 1900 at least 2000 dust explosions, 4000 injuries, and 1000 fatalities have been recorded. 
• The Safety & Chemical Engineering Education Program reports that “About 13% of the ignitions of chemical fires and explosions are due to static electricity” (Source: Marc Rothschild – Rohm and Haas)
• Static electricity was implicated as a possible ignition source in many of the 105 agricultural dust explosions that occurred between 1996 and 2005
• Static electricity is a real and present danger in many industrial processes. Only through the use of careful, preventative measures, can manufacturers guard themselves against this hidden menace.

UK Legislation Establishes Offence of Corporate Manslaughter & Corporate Homicide

July 24, 2019 Explosion at Deluxe Feeds plant in IA	July 17, 2019 Fire at ADM storage facility in IL	July 17, 2019 Fire at a chemical storage tank at Perdue Farms plant in VA
June 11, 2019 Fire, then explosion damages Minnesota grain elevator	June 7, 2019 Aluminum dust fire causes $15K in damages	May 13, 2019 Fire breaks out at Georgia-Pacific Paper Plant
May 3, 2019 Three dead after massive plant explosion in IL	March 21, 2019 Massive explosion at chemical plant in China kills 64	March 18, 2019 Powder & Bulk Solids’ Top 10 dust explosion videos
March 13, 2019 Milk powder plant in South Africa heavily damaged by fire	February 20, 2019 OSHA fines plant in Natchez, MS for combustible dust hazards	February 11, 2019 Fire crews called to plant in Entwistle, Canada
February 11, 2019 Grain silo fire in Corpus Christi, TX	January 5, 2019 Firefighter killed in Clinton, IA	January 4, 2019 Explosions rock two separate plants
January 3, 2019 Titanium Plant Explosion in Detroit, MI	December 21, 2018 Dust explosion in Memphis, TN	November 8, 2018 Fertilizer Plant Explosion in Xinle, China
February 7, 2008 Sugar Refinery Blast Port Wentworth, GA	January 13, 2008 Sulfur Explosion Kunming, China	October 30, 2007 Solvent Explosion & Fire Des Moines, IA

Critical Safety Alert from OSHA

The U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) has issued a critical safety alert notification to all companies that may be at risk from explosion of combustible dusts. The letter, available for download below, was sent by OSHA to one of Texene’s customers as part of the U.S. Government’s effort to immediately alert companies to the hazards created by combustible dusts and uncontrolled ignition sources such as static electricity. An OSHA fact sheet is also available for download.