Combustible Dust

摘要

In late July, ASSE submitted a statement for the record to the Senate Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety, which was holding a hearing on combustible dust-primarily focused on OSHA's efforts to address this long-recognized workplace hazard. Congressional interest was piqued this year following an explosion at the Imperial Sugar refinery in Port Went-worth, GA, that killed 13 workers and injured 40. An edited version of ASSE's comment is printed here. On behalf of its 32,000 member SH&E professionals, ASSE commends Congress for its efforts to address the occupational risks posed by combustible dust. On jobsites in various industries across the country, our members work with their employers to manage hazards associated with combustible dust from the wide variety of sources [from which] it is derived. Based on this frontline experience and training, ASSE urges caution in moving ahead to address this issue legislatively without developing a deeper understanding of current OSHA standards, their enforcement by OSHA and state occupational safety and health plans, and the approach taken to manage combustible dust risks through national consensus standards. The risks posed by combustible dust to workers, employer property and communities are significant. The 2006 study by the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) identified 281 dust fires and explosions that occurred at U.S. businesses between 1980 and 2005-not including primary grain handling or underground coal dust explosions.