The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration recently released an update in the form of a fact sheet for combustible dust explosion hazards. The fact sheet, which is titled "Protecting Workers from Combustible Dust Explosion Hazards" recommends actions to take for preventing dust buildup, outlines employer responsibilities for dust collection and cleanup, and outlines employee and worker rights. The two-page fact sheet can be found on Osha.gov here.

What It Means for You
OSHA's new combustible dust hazard sheet is designed to help you make the right decisions for dust collection, employee training, and containing dust as it is created. The fact sheet does not introduce any new regulations, but does provide information that you should brush up on. It also outlines the correct steps to take to ensure that the workplace is safe from combustible dust, that employees are aware of hazards, and that you have taken all necessary precautions according to OSHA guidelines. 

OSHA highlights that some dusts are combustible and some are not. If you are in agriculture, metalworking, woodworking, plastic production, or some other industries, you may have combustible dust. If you aren't sure, you should consider a combustible dust hazards analysis (DHA) which can help you to understand and mitigate the combustible dust risks in your workplace. It is your responsibility as an employer to determine if dusts in your workplace are combustible, and to take steps to mitigate risks. It is also your responsibility to keep employees as safe and as informed as possible. 

The fact sheet suggests that you "Capture, Contain, and Clean" to control combustible dust. 

Capture – Use a properly designed, installed, and maintained dust collection system to capture dust as it is produced, before it escapes into the workplace. This is one of the most efficient methods of combustible dust collection, because it protects the surrounding areas, and keeps combustible dust well away from sources of fire. You need a well installed combustible dust collection system, which you may already have. If it has been some time since your last system upgrade, you may want a system review and analysis to ensure that performance and safety recommendations are met. 

Contain – Use equipment, systems, and rooms that are built to contain combustible dust. If you aren't sure if your rooms are built to safely contain combustible dust, you should have them inspected. This can also help you to ascertain whether your existing precautions meet current OSHA and insurance standards. 

Clean – Cleaning combustible dust is important for minimizing risks, especially in areas where it is difficult or impossible to capture all dust. This means using dust collection equipment that can safely clean in work areas, concealed spaces, and overhead spaces where dust might be allowed to collect. Creating a regular housekeeping program to control combustible dusts not captured by your dust collection system ensures that you maintain maximum safety in your workspace. 

Combustible Dust Management
The fact sheet also lists the responsibilities of a workplace to employees in an area with combustible dust. These include information and training, risk mitigation, a safe workplace, and the ability to file a complaint to OSHA if the premises do not meet standards. 
To read more about combustible dust collection standards, read our previous blog post here.