A recent ISHN webinar highlighted the often-overlooked hazard of combustible dust, with expert Mark Hanson detailing the devastating consequences of ignoring this workplace threat.

This article describes potential sources of combustible dust and outlines best inspection practices for OSH professionals, certified industrial hygienists and certified remediators to perform the suspect combustible dust inspection.

Currently designated as NFPA 660: Standard for Combustible Dusts, the all-encompassing standard will be completed in 2024 and likely released in late 2024/early 2025.

A federal grand jury has indicted the operator and six management officials of a Cambria corn mill – where a May 31, 2017, explosion killed five workers and injured 15 others – on nine criminal counts, including two counts related to willful violations of federal workplace safety standards for grain handling.

Dust particles become airborne during indoor metalworking processes like welding and plasma cutting. They also become airborne during the manufacturing and processing of food, chemicals, pharmaceuticals and other dry products.