Combustible Dust Timeline

Corbin, KY - 7 Killed, 37 Injured

On February 20, 2003, an explosion and fire damaged the CTA Acoustics manufacturing plant in Corbin, Kentucky, fatally injuring seven workers. The facility produced fiberglass insulation for the automotive industry. CSB investigators have found that the explosion was fueled by resin dust accumulated in a production area, likely ignited by flames from a malfunctioning oven. The resin involved was a phenolic binder used in producing fiberglass mats.

https://www.csb.gov/cta-acoustics-dust-explosion-and-fire/

Huntington, IN - 1 Killed, 2 Injured

On the evening of October 29, 2003, a series of explosions severely burned two workers, injured a third, and caused property damage to the Hayes Lemmerz manufacturing plant in Huntington, Indiana. One of the severely burned men subsequently died. The Hayes Lemmerz plant manufactures cast aluminum automotive wheels, and the explosions were fueled by accumulated aluminum dust, a flammable byproduct of the wheel production process.

https://www.csb.gov/hayes-lemmerz-dust-explosions-and-fire/

In 2003, the CSB launched investigations of three major industrial explosions involving combustible powders. These explosions - in North Carolina, Kentucky, and Indiana - cost 14 lives and caused numerous injuries and substantial property losses. The Board responded by launching a nationwide study to determine the scope of the problem and recommend new safety measures for facilities that handle combustible powders. The CSB’s final report and recommendations were released on November 11, 2006.

https://www.csb.gov/combustible-dust-hazard-investigation/

OSHA initiated a National Emphasis Program (NEP) to address the deflagration, other fire, and explosion hazards that may exist at facilities handling combustible dust. The purpose of the NEP was to inspect facilities that generate or handle combustible dusts which pose a deflagration or other fire hazard when suspended in air or some other oxidizing medium over a range of concentrations, regardless of particle size or shape; deflagrations can lead to explosions. Combustible dusts are often either organic or metal dusts that are finely ground into very small particles, fibers, fines, chips, chunks, flakes, or a small mixture of these.

Types of dusts include, but are not limited to: metal dust, such as aluminum and magnesium; wood dust; plastic dust; biosolids; organic dust, such as sugar, paper, soap, and dried blood; and dusts from certain textiles. Some industries that handle combustible dusts include: agriculture, chemicals, textiles, forest and furniture products, wastewater treatment, metal processing, paper products, pharmaceuticals, and recycling operations (metal, paper, and plastic).

https://www.osha.gov/enforcement/directives/cpl-03-00-006

Port Wentworth, GA - 14 Killed, 38 Injured

On February 7, 2008, a huge explosion and fire occurred at the Imperial Sugar refinery northwest of Savannah, Georgia, causing 14 deaths and injuring 38 others, including 14 with serious and life-threatening burns. The explosion was fueled by massive accumulations of combustible sugar dust throughout the packaging building.

https://www.csb.gov/imperial-sugar-company-dust-explosion-and-fire/

OSHA announced initiation of comprehensive rulemaking on combustible dust

https://www.osha.gov/news/newsreleases/national/04292009

OSHA published an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR).

https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/federalregister/2009-10-21

Stakeholder Meeting in Washington, DC

https://www.osha.gov/dsg/combustibledust/dust-meeting-summary.html

Stakeholder meeting in Atlanta, GA

https://www.osha.gov/dsg/combustibledust/dust-meeting-notes.html

Stakeholder meeting in Chicago, IL

https://www.osha.gov/dsg/combustibledust/dust-meeting-summary-report.html

Virtual stakeholder meeting

https://www.osha.gov/news/newsreleases/trade/06072010

Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act (SBREFA) panel postponed several times.

https://www.osha.gov/dcsp/smallbusiness/sbrefa.html

AL Solutions  New Cumberland, WV - 3 killed

An explosion ripped through the New Cumberland A.L. Solutions titanium plant in West Virginia on December 9, 2010, fatally injuring three workers. The workers were processing titanium powder, which is highly flammable, at the time of the explosion.

https://www.csb.gov/al-solutions-fatal-dust-explosion/

3 Explosions at Hoeganaes Corporation Gallatin, TN - 5 killed

Three combustible dust incidents over a six month period occurred at the Hoeganaes facility in Gallatin, TN, resulting in fatal injuries to five workers. The facility produces powdered iron and is located about twenty miles outside of Nashville.

https://www.csb.gov/hoeganaes-corporation-fatal-flash-fires/

OSHA convenes Expert Forum

https://www.osha.gov/dsg/combustibledust/expert_forum_summary_report.pdf

US Ink East Rutherford, NJ - 7 injured

On October 9, 2012, an operator was loading powdered Gilsonite, a combustible carbon-containing mineral, into the bag dump station near the pre-mixing room that resulted in a flash fire.  The spontaneous ignition was likely caused the initial flash fire at the bag dump and was followed by ignition of accumulated sludge-like material and powdery dust mixture of Gilsonite and carbon black in the duct work that injured seven workers.  https://www.csb.gov/us-ink-fire/

OSHA published Firefighting Precautions at Facilities with Combustible Dust*, a new, informative booklet that outlines safe procedures for emergency responders who may face fires and explosions caused by combustible dust.

https://www.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA_3644.pdf

https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/unifiedagenda/spring-2016-unified-agenda

OSHA withdrew its rulemaking proposal to create a standard for combustible dust in general industry due to resource constraints and other priorities.

https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/unifiedagenda/spring-2017-unified-agenda

Didion Milling Cambria, WI - 5 killed, 14 injured

On May 31, 2017, combustible dust explosions at the Didion Milling facility in Cambria, Wisconsin, killed five of the 19 employees working on the night of the incident. The other 14 were injured.

https://www.csb.gov/didion-milling-company-explosion-and-fire-/

As part of the CSB's investigation into the May 2017 Didion Mill explosion, the agency issued “Call to Action: Combustible Dust” to gather comments on the management and control of combustible dust from companies, regulators, inspectors, safety training providers, researchers, unions, and the workers affected by dust-related hazards.