Safety in News


US Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board

  • UK Legislation Establishes Offence of Corporate Manslaughter & Corporate Homicide
  • 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
  • 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.

October 30, 2007
Static Electricity Chemical Industry Accident: Solvent Explosion & Fire
Solvent Explosion & Fire
Des Moines, IA

January 13, 2008
Static Electricity Accident: Sugar Refinery Explosion and Fire
Sulfur Explosion
Kunming, China

February 7, 2008
Static Electricity Chemical Industry Accident: Sulfur (Sulphur) Explosion and Fire
Sugar Refinery Blast
Port Wentworth, GA

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.

OSHA
Critical Safety Alert Notification

OSHA
Fact
Sheet

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ARTICLES ON ELECTROSTATICS

STATIC HAZARDS USING FLEXIBLE INTERMEDIATE BULK CONTAINERS FOR POWDER HANDLING
In the early 1990's, Dr Laurence G. Britton, a highly respected process safety engineer with Union Carbide Corp. (later Dow Corp.), conducted a study of fire and explosion incidents that occurred when FIBC were ...

DANGERS OF COMBUSTIBLE DUST EXPLOSIONS, OSHA REGULATIONS, AND ANTISTATIC FIBC
Following three fatal dust explosions in 2003 alone, the US Chemical Safety & Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) launched a wide ranging study of industrial dust explosions.  This first issue of our Electrostatic Safety ...

CHOOSING SAFE STATIC CONTROL FIBC
The second issue of our Electrostatic Safety Review outlines the development of conductive Type C FIBC and the later development of CROHMIQ, the world's first truly effective Type D FIBC fabric, which provides ...

TESTING & CERTIFYING THE SAFETY OF STATIC PROTECTIVE FIBC
The third issue in our series of Electrostatic Safety Reviews describes the rigorous testing that is demanded by national and international standards such (IEC, CENELEC, NFPA, etc.) in order to prove the safety of ...

NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN SAFETY STANDARDS FOR STATIC PROTECTIVE FIBC
Companies that handle combustible powders in bulk bags, or empty products from bulk bags in environments where flammable solvents may be present rely on safe antistatic FIBC to prevent fires and explosions. Proving safety ...

CHEMICAL ACCIDENTS IN THE NEWS

Jul 28th, 2010
Frontier Refinery Fire Under Control
Around 5:40 this morning, a fire broke out in the crude unit of the Frontier Oil ...

Jul 28th, 2010
Fire fought at recycling plant near Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport
SARASOTA COUNTY - It took firefighters about two hours Tuesday to put out a fire ...

Jul 27th, 2010
Explosion leads to chemical spill
An explosion led to a hazardous chemical spill Tuesday night on the Eastside. Capt. Rita ...

Jul 26th, 2010
Fumes Force Evacuation of Southwestside Business
Diesel fumes, reportedly, forced an evacuation of a business called Aspen Systems in the 5100 block ...

Jul 26th, 2010
Two Die in Pittsburgh-area Well Explosion
An oil storage tank at a natural gas well exploded Friday morning, killing two workers, ...

Jul 23rd, 2010
2 Killed In Pittsburgh Gas Well Explosion
Resulting Fire Spewed Black Smoke For... ...

Jul 22nd, 2010
Potter zinc plant explosion claims 2
An investigation has begun to determine the cause of an explosion at a Beaver County ...

Jul 19th, 2010
1 hospitalized after Morristown plant explosion
According to the Citizen Tribune, toluene liquid, often used as a solvent, boiled into a ...

Jul 19th, 2010
Three injured in Adams County blast
BENDERSVILLE, Monday, July 19, 2010 -- Two men and a child were burned Sunday in an explosion ...

Jul 18th, 2010
Officials investigating Santa Clara recycling fire
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) - Santa Clara fire officials are investigating a fire at a ...

Jul 18th, 2010
Oil Fire Quickly Tamed At Local Refinery
WHITEHALL, Ohio -- The Heartland Oil Refinery on East 5th Avenue was the scene of ...

Jul 18th, 2010
Electrical problem sparks fire at paper plant
RIEGELWOOD, N.C. -- Officials say an electrical problem is to blame for a fire ...

Jul 17th, 2010
No one injured in blaze at paint warehouse
A Tomball paint warehouse remains on fire 12 hours after the five-alarm blaze was reported this ...

Jul 17th, 2010
Explosion, fire rock Independence corncob processor
INDEPENDENCE, Iowa (AP) — An apparent dust explosion at a corn cob processing plant in Independence ...

Jul 14th, 2010
At Least 14 Hurt In Pennsylvania Steel Plant Blast
At least 14 people were hurt on Wednesday in a blast at a U.S. Steel ...

Jul 13th, 2010
Ammonia leak clears Coors plant
GOLDEN — An ammonia leak at the Molson Coors Brewing Co. sent two workers to the ...

Jul 12th, 2010
Fire damages factory in Bridgeport
BRIDGEPORT — Heavy smoke and flames engulfed portions of the C.J. Robinson Specialty Wax Company ...

Jul 12th, 2010
Chemical leak forces Farmington evacuations
FARMINGTON, N.M.—About 20 people were forced to evacuate their homes in Farmington on Sunday ...

Jul 11th, 2010
Cause of explosion unknown: One man seriously injured and reportedly in area burn unit [Laurel Leader-Call, Miss.]
July 11--VOSSBURG -- Clarke County Sheriff Todd Kemp and other emergency personnel responding to Friday's ...

Jul 10th, 2010
Minor Explosion in Lafayette
Firefighters and ambulance rushed to a local health and beauty plant after a scare Saturday ...

Jul 9th, 2010
Welder critically injured in work site blast
ENGLEWOOD, COLO. — A welder working in Englewood has been critically injured after vapors inside a ...

Jul 8th, 2010
Ville Platte Man Injured In Hazardous Material Spill
This morning at 10:42 a.m., State Police received a telephone call advising of an incident ...

Jul 6th, 2010
6 fire departments fight Uniroyal blaze near Madison
STOUGHTON, Wis. (AP) - Firefighters from six departments battled a blaze at Uniroyal Engineered Products ...

Jul 6th, 2010
Three sent to hospital after explosion at York business
YORK, Maine — Three people were sent to the hospital Saturday after an explosion at a ...

Jul 5th, 2010
Acid Spill Evacuated Downtown Jewelers Exchange
SAN DIEGO - Fumes from a spilled gallon container of muriatic acid sent a 60-year-old ...

Jul 2nd, 2010
Workers in walkout over fatal blast at refinery
A 24-year-old man from Grimsby died in the explosion at the Lindsey Oil Refinery (LOR), ...