maintenance matters Combustible Dust Taking a professional approach to a potentially explosive problem. By: Jon A. Barrett Cleaning In return, dust is generated and accumu-lates on all equipment and facility structure surfaces. The fine powder dust, which is suspend-ed on higher, inaccessible and unnotice-able surfaces, is the most problematic. Combustible dust can impact the facili-tyʼs workersʼ health, leading to illnesses and injuries. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that 6.1 percent of private-sector employ-ees suffered 5.7 million workplace injuries and illnesses in 2000. Forty-six percent of those injury cases required days away from work for recuper-ation or restricted work activity. J. Paul Leigh of the Stanford Medical Center notes that businesses spend $170.9 billion a year on costs associated with occupational injuries and illnesses — expenditures that come straight out of com-pany profits. Injuries and illnesses increase workersʼ compensation as well as retraining expens-es, absenteeism and production faults. They also decrease productivity, morale and ultimately, profits. Fortunately, statistics from injury and ill-ness reports filed with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) show that workplaces that establish safety and health management systems reduce C Combustible dust, also known as explo-sive dust, cleaning is a required preventa-tive maintenance program in manufactur-ing and production facilities to prevent safety hazards, possible fires and explo-sions. This type of cleaning also helps pre-serve proper indoor air quality (IAQ). Combustible dust is fine particulate dust, which is generated from wood, metal, grain, agricultural, chemical, plastic, paper and carbonaceous products. Manufacturing and production facilitiesʼ equipment and machinery often pulverize, mill, grind, crush, macerate and cut bulk product. IMC technicians, using explosion-proof vacuums, clean combustible dust. 38 CM/Cleaning & Maintenance Management ® • November 2009
CMM – Archives Nov 2009: 38
