According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), if your company or firm produces/manufactures any of the following products or materials in powdered form, there is a potential for a “Combustible Dust” explosion and respiratory health risks. These products or materials include:
Agriculture Products: egg white, powdered milk, soy flour, sugar, whey, wood flour, starch, tapioca and more.
Agricultural Dusts: cotton, malt, oat flour, peat, potato flour, gluten, rye flour, tea, wheat starch, sunflower seed dust, coffee dust, alfalfa, soybean dust, sugar, onion powder and more.
Carbonaceous Dusts: corn, cork, charcoal, lignite, peat, soot, pine, cellulose, coal, coke (petroleum), lignite and lampblack.
Chemical Dusts: sulfur, calcium acetate, dextrin, lactose, lead stearate, ascorbis acid and more.
Metal Dusts: aluminum, bronze, iron carbonyl, magnesium and zinc.
Plastic Dusts: polyethylene, emulsion, epoxy resin, melamine resin, polypropylene, phenolic resin and more.
To lessen the risk of a “Combustible Dust” explosion, explosion proof vacuums are recommended for cleanup and housekeeping. These types of vacuums do not produce sparks and help to reduce the risk of an explosion.
To ensure worker safety, make sure your employees are equipped with the appropriate respiratory protection to lower the risk of long term respiratory issues.
View the OSHA Combustible Dust Poster for a complete list of products or materials at risk, along with dust control and prevention measures.