NFPA Journal - Spring 2023 - 59
The aftermath of
a combustible
dust explosion
at the Imperial
Sugar refinery in
Port Wentworth,
Georgia, in 2008.
A series of blasts
destroyed much
of the facility and
killed 14 people. A
report by the US
Chemical Safety
Board concluded
that the disaster
was " entirely
preventable. " The
event added impetus
to the effort
to create an NFPA
document on the
fundamentals of
combustible dust.
dust explosions. On February 7, 2008, a series of
explosions rocked the Imperial Sugar refinery in
Port Wentworth, Georgia, destroying much of the
facility, killing 14 people and injuring 40. The initial
blasts occurred in a basement conveyor area
located beneath three large storage silos, producing
shock waves that traveled across the entire facility.
Poor housekeeping practices had allowed loose
sugar to accumulate throughout the plant, and the
shock wave from each explosion dispersed new
clouds of sugar dust that ignited in turn as subsequent
explosions propagated rapidly throughout
the complex. A report by the US Chemical Safety
Board described the event as " entirely preventable, "
findings supported by investigations conducted by
other federal agencies, including the Occupational
Safety and Health Administration.
DESPITE A GROWING SENSE OF
COLLECTIVE RESPONSIBILITY
IN RECENT DECADES, IT HASN'T
BEEN ENOUGH TO PREVENT
A SERIES OF CATASTROPHIC
INDUSTRIAL DUST EXPLOSIONS.
Fundamentals like housekeeping haven't changed
that much in the 100 years since the appearance of
the first NFPA dust standard, says Tim Myers, chair
of the NFPA 61 technical committee on agricultural
dusts. Nor have other basic strategies including the
prevention of accumulations and releases of dust,
minimizing horizontal surfaces where dust can collect,
explosion prevention, and control of potential
ignition sources like electrical equipment. What
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NFPA Journal - Spring 2023
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NFPA Journal - Spring 2023
Contents
NFPA Journal - Spring 2023 - Cover1
NFPA Journal - Spring 2023 - Cover2
NFPA Journal - Spring 2023 - 1
NFPA Journal - Spring 2023 - Contents
NFPA Journal - Spring 2023 - 3
NFPA Journal - Spring 2023 - 4
NFPA Journal - Spring 2023 - 5
NFPA Journal - Spring 2023 - 6
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NFPA Journal - Spring 2023 - Cover3
NFPA Journal - Spring 2023 - Cover4
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