A new report documenting industry feedback on combustible dust control issues was recently released by the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB).

Excess dust creates the potential for fires and explosions.

The victim of a 2014 combustible dust accident at the Georgia-Pacific plywood plant in Corrigan, Texas, has been awarded $39.744 million by a Houston jury for injuries sustained in the blast that killed two men and injured four others.

OSHA defines combustible dust as “fine particles that present an explosion hazard when suspended in the air, in certain conditions.” For a combustible dust explosion to occur, five factors must be present: fuel (combustible dust), ignition (heat or spark), oxygen (air), dispersion (dust suspension) and confinement. Removal of any one element will eliminate the possibility of occurrence. The following is a list of some of the agencies and organizations involved in monitoring dust hazards in the woodshop.

A fire in the wood dust collection system at millwork firm Modern Industries in Providence, Rhode Island was stopped from reaching the bag house where it might have caused an explosive conflagration.

Jenny Chao, a senior research scientist for insurer FM Global, explains the background that lead to her work studying combustible dust explosions.

Prop N Spoon, a fabricator of furnishings and displays for events and retailers, was cited by OSHA for exposure of its workers to combustible dust safety hazards, as well as chemicals, at its Rahway, New Jersey, warehouse. The inspection was conducted as part of the agency's National Emphasis Program for Combustible Dust.

After a dust explosion killed 1 and injured 5, OSHA cited a Georgia feed mill and its electrical contractor for serious safety violations, proposing $112K in fines. Conditions leading to the explosion are similar to those that can be found in wood manufacturing processes.

'Combustible Dust... An Explosive Issue,' is among presentations at the WDMA Technical & Manufacturing Conference, June 28-30, 2016 in Chicago.

Viking Cabinets Inc. was fined $107,000 for exposing workers to fire hazards from combustible dust, flammable liquids, chemical exposure and other workplace health risks at its cabinet manufacturing shop in Spanaway, Washington, says the Washington State Department of Labor.