Combustible Dust in Wood Products Manufacturing a Shop-Floor Guide for Employers and Supervisors About Worksafebc
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Combustible dust in wood products manufacturing A shop-floor guide for employers and supervisors About WorkSafeBC WorkSafeBC (the Workers’ Compensation Board) is an independent provincial statutory agency governed by a Board of Directors. It is funded by insurance premiums paid by registered employers and by investment returns. In administering the Workers Compensation Act, WorkSafeBC remains separate and distinct from government; however, it is accountable to the public through government in its role of protecting and maintaining the overall well-being of the workers’ compensation system. WorkSafeBC was born out of a compromise between B.C.’s workers and employers in 1917 where workers gave up the right to sue their employers or fellow workers for injuries on the job in return for a no-fault insurance program fully paid for by employers. WorkSafeBC is committed to a safe and healthy workplace, and to providing return- to-work rehabilitation and legislated compensation benefits to workers injured as a result of their employment. About this publication This document does not replace the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation or the Workers Compensation Act. This document is not intended to explain the many health and safety requirements that apply to industry. Employers and supervisors should always refer to the Act, the Regulation, and applicable guidelines for specific requirements that apply to their work operations and activities. WorkSafeBC Prevention Information Line The WorkSafeBC Prevention Information Line can answer your questions about workplace health and safety, worker and employer responsibilities, and reporting a workplace accident or incident. The Prevention Information Line accepts anonymous calls. Phone 604 276-3100 in the Lower Mainland, or call 1 888 621-7233 (621-SAFE) toll-free in Canada. To report after-hours and weekend accidents and emergencies, call 604 273-7711 in the Lower Mainland, or call 1 866 922-4357 (WCB-HELP) toll-free. Acknowledgements WorkSafeBC thanks the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (USCSB), the BC Safety Authority (BCSA), and the Fire Prevention Officers’ Association of BC (FPOABC) for permission to use a number of their images in this document. Apart from those images, the contents of this document are © WorkSafeBC. All rights reserved. Check worksafebc.com for more information. Combustible dust in wood products manufacturing A shop-floor guide for employers and supervisors WorkSafeBC publications Many publications are available on the WorkSafeBC website. The Occupational Health and Safety Regulation and associated policies and guidelines, as well as excerpts and summaries of the Workers Compensation Act, are also available on worksafebc.com. Some publications are also available for purchase in print: Phone: 604.232.9704 Toll-free phone: 1.866.319.9704 Fax: 604.232.9703 Toll-free fax: 1.888.232.9714 Online ordering: worksafebc.com and click on Publications; follow the links for ordering ISBN 978-0-7726-6894-3 ©2014 Workers’ Compensation Board of British Columbia. All rights reserved. The Workers’ Compensation Board of B.C. encourages the copying, reproduction, and distribution of this document to promote health and safety in the workplace, provided that the Workers’ Compensation Board of B.C. is acknowledged. However, no part of this publication may be copied, reproduced, or distributed for profit or other commercial enterprise, nor may any part be incorporated into any other publication, without written permission of the Workers’ Compensation Board of B.C. Contents Introduction ...........................................................................................................1 Part 1 — Things you must know about combustible wood dust .................................. 3 Dust explosions are preventable .........................................................................................4 Part 2 — How combustible wood dust differs from other wood dusts ........................ 5 Part 3 — Dust explosions are preventable ................................................................ 9 Overview ........................................................................................................................ 10 Combustible wood dust management programs ................................................................. 11 Manual housekeeping: a word of caution ..........................................................................12 Examples of ignition source controls .................................................................................13 Ensuring your program is effective ...................................................................................14 Part 4 — Know where wood dust builds up in your workplace ................................. 15 Overview ........................................................................................................................ 16 Management of change ....................................................................................................17 Part 5 — Pre-job planning to identify job risks ........................................................19 Why pre-job plan? ..........................................................................................................20 Part 6 — Assessing the job’s risks .......................................................................... 21 Overview ........................................................................................................................ 22 Part 7 — Preparing for dust inspections ..................................................................25 Overview ........................................................................................................................ 26 General Inspections ......................................................................................................... 27 Equipment Inspections & preventive maintenance ............................................................ 28 Part 8 — Reviewing documentation before inspection ............................................. 31 Overview ........................................................................................................................ 32 Inspection reports ........................................................................................................... 32 Part 9 — Conducting a site inspection ....................................................................35 Overview ........................................................................................................................ 36 Assess dust accumulations, controls, and ignition sources ................................................ 37 Combustible dust in wood products manufacturing iii Assess work activities ..................................................................................................... 39 Assess the dust collection system .................................................................................... 39 Assess explosion prevention/suppression equipment ........................................................40 Assess emergency preparedness ......................................................................................41 Part 10 — What to do in an emergency ...................................................................43 Overview ........................................................................................................................ 44 Hazards of fighting a combustible wood dust fire ............................................................. 44 Glossary ..............................................................................................................45 Applicable legislation, standards, and more information ......................................... 51 Applicable legislation and standards .................................................................................51 For more information .......................................................................................................51 Resources and references .....................................................................................52 iv Combustible dust in wood products manufacturing Introduction This publication was produced for employers and supervisors as a A combustible guide to combustible wood dust-related issues in their daily work wood dust environment and to increase their knowledge of combustible wood explosion can dust hazard recognition and mitigation. Interested stakeholders may occur inside any also refer to or use the information contained in this document to given work area assist them in carrying out their occupational health and safety (see Glossary roles and responsibilities. for definition) that is fully or Workers and supervisors are the first line of defence in preventing partially enclosed/ and mitigating fires and explosions. If the people closest to the contained by walls, source of the hazard are trained to recognize and prevent hazards equipment, or associated with combustible wood dust, they can be instrumental other objects. in the following: The key to • Recognizing unsafe conditions preventing dust • Taking preventive action explosions • Alerting management is to prevent If company owners and managers understand the hazards combustible wood associated with combustible wood dust, they are more likely to dust from building respond to reports from workers and supervisors about related up to hazardous unsafe conditions and acts. levels, particularly in hidden areas and This