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Coping with Coal Dust

http://www.powermag.com/coping-with-coal-dust/ 01-05-2017
Coping with Coal Dust Pgina 2 de 7

03/01/2012 | Daniel Mahr, PE, Energy Associates, PC and Michael A. Schimmelpfennig, PE,
Ameren Missouri

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Courtesy: Chemical Safety Board

Most Read () Most Commented ()

Plants can no longer sweep coal dust under the rug and ignore the health and safety hazard it
presents, because a single spark can cause a dust explosion that could put a plant out of service, Most Shared ()
perhaps permanently. Managing dust in a power plant begins with good housekeeping, followed by
retrofits using properly designed equipment.
Most Read
DOE Issues First-Ever Emergency Order
to Keep Open a Unit That Is

http://www.powermag.com/coping-with-coal-dust/ 01-05-2017
Coping with Coal Dust Pgina 3 de 7

On February 7, 2008, at about 7:15 p.m., a series of huge explosions and fires occurred at the Noncompliant with MATS
(http://www.powermag.com/doe-issues-
Imperial Sugar refinery northwest of Savannah, Georgia, causing 14 deaths and injuring 38
first-ever-emergency-order-to-keep-
others, 14 seriously. The facility, which converted raw cane sugar into granulated sugar, had a
open-a-unit-that-is-noncompliant-with-
material-handling system that included the familiar railcar unloader, belt conveyors, bucket mats/)
elevators, and silo storage. The explosions were fueled by massive accumulations of EPA Rescinds Effluent Limitations
combustible sugar dust throughout the packaging building. Guidelines Rule
(http://www.powermag.com/epa-to-
withdraw-obama-era-effluent-limitations-
The initiating explosion occurred in the enclosed belt conveyor below the silos. That explosion
guidelines-rule/)
lofted the dust accumulated on floors and elevated surfaces throughout the buildings.
[UPDATED] Dynegy Rethinks Illinois
Secondary explosions and fires heaved thick concrete floors and collapsed brick walls, Ventures Amid Market Turmoil
blocking stairwells and exit routes. The destruction, as shown in the photo above, was (http://www.powermag.com/dynegy-
complete. rethinks-illinois-ventures-amid-market-
turmoil/)
Report: Westinghouse Bankruptcy Raises
The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) reports that between 1980
Fundamental Questions About
and 2008, 422 combustible dust incidents were reported across 64 different industries; electric
Nuclears Future
power generating utilities experienced 28 incidents. The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard (http://www.powermag.com/report-
Investigation Board (CSB) investigates and documents the causes of these industrial dust westinghouse-bankruptcy-raises-
explosions. Each of the CSB dust explosion reports suggests a common cause: Companies and fundamental-questions-about-nuclears-
future/)
their employees failed to recognize the implicit danger of airborne and accumulated dust.
Exelon Chief Is Optimistic Despite Current
Nuclear Market Turmoil
The explosion at the Imperial Sugar plant prompted the U.S. House of Representatives to pass
(http://www.powermag.com/exelon-
a bill requiring OSHA to adopt the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) chief-is-optimistic-despite-current-
recommendations to prevent explosions caused by combustible dust (see Five Requirements nuclear-market-turmoil/)
for a Dust Explosion), although it never became law.

Five Requirements for a Dust Explosion

The dust explosion pentagon (Figure 1) takes its first three elements from the familiar fire
triangle and adds two more. If one of these five elements is missing, an explosion cannot
occurbut a fire may still occur: combustible dust (fuel), an ignition source (heat), oxygen in
air (oxidizer), dispersion of dust particles in sufficient quantity and concentration, and
confinement of the dust cloud.

http://www.powermag.com/coping-with-coal-dust/ 01-05-2017
Coping with Coal Dust Pgina 4 de 7

1. The coal dust explosion pentagon. Source: Tweets by @POWERmagazine

National Fire Protection Association
POWER magazine Retweeted
Sonal Patel
A flame need not be the ignition source. Dry powders can build up static electricity charges
@Sonalcpatel
when subjected to the friction of transfer, conveyor belt friction on pulleys and idlers, and
#Vogtle, #VC Summer Project Owners Buy More
mixing operations. Adequate precautions should be provided, such as electrical grounding Time to Mull Fate of #Nuclear Units
and bonding, or inert atmospheres. powermag.com/vogtle-v-c-sum

1h
Today, OSHAs instruction No. CPL 03-00-008 is the guiding directive for controlling dust in
manufacturing facilities. CPL 03-00-008 and NFPA 654 define the conditions under which POWER magazine
plants must immediately remove dust accumulations that are 1/32 inch thick. OSHA standard @POWERmagazine

No. 29 CFR 1910.269(v)(11)(xii) requires the elimination or control of ignition sources when DC Circuit paused the Clean Power Plan case to
give @EPA more review time. It has also halted
coal-handling operations may produce a combustible atmosphere. NFPA 654, which includes a
#MATS, #NAAQS, #SSM powermag.com/d-c-
comprehensive list of dust control, ignition sources, and damage control provisions, is also an circuit-ha

invaluable reference.
Embed View on Twitter

A good understanding of what these instructions require (and following through on

upgrades, as required) will make your next OSHA inspection much less stressful. The sidebar
Prepare for Inspections, Not Citations describes what happens during a typical OSHA visit.

Prepare for Inspections, Not Citations

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administrations (OSHAs) area offices are required
to identify and inspect facilities where employees may be exposed to potential combustible
dust hazards and respond if a formal complaint or referral is received. Facilities are selected
using a random numeric system or are chosen via a Site-Specific Targeting Plan. OSHAs
inspector may elect to do one or more of the following during a visit:

Conduct a preliminary walk around the facility to observe areas of the plant for dust
accumulations. Areas to be viewed include floors, structural members, conduit and pipe VIDEOS & INFOGRAPHICS
racks, above the ceiling, and on or around equipment.
Conduct an opening conference.
Take photographs or videos.
Collect samples of settled dust from areas such as upper plant levels, roof beams, tops
of pipes and ductwork, interior of dust collectors, and within ducts.
Gather information about efforts to abate the combustible dust hazard, which is a factor
in determining the employers good faith and penalty factors.

http://www.powermag.com/coping-with-coal-dust/ 01-05-2017
Coping with Coal Dust Pgina 5 de 7

The OSHA inspector may issue citations for housekeeping, general duty, The first nuclear reactor vessel at the Plant
Vogtle expansion near Augusta, Ga., has been
deflagration/explosion hazards, personal protective equipment, electrical, warning sign,
placed inside Unit 3, marking another major
egress, and fire protection violations. The collection of air samples is not necessary for a
milestone for the much-watched project. This
citation to be issued. time-lapse video shows construction contractors
Westinghouse and Fluor Corp. lifting the 306-ton
OSHA has initiated site visits to obtain facility-specific information on combustible dust reactor vessel into its permanent location inside
recognition, prevention, and protection programs, and to relay notable findings and other the AP1000 units nuclear island on November

facility feedback to OSHA. In one such reported instance, plant representatives expressed 23. The vessel, fabricated by Doosan Heavy
Industries in South Korea was shipped to the
concern about the amount of resources needed to comply with OSHA dust standards and
construction site from the Port of Savannah on a
commented that this would be particularly difficult for older plants. They also expressed a specialized rail car, said Georgia Power on
concern that new standards should not conflict with environmental regulations and that a November 30. Read more
new dust control system would be required to be within permitted limits. (http://www.powermag.com/reactor-vessel-
placed-inside-vogtle-unit-3/)

Ameren has experienced two OSHA combustible dust inspections. In both instances, the
inspectors were primarily interested in the silo fill areasthe tripper area directly above the
coal silos/bunkers. The inspectors were satisfied with the dust control measures being used
Visit our video archive (/power-video-
by Ameren. The company has added a variety of dust control measures to its plants in a archive/)
continuing, multi-plant improvement program. This spreads the cost over several years, and
the staff gain valuable experience and confidence with the equipment during that time. Dust May 1, 2017
reduction results can also be compared and verified over time so that the most effective and
economical technologies are deployed, as needed.

Carbon intensity of energy use is

lowest in U.S. industrial and electric
power sectors
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myPOWER 
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(http://engage.powermag.com/content/home? Source: EIA, Monthly Energy Review

COAL
D.C. Circuit Halts Clean Power Plan,
Mercury Rule Litigation
(http://www.powermag.com/d-c-
circuit-halts-clean-power-plan-
mercury-rule-litigation/?mypower)
In two separate actions over the past 24 hours,
mypower)
COAL
INDUSTRY NEWS
[UPDATED] Dynegy Rethinks
Illinois Ventures Amid Market Some areas waiting for a coal revival might
Turmoil look to natural gas; here's a look at one Ohio
(http://www.powermag.com/dynegy- county
rethinks-illinois-ventures-amid- (http://irjci.blogspot.com/2017/05/some-
market-turmoil/?mypower) areas-waiting-for-coal-revival.html)

http://www.powermag.com/coping-with-coal-dust/ 01-05-2017
Coping with Coal Dust
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Paris Agreement Debate Heats Up
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agreement-debate-heats-up/?
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President Donald Trump is getting a lot of advice
about the Paris Agreement on climate
Read More
(http://www.powermag.com/paris-
agreement-debate-heats-up/?mypower)
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http://www.powermag.com/coping-with-coal-dust/
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01-05-2017
Coping with Coal Dust Pgina 7 de 7

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