June 23, 2011: Two workers were burned at a wood paneling manufacturing facility caused by a combustible dust explosion. The injured workers were using a metal rod to clear a clog in a saw dust collector. Wood is responsible for approximately one third of all combustible dust explosions.
It is imperative if you have dust in your process that you perform a combustible dust safety review. If you do handle combustible dust, appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) such as fire resistant clothing should be worn during maintenance operations on combustible dust handling equipment.