Archive for October, 2008


Mill Product News – Controlling Wood Dust Explosions

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A product invented for the dairy industry can help reduce the danger of wood dust explosions.

Ever since the wood industry began, fire in the mill has been an underlying danger. Spontaneous combustion of wood chips, wood dust fires and explosions, are events that can wreak havoc and result in major damage and costs. In the worst cases, they take the lives of workers.

Mills have extensive and sophisticated systems to catch and extinguish sparks which could initiate a fire or explosion. Prevention is the right solution, certainly, but what if the unthinkable happens?

BFM™ Fitting Distributed by Powder-Solutions, Inc. Helps Reduce Risks of Bulk Powder Processing Plant Explosions

Traditional flex sleeve connectors contribute to dusty plant environments and risk of dust explosions.

Chanhassen, MN October 2, 2008 — Powder-Solutions, Inc., American distributors of the USDA accepted/3A certified BFM™ fitting, expresses the need for bulk powder processing plants to incorporate appropriate explosion mitigation procedures and equipment to ensure the safety of both plant and personnel.

Over the past 30 years, more than 300 dust explosions have killed more than 120 workers in grain silos, sugar plants, and food processing plants. In 2008, after a catastrophic dust explosion in a Georgia sugar factory, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill requiring the Occupational Safety and Hazards Administration (OSHA) to set standards for regulating combustible dusts.