Combustible dust kills

The U.S. Chemical Safety Board just released a powerful video showing how combustible dust can accumulate and explode in manufacturing settings.

“Combustible Dust: An Insidious Hazard” opens with a 911-emergency call for ambulances in February 2008 when the Imperial Sugar Co. refinery in Port Wentworth, Ga. exploded because of an accumulation of sugar dust.

A surveilance camera captured the explosion, which killed 14 workers and injured 38 others.

The video tells the story of several major dust accidents that have killed and maimed workers, shut down manufacturing plants, and crippled local economies. Computer animations help illustrate the causes.

The video's message is simple, safety measures can prevent the deaths and injuries caused when various types of manufacturing dust ignite. It also calls for a comprehensive combustible dust regulation.

Although it's a simple message, it's powerfully delivered with one woman telling how she lost her brother to a manufacturing dust explosion.

Meanwhile, a whistleblower claims OSHA is firing him to silence criticism the federal workplace safety agency is too soft on employers underreporting injuries, according to the Charlotte Observer.

Also, read about how Harley-Davidson Motor Co. relies on a functional assessment job-matching test to reduce workers compensation and disability claims among new hires.