What Happens When Industrial Ovens & Dryers are not Inspected, Tested, and Maintained Properly?
Severe accidents may occur if gas-fired ovens are not inspected, tested, and maintained properly. In a recent article in Process Safety Progress, authors Quentin A. Baker, Daniel J. Benac, and Douglas B. Olson, discuss an…
Combustible Dust Regulations Still Not on the Horizon for OSHA
February 20th marked the ninth anniversary of a devastating combustible dust explosion at a CTA Acoustics facility in Corbin, Kentucky, a fiberglass insulation manufacturer for the automotive industry. The explosion killed…
Combustible Dust Caused Two Explosions at Apple Suppliers
In an effort to improve worker safety, labor rights, and environmental impact, Apple recently released its annual Supplier Responsibility Report. The report confirms that two explosions that occurred last year at separate…
The Little General Tragic Propane Explosion Hits its Fifth Anniversary
This year marks the fifth anniversary of a tragic propane explosion that occurred at Little General convenience store in Ghent, West Virginia. The explosion killed a total of four people, including two emergency responders and…
Fire Erupts Inside Construction Contractor’s Storage Trailer
Firefighters in Spokane, WA recently responded to a fire in a construction contractor’s storage trailer at the Avista Corporation’s main corporate campus property. The first-arriving firefighters reported finding the…
CSB Releases New Combustible Dust Safety Video
In 2011, three incidents involving combustible iron dust occurred at the Hoeganaes Corporation in Gallatin, Tennessee. Flash fires and an explosion resulted in the death of five workers and injured three others. The US Chemical…
Explosion Rocks Food Plant Under Construction
Firefighters in Greeley, Colorado recently responded to a propane tank explosion at the Leprino Foods construction site, where they found a cargo container destroyed by the explosion. The Leprino Foods plant is currently under…
NFPA Releases Report on High-Rise Building Fires
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) released a new report this month, which focused on High-Rise Building Fires. For the purposes of this report, a high-rise building was defined as a building more than 75 feet in…
Fire Protection Engineering Degree Program Options Expand
While there are still only a handful of colleges and universities throughout the United States that offer fire protection engineering degree programs, the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota and the University of Maryland…
NFPA Releases 2010 Large-Loss Fire Report
Every year, NFPA provides information for the previous year’s large-loss fires. Large-loss fires are defined as any event that results in at least $10 million worth of property damages. This year, the Large-Loss Fire Report…
NFPA Develops Useful Tools for Fire Prevention Week
The first observation of Fire Prevention Day was on October 9, 1920. It was proclaimed by President Woodrow Wilson in remembrance of the Great Chicago Fire, which occurred on October 8, 1871. Fire Prevention Day was later…
Harrington Group, Inc. is…Public Fire Department Response Down 1.3%
Estimates from data received by NFPA’s 2010 National Fire Experience Survey indicate that public fire departments responded to approximately 1,331,500 fires in the United States last year, down 1.3% from the previous year. This…
US Senate Designates September as Campus Fire Safety Month
As students return to their colleges and universities, the US Senate has unanimously declared September as Campus Fire Safety Month. The bill is referred to as Senate Resolution 104 and stresses the need to educate young people…
Georgia Manufacturer Cited for Combustible Dust
OSHA has recently cited a Norcross, Georgia tea and coffee manufacturer, Excelso Coffee and Tea Co., for 19 violations related to combustible dust and other hazards. The proposed penalties total over $45,000. Among fourteen…