Combustible Dust Standard May Get CSB 'Most Wanted' Status
If the U.S. Chemical Safety Board's members agree in a July 25 public meeting to that designation, it will be the first "Most Wanted Chemical Safety Improvement" selected in CSB's history.
The U.S. Chemical Safety Board announced it will hold a July 25 public meeting in Washington, D.C., during which the board may designate an OSHA combustible dust standard as its first-ever "Most Wanted Chemical Safety Improvement."
OSHA’' leadership is clearly the intended audience for the meeting. The board during the morning session is scheduled to consider whether to designate three previous recommendations as "Open--Unacceptable Response" to show that the board isn't satisfied OSHA has adequately implemented them. The three concern process safety management and a fuel gas safety standard from several investigations:
- Recommendation No. 2001-05-I-DE-R1, issued to pursuant to CSB's investigation of the July 2001 atmospheric tank explosion at the Motiva refinery in Delaware City, Del., recommendation calls on OSHA to ensure coverage under the Process Safety Management standard, 29 CFR 1910.119, for atmospheric storage tanks that could be involved in a potential catastrophic release as a result of being interconnected to a covered process with 10,000 pounds of a flammable substance.
- Recommendation No. 2005-4-I-TX-R9, issued pursuant to CSB's investigation of the March 2005 explosions and fire at the BP Texas City, Texas, refinery, calls on OSHA to amend the PSM standard by requiring management of change reviews to be conducted for organizational changes (e.g., mergers and acquisitions) that may impact process safety.
- Recommendation No. 2005-4-I-TX-UR1, issued pursuant to CSB's investigations of the June 2009 explosion and roof collapse at the ConAgra SlimJim facility in Garner, N.C., and the February 2010 explosion at the Kleen Energy power plant in Middletown, Conn., calls on OSHA to issue a fuel gas safety standard for construction and general industry.
The meeting will begin at 9:30 a.m. in the Horizon Room at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW.