OSHA requires that manufacturers and importers provide chemical hazard information to employers and workers. Under the Hazard Communication Standard (HCS), employers and workers need access to information on the hazards of all materials produced or used in the workplace so they can protect themselves.
The HCS also applies to hazards from potential combustible dust situations. In fact, the HCS is the most frequently cited standard with respect to combustible dust related hazards.
What makes dust explosions so destructive are the secondary explosions. The initial event disturbs accumulated dust, which disperses into the air. If this new, larger dust cloud ignites, it results in one or more secondary explosions that can be far more destructive than the initial event due to the increased quantity and concentration of dispersed dust.
A 2006 report from the Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) detailed nearly 280 dust fires and explosions in the U.S. over the prior 25 years -