Handling Combustible Dusts

Many in the manufacturing industry are not knowledgeable about combustible dusts and the potential impact of those dusts on their business. Accidents such as a massive explosion at the Imperial Sugar factory in 2008 and increasingly stringent regulation and enforcement of standards for managing combustible dusts have raised awareness in the field. Under a Combustible Dust National Emphasis Program (NEP) reissued in 2008 following the disaster at the Imperial factory, the agency is increasing its vigilance and enforcement of worker safety regulations in plants that handle combustible dusts, which include almost every food manufacturing plant.