Date: October 11, 2017
Location: Detroit, Maine (USA)
Address: 36 North Road, 04929
Type: Dust Flash Fire
Company: Northeast Agricultural Sales Inc.
Previous Incidents: None Recorded
Fuel: Agricultural Dust (Fertilizer)
Industry: Agricultural (Nitrogenous Fertilizer Manufacturing)
Equipment: Storage Silo
Loss: 3 Injuries
Capital Cost: Unknown
Description
Three workers were injured in a reported explosion involving a mixture of fertilize dust and sulfur. Two of the workers were on top of the 86′ empty silo shovelling the dust mixture with metal shovels. It is reported that one of the shovel struck a wire and sparks ignited the explosion.
One of the workers clothes caught fire from the explosion, but the other way able to extinguish the flames and both men descended the silo. A third man working on the ground went to their aid. All three were admitted to the hospital with respiratory issues and the worker whose clothes caught fire with serious burns.
The general manager for the company states that the men were not following correct company procedure for cleaning the silo. OSHA opened an Inspection Detail for the incident on October 12, 2017 citing the company for $68,292 in penalties. The penalties from the inspection fall under the OSHA general duty clause (OSH ACT of 1970 Section (5)(a)(1)) and include:
- The riser trunk was not dust tight, allowing combustible dust to escape and accumulate
- The main material elevator was not supplied with adequate explosion venting
- Doghouse delivery hopper not designed to prevent dust accumulation
- Non-sparking scoops/shovels were not utilized to clean areas containing combustible dust
In 2014, Northeast Agricultural Sales Inc. was also cited by OSHA for $25,270 in penalties not related to combustible dust hazards.
Related Companies: None
News Articles : Link1, Link2
Industry Articles: Link1
OSHA Citations: 2017, 2014
Keywords: Fertilizer Dust, Sulfur, Storage Silo, Agricultural Industry
