Five or six years ago Warde Comeaux knew only a few people who shredded documents for a living. Most businesses he knew relied on recyclers to get rid of their unwanted paper—including documents. With regulation proliferation, clients began coming to him for advice on getting into the document destruction business. Comeaux is principal of Fire Protection International Consortium, Inc., a consulting firm with locations in California and in Florida. The more entrepreneurs who build their companies around paper shredding, the greater the need for safety consciousness—paticularly fire safety.

Dust combusts

Many of these entrepreneurs may not know, or they may forget, that paper shredding produces dust, and dust is combustible. Fires are quite common in shredding operations, and Comeaux has investigated his share. Two were recent. One was a regular fire (they oiled the machinery too much), and the other was a dust conflagration.

Paper dust in a paper shredding operation can catch fire from a spark generated by metal entering the process. Paper clips, notebooks, and other metal parts can set off a dust explosion or ignite loose fibers of paper.

“Dust can build up in a cloud and if the cutters hit something and you get a spark you get a flash and a small fire,” Comeaux says. “If you don’t stop the machine and clean it of dust periodically, combustible dust can build up throughout the building. That can lead to a worse loss.”

A small fire can even travel from the shredder, up a conveyor and into a baler, and the fire could smolder inside that bale until it is delivered to the mill or recycling center.

Regulators’ radar screens

The problem starts with poor housekeeping. If you leave a footprint in the dust on the floor of your facility, you’re at risk. A dust suppression system installed with a paper shredder can help contain the problem. Ten or 15 years ago such equipment was considered a cost, but with the developing OSHA regulations surrounding combustible dust, shredding operations may actually save money by avoiding fines from OSHA or the NFPA.

“NFPA Code 654 (see sidebar) is our reference for all this stuff,” says Brian Richardson, field service manager for Camfil FARR Air Pollution Control, providers of dust control systems. “There’s an increase in the sale of dust collectors on any type of equipment. In fact old equipment is often put back into commission after sitting in a corner for a while.”

John Dauber, North American Sales Manager for Camfil FARR APC, adds that headline-making dust explosions in other industries have put paper shredding operations on OSHA’s radar screen.

“We get calls daily about OSHA threatening to come in and shut them down because OSHA is doing a better job training its people on what to look for when they walk into a plant,” he says.

Regulators need improvement

OSHA may be on the job with enforcement and inspection activities, but John Astad, director and research analyst for the Combustible Dust Policy Institute in Santa Fe, TX, thinks it could do a better one. In 2008 OSHA reintroduced a national emphasis program (NEP) on combustible dust in response to a dust explosion at Imperial Sugar’s Port Wentworth Georgia facility that killed 14 workers and injured many more. The reissued NEP focuses on 64 different national industries, including those that handle paper products in refuse, scrap, and waste materials industries. Explosions get attention, but to Astad, the big problem is fires, precursors to potential dust explosions.

“Too many stakeholders are keen on certain national industries, but it’s not so much the process material as process situations and conditions,” he says. “We need to look at all shredders that have a commonality throughout the industrial subsectors. All these diverse types of dusts when ignited result in a high rate of pressure and heat deflagration.”

Most paper shredder events are fires and are caught early, before there are injuries or fatalities. That’s why these operations rarely get on the regulators’ radar screens. Although such fires are precursors to dust explosions, Astad contends they’re ignored because OSHA lacks both resources and a comprehensive understanding of this complex situation.

He believes that as recycling increases so will these incidents. He cites the wood pellet industry as an example. It sells these pellets as an alternative fuel and heating source. Over the last two years more than ten percent of the Pellet Fuels Institute’s (PFI) member companies on the east coast of the US had combustible dust related incidents.

“Before, the majority of inspectors had no specialized training on combustible dust hazards,” Astad explains. They would visit these facilities and not cite them for combustible dust hazards, so the facilities thought they were fine. Since Imperial Sugar and the recently reissued Dust NEP these facilities are now being cited because they have process equipment that doesn’t have fire and explosion mitigation equipment on it.”

Need for shredder ed

For Astad, citations and enforcement won’t be enough to avoid paper shredding fires as this industry grows. What’s missing is education, information, and outreach. While OSHA focuses on sanctions after the fact, the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) takes a sector based approach through the National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) in developing intervention strategies in accident prevention.

Some see such a lack of collaboration between governmental agencies as the reason dots aren’t connected among related incidents.

“Why don’t NIOSH and OSHA work in parallel together on these occupational safety issues as the OSH Act intended?,” Astad asks. “I would also like to see OSHA and NIOSH work collectively with the U.S. Fire Administration because they have an excellent National Fire Reporting Incident System (NFIRS) that collects data on fires in industrial and manufacturing properties. This would help in understanding trends in specific industries. The infrastructure is there but they’re just doing their own thing.”

Jerry Schultz, Warde Comeaux’s partner at the Fire Protection International Consortium, notes that as the fear of liability and the need for document confidentiality grow, the records management industry will take more of the shredding process away from recyclers. This could mean trouble.

“A lot of the people opening these facilities don’t recognize the hazards associated with shredding,” he says. “Dust is not recognized as a hazard. The onus is on the equipment providers, the fire inspectors, and the people permitting these facilities. Shredding is growing, we have shred trucks out there on the street, but the shred plant itself is not being targeted.”

Australian Dust Control designs and installs a range of school shaker dust collectors that offer the following key features and benefits:

* These dust collectors are environmentally friendly
* Shaker dust collectors offer energy efficiency
* The School Shaker dust collectors can be delivered to site pre- assembled
* Dust collectors can easily be placed on the base framework

An investment in school shaker dust collectors from Australian Dust Control will give schools peace of mind knowing that their students and teachers have access to a high standard of protection available. Australian Dust Control complies with all selection criteria and OH&S guidelines set forward by schools and other learning institutions, and the innovative and flexible designs of dust extractors by Australian Dust Control are available at competitive prices.

“The objective was never about money, the aim always was to get the company to do the right things,” Battersea resident Mark Cameron told the Sunday Observer last week.

Cameron was one of the leading voices protesting the dust nuisance,

“The feeling now is that they (Windalco) are now on the right track though there is a lot more that needs to be done,” he added.

Cameron had said late last month that a member of his community was preparing to file a “class action” law suit against the bauxite/alumina company as a consequence of “the clouds of toxic dust” from the dry lake invading their homes and endangering health.

But over the last two weeks the waste disposal site — which over a period of months had become a dust bowl — has been flooded with water.

Last week most areas of the lake that were visible from the Winston Jones Highway and the Kendal main road were obviously water soaked. A large pool of water was visible in one area, sprinklers were running and there was evidence of cut grass being dumped on the surface.

Cameron told the Sunday Observer yesterday that dust monitors had been installed at some homes.

While declining to go into details, Windalco’s senior communications officer, Kayonn Wallace, confirmed last week that her company was “meeting the requirements from NEPA (National Environmental Protection Agency) to keep the site wet”.

“We do have a plan … a strategy (in collaboration) with regulatory agencies,” she explained further.

In a recent media release NEPA reported that during a meeting with officials of Windalco and the State’s bauxite/alumina oversight agency, the Jamaica Bauxite Institute (JBI) a number of measures had been reached to deal with the dust nuisance.

They include “engaging overseas technical support to assist with managing the problem, installing a third tower (sprinkler) and completing the installation of piping to wet the southern area … ploughing selected surfaces followed by berming, covering of surfaces with grass and using .. fire trucks … to apply water to surfaces.

“In addition, Windalco was instructed to install additional particulate monitoring stations at the southern and western boundaries to measure the dust levels impacting the surrounding communities ….”

The release said the measures were expected to result in a “marked reduction in the dust nuisance … thereby alleviating the residents’ discomfort” and “full compliance should be achieved within a month”.

While expressing satisfaction with the proposed actions, NEPA said it had “made it clear to Windalco that the immediate and long-term measures must be sustainable. If Windalco reneges on its commitment the company will face additional enforcement actions.

“Windalco will provide daily reports to NEPA and the JBI and the agency will continue to monitor the disposal site to ensure that the measures outlined by Windalco are implemented”.

For decades the red mud lake at Battersea was the dumping area for bauxite/alumina waste from Windalco’s Kirkvine alumina plant in neighbouring Kendal. Windalco shut down operations early last year following the collapse of metal prices as a result of the global economic recession — twinned to chronic inefficiencies in energy usage at its plants. All 762 Windalco employees located at plants and installations at Kirkvine as well as at Ewarton and Port Esquivel in St Catherine are to be made redundant by March 31, as the company enters a moth balled phase.

Windalco said recently that the dust nuisance came about largely because the alumina plant has gone idle coupled with the current intense drought.

In a release late last month, Windalco said it had “various dust control mechanisms in place, including a sprinkler system, which works with the mud slurry to keep the site wet. Since suspending production, however, no mud slurry has been pumped to the site and although the capacity and reach of the sprinkler system has been increased, the dry and windy conditions, coupled with the loss of additional moisture, have resulted in abnormal levels of dusting”.

But residents claim negligence was the real cause. Yesterday, Cameron expressed concern that there needed to be a “long-term plan” to deal with the more unfortunate legacies of bauxite/alumina processing such as red mud lakes and mined-out lands.

“I would love to see efforts to put down a fund to deal with it (environmental issues)”, said Cameron. “The entire bauxite (industry will soon be gone… what then?” he said.

Environmental concerns have always been high on the agenda in relation to Jamaica’s bauxite/alumina industry despite its long-standing status as a mainstay of the Jamaican economy.

Net earnings from bauxite/alumina were slashed by more than half from an estimated just over US$500 million annually last year following the cessation of production at the Windalco plants, Kirkvine in Manchester and Ewarton in St Catherine, as well as the closure of the largest producer, Alpart, at Nain in St Elizabeth. More than 2,000 workers were said to have lost jobs.

All three plants are majority-owned by the debt-burdened, Russia-based UC Rusal — the world’s largest aluminium producer.

Word broke recently that Rusal is contemplating a reopening of the Ewarton plant before year-end. But prospects for the near-term reopening of Kirkvine and Alpart are said to be dim.

The dryer regions of the country have a problem with particle matter floating in the air whose makeup is different than wetter regions where the nuisance dust could be from the saw dust that the building tools create. The cleaning up of the loose debris is the solution for most dust problems that are actually created on the construction site that is directly caused by the construction process. The health hazards of construction site dust could include cement residue, asbestos, mineral fibers with a man made origin and the most common is wood dust.

The reason for the concern is the effects it has on the people working at the site and the surrounding region. When natural sources of dust from plants and animals combine with the airborne particles of the construction site, it could adversely affect the membranes of the occupance.

The US Department of Health and Human Service’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health consider silicosis has a major problem and cause of health problems that has its origins from construction dust. Construction dust control from the particle matter smaller the 10 micrometers or PM10 has to be approached from a different perspective  than those that are naturally occurring in our environment

The airborne crystalline silica that originates from the concrete, masonry and rock on the site can become lodged in the membranes and lungs of the respiratory systems of the people on and near the site. Once there, they become hardened and cause permanent damage and even death.

Construction dust control for this problem can be accomplished when the proper precautions are taken along with the right equipment. The blades that are used to cut concrete and other masonry items should be equipped with a water attachment to make the dust to heavy to become airborne. When drilling into rock the same accessory should be used to weigh down the dust and prevent it from becoming airborne.

Cleanup afterwards is just as important. The water that was used to weigh down the dust particles will evaporate over time. Collection and proper disposal is a necessary part of keeping the work site as free as possible of nuisance dust.

Another little thought about source of silica is from the abrasive materials that are used on the construction site. This includes the silica paper and sanding discs that are used to prepare and condition the different surfaces around the site. When these materials are used, the operator should be using a dust mask on themselves to prevent inhalation of the particle matter.

The US Government classifies nuisance dust that is created by the landscape as a natural event under the air pollution laws. This is a contributor to the construction dust problem but not the whole cause. With the proper precautions control of construction  dust can minimize the adverse effects in the people on and near the construction site.

To help you with determine specifically what is best for your situation there is a valuable resource with information on this environmental topic at Soil Control International and their informative blog site.

The dryer regions of the country have a problem with particle matter floating in the air whose make up is different than wetter regions where the nuisance dust could be from the saw dust that the building tools create. The cleaning up of the loose debris is the solution for most dust problems that are actually created on the construction site that is directly caused by the construction process. The health hazards of construction site dust could include cement residue, asbestos, mineral fibers with a man made origin and the most common is wood dust.

The reason for the concern is the effects it has on the people working at the site and the surrounding region. When natural sources of dust from plants and animals combine with the airborne particles of the construction site, it could adversely affect the membranes of the occupance.

The US Department of Health and Human Service’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health consider silicosis has a major problem and cause of health problems that has its origins from construction dust . Construction dust control from the particle matter smaller the 10 micrometers or PM10 has to be approached from a different perspective than those that are naturally occurring in our environment

The airborne crystalline silica that originates from the concrete, masonry and rock on the site can become lodged in the membranes and lungs of the respiratory systems of the people on and near the site. Once there, they become hardened and cause permanent damage and even death.

Construction dust control for this problem can be accomplished when the proper precautions are taken along with the right equipment. The blades that are used to cut concrete and other masonry items should be equipped with a water attachment to make the dust to heavy to become airborne. When drilling into rock the same accessory should be used to weigh down the dust and prevent it from becoming airborne.

Cleanup afterwards is just as important. The water that was used to weigh down the dust particles will evaporate over time. Collection and proper disposal is a necessary part of keeping the work site as free as possible of nuisance dust.

Another little thought about source of silica is from the abrasive materials that are used on the construction site. This includes the silica paper and sanding discs that are used to prepare and condition the different surfaces around the site. When these materials are used, the operator should be using a dust mask on themselves to prevent inhalation of the particle matter.

The US Government classifies nuisance dust that is created by the landscape as a natural event under the air pollution laws. This is a contributor to the construction dust problem but not the whole cause. With the proper precautions control of construction dust can minimize the adverse effects in the people on and near the construction site.

To help you with determine specifically what is best for your situation there is a valuable resource with information on this environmental topic at Soil Control International and their informative blog site.

The fugitive dust that is around us is not on the run from the law, but in some cases should be. It is true that this type of dust has been around since the dawn of time caused by wind sweeping across the barren landscape.

This type of dust is scientifically described as particular matter. This is airborne debris that can adversely affect the health of people and the environment. The most common particulate matter is smaller than 10 micron in diameter and is called PM10. The second most common is PM2.5. This is debris that is smaller than 2.5 microns in diameter.

As man has evolved, so has his impact on the surrounding environment. The process of the fine particles that are being introduced into the atmosphere is becoming more numerous as time goes on. This was first noticed in the days of the wagon trains when it was beneficial to be up front due to the dust cloud that was created.

The EPA started keeping records on the fugitive dust problem across American in 1985. One of the worst years was in 1988 when a wide spread drought hit the nation. That year alone, it was reported that over 55 million tonnes of dust was in the air from multiple sources. In non-drought years, the EPA reports that only 25 million tonnes of dust is suspended in the air from these multiple sources, but this is every year. These sources include 17% from the wind and other natural sources, vehicles traveling over roads of which 40% are from the unpaved and 8% from paved roads, construction dust is 13% of this source, along with 19% coming from agricultural sources along with wildfires, and then there is 3% from miscellaneous sources.

The concentration of the dust problem is dependent on the surface area and the weather conditions of the region. Idaho is a great example. This state has a dry season and rainy season. For most of the summer, the temperature is hot and no significant rainfall occurs. This causes the soil to dry out. When this occurs, soil stabilization from moisture is not present and the winds take the top soil off the land and make it airborne.

Many states are instituting many regulations for fugitive dust control. These measures include the use of water and other chemicals to help control the dust problem. Dust suppressants and the paving of more roads have also helped to decrease the amount of particles that are becoming airborne.

Different strategies in controlling the dust problems are dependent on the region and the makeup of the land. Farmland has to have a different solution than unpaved roads have. There is not, at the present time or in the future, a cure-all for every situation when it comes to fugitive dust. To help you in determining specifically what is best for your situation, there is a valuable resource with information on this environmental topic at Soil Control International and their informative blog site.

An approach to road dust control  must take into account the type of road and the terrain in which it is situated. The solution for a paved road in the desert will be very different than a gravel road in the rural upper Midwest. Since nuisance dust has many sources in the environment, a permanent solution is not feasible. But there are long term solutions and very short term solutions to road dust .

The shortest term solution is the spraying of water on the road surface. This is an environment-friendly solution, but only lasts until the water evaporates. Oils are a longer term solution, but are not nearly as environmentally friendly as water is. In some cases, like with Times Beach in Missouri, the oils are from a waste source and contain toxins. The oil that was used as the road dust control  product for Times Beach was only 6 cents a gallon, but contained dioxin and other toxic chemicals. This was an economical solution for the town and its dust problem, but a health and environmental nightmare. This has lead to a ban by many states for the use of waste oils as a road dust control product.

Today, more thought is put into what covers the roads in any attempt to control road dust This is the reason so must research and development has been funded to find environmentally friendly and cost effective measures to reduce the amount of road dust that is contaminating the areas surrounding our roads and the air we breathe. This includes many different vegetable oils, non-bituminous chemicals, electro-chemical stabilizers, polymers, enzyme slurries, and the use of chloride salts.

The chloride salts are the most widely used because they are the least expensive of all the road dust control products . There are four different ones in use today which includes calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, potassium chloride, and sodium chloride. Most people are aware the effect that two of these, sodium and potassium chlorides, have on their vehicles because of their use in the winter months to prevent ice buildup on the roads.

The use of calcium chloride for road dust control has occurred for many years. It has been noticed that not only had the nuisance dust been reduced but the roads themselves have stayed intact longer. It controls the dust by retaining moisture longer on the surface than other materials. This moisture level makes the dust particles too heavy to become airborne.

Not as cost effective, but longer lasting and more environmentally friendly, is a magnesium chloride solution. This hydroscopic chemical works in the same way that calcium chloride does, but with less damage to vehicles and the surrounding vegetation. Lately, there have been several companies developing this from naturally evaporated sea water. These chemicals have been tested by the EPA, US Army, and are in use in western states by the US Forestry Service.

There still is not a permanent road dust control product. But there are many solutions that are showing significant promise and are lasting longer so fewer applications need to be applied. This makes them more cost effective in the long term.

Most Americans are not fully aware of the road dust problem that exists across the nation. This dust is of a different makeup from what is found around in most homes. The dust that accumulates around on the furniture is made up of some dirt particles, but its main component is dead human skin cells that have fallen off the occupants of the dwelling. …

Metabo’s new auto-balancing system for its small angle grinders, including the WA11-125 Quick, WEPA14-125 Quick and the WEPA14-150 Quick, is featured in the catalog. The innovative technology significantly lowers vibration resulting in less fatigue, safer tool handling and extended tool and wheel life.

The new catalog also features Metabo’s new dustless concrete grinding systems available in two sizes – 5 and 7 in. The 5-in. Angle Grinder Surface Prep Kit with a 5-in. dust control shroud and small grinder is compact, lightweight and used for smaller areas and vertical applications. The 7-in. Angle Grinder Surface Prep Kit, ideal for use in larger areas and floors, includes a 7-in. dust control shroud with a top stabilization handle and a large grinder. Both systems protect users from harmful debris commonly generated in surface grinding applications.

The catalog also includes Metabo’s expansive range of other power tools, accessories and abrasives, including the new PowerMaster Series of 18-volt Lithium Ion cordless power tools that offer longer battery life via advanced cell protection and innovative cooling technologies during charging.

Metabo’s extensive line of accessories, including grinding, cut off and flap wheels as well as flap discs, wire wheels and double-cut solid carbide bits, widely used throughout steel, stainless steel, iron, ferrous and non-ferrous, plastic, masonry and aluminum applications, are also included.

The literature provides detailed specifications for all of Metabo’s drills, hammer drills, rotary hammers, grinders, chop saws, wall chasers, polishers, burnishers, nibblers, shears, jig saws, sanders and paint removers. Related accessories for each product are outlined in the new catalog.

An up-to-date list of authorized Metabo service centers and a comprehensive parts list are provided for easy reference.

For more information, please visit http://www.metabo.us/2010-2011-Catalog.29797.0.html or contact Terry Tuerk, Metabo Corporation, 1231 Wilson Drive, West Chester, Pa. 19380. Tel: 800/ 638-2264; Fax: 800/ 638-2261; Email: ttuerk@metabousa.com

Deaths occurring among younger persons from coal workers’ pneumoconiosis declined substantially from 1968-2006, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report released Wednesday says. Coal workers’ pneumoconiosis is the accumulation of coal dust in the lungs and the tissue’s reaction to its presence.

However, annual years of potential life before age 65 of coal workers’ pneumoconiosis have been increasing since 2002, and mean years of potential life before age 65 per decedent has been increasing since the early 1990s — meaning that workers die at younger age — the study by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health finds.

The NIOSH study recommends hazard surveillance, workplace-specific interventions and strengthening of current coal workers’ pneumoconiosis prevention and elimination efforts to protect workers’ health.