Chemical Safety Board Urges OSHA to Strengthen Rules for Combustible Dust after Fatal Explosion at Dry Corn Mill

Washington, WI – The Chemical Safety Board (CSB) has emphasized the need for stricter regulations concerning combustible dust following a fatal explosion at the Didion Milling dry corn mill in Cambria, WI. CSB’s final report on the May 2017 incident, which claimed the lives of five workers and injured 14 others, found that the company had neglected to implement necessary safety measures to prevent the explosion.

According to CSB investigators, Didion Milling failed to develop a written program on combustible grain dust and did not install venting or suppression on a dust filter collector to mitigate the risk of an explosion. The lack of a comprehensive general industry standard for combustible dust from OSHA allowed the company to operate without various safety management systems.

CSB is urging OSHA to implement a standard that addresses hazard recognition, dust hazard analysis, incident investigation, engineering controls, operating procedures, process safety information, and training. In addition, the board has recommended that employers ensure pneumatic transport and dust collection ductwork are designed to maintain a minimum transport velocity, and review fire and building codes to determine the type of construction required based on the materials being handled.

CSB Chair Steve Owens emphasized the need for stricter safety measures, stating, “Combustible dust explosions and fires can be deadly and incredibly destructive. The terrible tragedy at Didion was made even worse due to the lack of important safeguards in the design of the mill equipment and the lack of engineering controls at the facility that could have reduced the potential for serious fires and explosions.”

The explosion and fire at Didion Milling highlight the urgent need for stricter regulations to prevent similar incidents in the future. CSB’s recommendations, if implemented, could help mitigate the risk of combustible dust explosions and safeguard the lives of workers in industrial facilities.