Professional Documents
Culture Documents
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May 1, 2010
1. A burning issue. The National Commission on Fire Prevention and Control published America Burning in
1973. The report sought to bring attention to the serious issue of losses of life and property caused by U.S. fires.
A pdf of the report is available at www.usfa.dhs.gov/downloads/pdf/publications/fa-264.pdf. Courtesy: The
National Commission on Fire Prevention and Control
My father, who gave me my own copy of America Burning, spent a lifetime both starting fires and preventing
them. During his 58 years in the fire service, he started fires in a controlled environment to learn about fires
behavior and, more importantly, to train others how to effectively mitigate the losses once one started. At the
same time, he used that knowledge to drive change. He hoped to change peoples behaviors so they would
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prevent and survive fires, and he sought to modify regulations so that they are clear and helpful. In that spirit, the
goal of this article is to draw our industrys attention to a fire danger that often remains unacknowledged:
combustible coal dust.
2. Dust collector detonation. This explosion was caused by combustible coal dust in a dust collector.
Courtesy: American Electric Power
Many entities must work together to create a culture in which coal is safely and efficiently burned in a steam
generator: federal, state, and local governments; standards-making organizations; and industry (Figure 3).
Substantial progress has been made in the past 10 years by one particular organization the PRB Coal Users
Group (see sidebar). This organization succeeds by regularly bringing together users and potential users of
Powder River Basin (PRB) coal plus other interested parties who share best practices, educational and
networking opportunities, and a forum to support each other in the safe and efficient handling of PRB coals. This
is evident in their collaborative efforts related to developing recognized best practices, such as those concerning
mill inerting, coal silo/bunker fire protection, electrical practices, and risk assessment tools. The group is also
responsible for high-quality programming at its annual meeting on combustible coal dust.
3. Destination Zero Harm. Federal, state, and local governments must have the same goal as standardmaking organizations and industries to promote the safe and efficient handling of coal in power plants and other
industrial facilities. Source: American Electric Power
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delegates. The groups annual meeting, co-located with the ELECTRIC POWER Conference & Exhibition,
is May 18 20, 2010, in Baltimore, Md. More information on the annual meeting and PRBCUG
membership is available at www.prbcoals.com.
It should be clear that coal is combustible. After all, we use it because its combustion can be used to produce
steam. We also know that many fires, and even implosions and explosions, occur in our industry that damage
people and property while causing financial and productivity losses. It is clear that the federal government
recognizes the importance of addressing combustible dust, in part, through the U.S. Occupational Safety and
Health Administration (OSHA), which first issued a National Emphasis Program (NEP) and now is writing a
combustible dust standard. Most within the industry ask that whatever vehicle (standard) OSHA issues be clear,
achievable, and avoid undue burden on the regulated community. Any forthcoming legal requirement must be
realistic and practical so we can reach our goal of zero harm.
4. All fired up. Four elements must be present to ignite a fire: fuel (coal), oxygen (air), an ignition source (heat),
and a chemical reaction. Source: American Electric Power
Combustible dust is defined by the National Fire Protection Association 654 (proposed) as a combustible solid
that presents a fire or deflagration hazard when suspended in air or some other oxidizing medium over a range of
concentrations, regardless of particle size or shape. (Note the elimination of 420 micron size from previous
definitions.) Three main types of events can be caused by combustible dust:
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Flash fire: A fire that spreads rapidly through a diffused fuel such as dust, gas, or the vapors of an
ignitable liquid without the production of damaging pressure. (Source: Definition from NFPA 654
proposed.)
Explosion: The bursting or rupture of an enclosure or a container due to the development of internal
pressure from a deflagration. (Source: NFPA Glossary of Terms NFPA 69.)
Implosion: The rapid inward collapsing of the walls of a vacuum component or device as the result of
failure of the walls to sustain the atmospheric pressure. (Source: NFPA Glossary of Terms NFA 86.)
Much emphasis has been placed on explosions, and they should be of great concern to anyone who manages
combustible dusts of any kind. But in our business of using coal to generate electricity, we also must concern
ourselves with flash fires. The reality is that flash fires are likely to occur more often than explosions as a result of
the methods used during housekeeping or maintenance.
Implosion is also a danger. Its amazing how people will gather to watch an old building come tumbling down.
Sometimes implosion is used to intentionally destroy buildings to control the debris better. In a coal-fired power
plant, the opening of dust collectors, crushers, and mills are a few examples of "containers" that under the right
conditions such as when smoldering coal is contained within can implode once a doorway or other opening
is breached with oxygen/air. All too often a devastating result occurs and affects fire department personnel who
are unfamiliar with the equipment, coal, and the inherent hazards of both.
The conclusions that the authors of America Burning came to are the same ones we reach when we discuss coal.
That is, the frequency and severity of coal fires do not result from a lack of knowledge of the causes, means of
prevention, or methods of suppression, but rather because we fail to adequately apply and fund known lossreduction strategies.
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5. Accident waiting to happen. Good plant housekeeping practices are vital when handling PRB coal.
Ensuring that coal dust does not accumulate should be a fundamental safety concern for every plant manager.
Courtesy: American Electric Power
Improve Education. Clearly, coal-handling personnel require more knowledge about the effective management of
coal and combustible dust. This means that continued efforts need to be made in educating and creating
awareness of methods for safely handling coal and preventing fires. Those who are exposed to coal dust
including, but not limited to operators, maintenance personnel, contractors, engineers, managers, industrial fire
brigades, and public fire department personnel need to be educated on its hazards and risks as well as safe
handling methods to prevent harm.
What do you expect your subordinates (or supervisors) to do routinely to prevent fires?
How do you reward (or how are you rewarded) for performance?
What information do you have that shows you have control over fire protection (or that fire protection is
under control) in the organization?
Why do we continue to count the things we dont intend to happen, such as the number of fires, as our
main performance indicator?
America is still burning, and only we can change the frequency and severity of fires. Take a break from looking at
a computer or sitting in on another meeting to walk around the first process at coal-fired power plants: the coalhandling area. Seek knowledge from proactive groups such as the PRB Coal Users Group, from industry
technical experts, and from within your company. Then put into action methods to safely and effectively manage
combustibles such as coal and coal dust. Work in preventive mode!
Bob Taylor (rdtaylor@aep.com) is with American Electric Powers environment, safety and health organization
and currently serves on the board of directors of the PRB Coal Users Group. He is a principal member of the
NFPA 1081 (Industrial Fire Brigades) Technical Committee and has extensive background in fire, safety, health,
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