POWER May 2010 - 59

PLANT SAFETY
3. Destination " Zero Harm. " Federal, state, and local governments must have the
same goal as standards-making organizations and industries to promote the safe and efficient
handling of coal in power plants and other industrial facilities. Source: American Electric Power
PRB Coal Users' Group
Federal government
(OSHA, MSHA, DHS, and others)
State and local government (building code, fire code,
enforcement and education
EPA
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.
Understanding the Hazards of
Combustible Coal Dust
We can learn how to prevent fire by understanding
what it takes to create a fire. Another one
of those life lessons from Dad: What's common
in putting out a fire is common to what it takes
to prevent one. Four elements must be present:
fuel (coal), oxygen (air), an ignition source
(heat), and a chemical reaction. What's often
misunderstood is the role that chemical reaction
has in the fire process. Simply put, coals can
sometimes spontaneously combust as a result
of an exothermic reaction (such as PRB coals
absorbing moisture). So removing at least one
element from the others is a simplified approach
to fire suppression and prevention (Figure 4).
Combustible dust is defined by the National
Fire Protection Association 654 (proposed) as
a combustible solid that presents a fire or deflaZero
Harm
to people
Injuries
Fires & explosions
Environmental events
Heat
Chain reaction
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
gration 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:
■ Flash fire: A fire that spreads rapidly
through a diffused fuel such as dust, gas, or
New
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59
Oxygen
Fuel
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POWER May 2010

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