Explosive Dust Target of Updated Worker Safety Inspection Drive

Industries that produce large quantities of dust—such as wood furniture manufacturers, grain processors, and metal machine shops—are now subject to an updated OSHA inspection program.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration on Friday issued a revised national emphasis program intended to protect workers from explosive, combustible dusts. The changes take effect Jan. 30.

A wide range of materials—from aluminum to sugar—can be explosively flammable when ground into a fine dust and exposed to an ignition source such as a spark from an electric motor or welder’s torch.

Among the deadliest combustible dust explosions was a 2008 blast at the Imperial ...