OSHA has revised its national emphasis program (NEP) on combustible dust based on enforcement history and combustible dust incident reports.
In 2018, wood and food products made up an average of 70 percent of the materials involved in combustible dust fires and explosions. Incident reports indicate that the industries most involved in combustible dust hazards are wood processing, agricultural and food production and lumber production.
The revised program establishes a new approach for locating and inspecting subject establishments and now includes these industries because data indicate they have a higher likelihood of having combustible dust hazards or have experienced combustible dust-related fatalities/catastrophes:
- commercial bakeries
- printing ink manufacturing
- cut stock, resawing lumber and planning
- leather and hide tanning and finishing
- truss manufacturing
- grain and field bean merchant wholesalers
OSHA created this NEP in 2007 and since then has conducted about 600 inspections each year. Learn more on the agency's combustible dust topic webpage.