Accident: CTA Acoustics Dust Explosion and Fire
Location: Location: Corbin, KY
Accident Occurred On: 02/20/2003 | Final Report Released On: 02/15/2005
Accident Type: Combustible Dust Explosion and Fire
Investigation Status: The Board approved the final report on this investigation at a public meeting in London, Kentucky, on February 15, 2005.
On February 20, 2003, an explosion and fire damaged the CTA Acoustics manufacturing plant in Corbin, Kentucky, fatally injuring seven workers. The facility produced fiberglass insulation for the automotive industry. CSB investigators have found that the explosion was fueled by resin dust accumulated in a production area, likely ignited by flames from a malfunctioning oven. The resin involved was a phenolic binder used in producing fiberglass mats.
Communicate the findings and recommendations of this report to your membership. Emphasize that dusts from phenolic resins can explode
Ensure MSDSs for phenolic resins include, at a minimum, warnings that dust from these products can be explosive.
Develop and distribute educational material, in addition to MSDSs, to inform customers of the explosion hazard of phenolic resin dust.
Communicate the findings and recommendations of this report to your customers that purchase phenolic resin.
Evaluate your facilities that handle combustible dusts and ensure that good practice guidelines such as NFPA 654 are followed.
Ensure that company design standard's applicable to facilities that handle combustible dust's incorporate good engineering practices to prevent dust explosions, such as NFPA 654.
Develop a combustible dust safety program using good practice guidelines, such as NFPA 654, Standard for the Prevention of Fire and Dust Explosions from the Manufacturing, Processing, and Handling of Combustible Particulate Solids. At a minimum: Minimize surfaces where combustible dust could accumulate in the design or modification of the plant.
Develop a combustible dust safety program using good practice guidelines, such as NFPA 654, Standard for the Prevention of Fire and Dust Explosions from the Manufacturing, Processing, and Handling of Combustible Particulate Solids. At a minimum: Ensure phenolic resin-handling facilities are designed to prevent the spread of fires or explosions involving combustible dust. Options include measures such as the use of firewalls and blast-resistant construction.
Develop a combustible dust safety program using good practice guidelines, such as NFPA 654, Standard for the Prevention of Fire and Dust Explosions from the Manufacturing, Processing, and Handling of Combustible Particulate Solids. At a minimum: Prevent the unsafe accumulation and dispersion of combustible dust by frequently cleaning process areas, including locations above production lines.
Develop a combustible dust safety program using good practice guidelines, such as NFPA 654, Standard for the Prevention of Fire and Dust Explosions from the Manufacturing, Processing, and Handling of Combustible Particulate Solids. At a minimum: Minimize the dispersion of combustible dust by using appropriate dust-cleaning methods and tools.
Develop a combustible dust safety program using good practice guidelines, such as NFPA 654, Standard for the Prevention of Fire and Dust Explosions from the Manufacturing, Processing, and Handling of Combustible Particulate Solids. At a minimum: Address the dangers of combustible dust and the prevention of dust explosions in the hazard communication training program.
Conduct hazard assessments of ovens to ensure that fire detection and suppression systems are adequate, using good practice guidelines such as NFPA 86, Standard for Ovens and Furnaces.
Develop procedures to maintain safety during nonroutine operating conditions, such as the loss of oven temperature control.
Revise the incident investigation program to ensure that the underlying causes of incidents such as fires are identified and corrective actions implemented.
Incorporate the findings and recommendations of this report in your training of employees who conduct inspections at facilities that may handle combustible dusts.
Communicate the findings and recommendations of this report to your membership.
Incorporate the findings and recommendations of this report in your continuing training of inspectors, plan reviewers, technical advisors, and fire marshal general inspectors who interface with facilities that may handle combustible dusts.
Identify sites that handle combustible dusts when facilities apply for new or modified construction permits, and use this information to help prioritize establishments that will be inspected by the fire marshal.
Develop and distribute an educational bulletin on the prevention of combustible dust explosions.
Enhance the training program for compliance officers regarding the recognition and prevention of combustible dust explosion hazards.