LARA - MIOSHA and BS&B Pressure Safety Management Sign Alliance to Protect Workers

MIOSHA and BS&B Pressure Safety Management Sign Alliance to Protect Workers

Contact: Mario L. Morrow 517-373-9280

Agency: Licensing and Regulatory Affairs

December 15, 2009 - BS&B Pressure Safety Management - Industrial Protection Devices and the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) signed a formal alliance today to help protect the safety and health of Michigan workers from combustible dust explosion hazards. The MIOSHA program is part of the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor & Economic Growth (DELEG).

"We are pleased to join with BS&B Pressure Safety Management - Industrial Protection Devices to protect our working men and women," said MIOSHA Director Doug Kalinowski. "This alliance offers great opportunities to share best practices and help create safer and healthier workplaces throughout Michigan."

The Alliance formalizes a working relationship between BS&B Pressure Safety Management - Industrial Protection Devices and MIOSHA to work together to develop information on the recognition and prevention of combustible dust hazards. The goal of this Alliance is to help protect the safety and health of Michigan workers, as well as ensure employers and management view safety as a priority in the workplace.

Signing the alliance were: Geof Brazier, President of Industrial Protection Devices, LLC and Director of Market Development for BS&B Wireless, LLC and BS&B Safety Systems, LLC; and Doug Kalinowski, Director, MIOSHA Program. The alliance was signed during a training session BS&B provided to MIOSHA Consultation Education Training (CET) Division employees and General Industry Safety and Health Division employees.

"We are honored to partner with Michigan OSHA in providing instructional seminars covering Combustible Dust Risk Management Solutions," said Brazier. "Our goal for these seminars is to present knowledge of established ‘Best Practice' Engineering Standards illustrated with real world examples as an insight into the fundamentals of explosion prevention and protection."

Common industrial processes have the potential for a dust explosion. Where combustible material is conveyed, filtered, heated, milled, or sprayed in a fine powdered form, the three elements of the ‘explosion triangle' can combine: dust, plus air, plus ignition. When these occur in a confined and unprotected process volume with the dust dispersed, a deflagration can trigger resulting in an immediate overpressure and flameball.

Alliances enable organizations committed to workplace safety and health to collaborate with MIOSHA to prevent workplace injuries and illnesses. The key goals of this alliance include:

Work together to educate owners, operators and constructors of combustible dust processes, handling and storage equipment and others about the risks and prevention strategies.
Develop training "content" for Combustible Dust workshops and provide trainers for presenting the material.
Through the existing MIOSHA training system, work together to provide training that covers the key steps in dust explosion risk management.
Develop and disseminate case studies illustrating the business value of safety and health and publicize their results.
Participate in forums, round table discussions, or stakeholder meetings on combustible dust explosion risk recognition, protection and prevention issues that can help forge innovative solutions in the workplace.

"The MIOSHA program is dedicated to working with employers, both public and private sector - to find innovative ways to enhance workplace safety and health," said Kalinowski. "Through alliances, MIOSHA can offer employers a voluntary, cooperative relationship to eliminate serious hazards and achieve a high level of safety and health."

BS&B Pressure Safety Management, LLC and its affiliates design, manufacture and test industrial explosion protection technology according to NFPA Standards 68 and 69 which are extensively cross referenced in the OSHA Combustible Dust National Emphasis Program CPL 03-00-008. With over 75-years of pressure protection history, BS&B's expertise is sought for material hazard analysis, process hazard analysis, deflagration venting, suppression and isolation activities.

BS&B participates in both NFPA and ASME Standard development and participated in the 14th December 2009 ‘stakeholder meeting' related to the Combustible Dust rulemaking process held by federal OSHA in Washington DC. With a strong commitment toward research and development, BS&B prides itself in providing practical options to combat dust explosion risks.

There are many benefits to participating in an alliance with MIOSHA. Through this program, organizations will:

Build trusting, cooperative relationships;
Network with others committed to workplace safety and health;
Exchange information about best practices; and
Leverage resources to maximize worker safety and health protection.

For more information about forming an alliance or partnership with MIOSHA, please check our website at www.michigan.gov/mioshaor contact the Consultation Education and Training (CET) Division at 517.322.1809.

For more information about LARA, please visit www.michigan.gov/lara

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