A Combustible Dust Policy Institute (CDPI) preliminary analysis of 2011 National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) incident data provided by the National Fire Data Center of the U.S. Fire Administration indicated over 500 combustible dust related incidents in manufacturing facilities where dust was the item first ignited. Near misses include incidents that did not result in harm to personnel, the facility, process, or product. Analysis did not include the grain elevators or coal-fired energy plants. Additionally, the CDPI analysis does not include many incidents not reported by fire departments to the National Fire Data Center (NFDC). As a result there are many more combustible dust related incidents that cannot be evaluated in determining whether the incident was a near miss or not. Special thanks to the nation's Fire Departments, NFIC State Program Managers, and the National Fire Data Center at the U.S. Fire Administration in sharing this valuable Information. Near misses can no longer be ignored. It's very distressing that OSHA in the combustible dust rulemaking process in conjunction with the legislators in the reintroduction of the proposed combustible dust bill H.R. 691 have chosen to exclude 95% of combustible dust related incidents occuring in manufacturing facilities, which do not result in personnel casualties. Yet these very same incidents, as history illustrates are precursors to catastrophe. The rest of the story.... http://dustexplosions.blogspot.com/2013/04/fact-sheet-2011-combustible-dust.html