PRINCETON, NJ - Chilworth Technology Inc., Princeton, NJ, announced that its dust-explosion testing and process safety management services will help all process manufacturing industries address OSHA’s hazard communications rule covering combustible dust. This rule was recently upheld by a federal appeals court in an October 24, 2014 ruling that combustible dust hazards must be addressed on labels and safety data sheets and in training as required by OSHA’s hazard communication standard.

OSHA included combustible dust as a hazardous chemical in its 2012 hazard communication regulations. This ruling requires employers to develop, implement and maintain a written hazard communication program informing employees about hazardous chemicals present in the workplace, supply labels and safety data sheets, and train employees on the detection of hazardous chemical releases, safe handling methods and emergency procedures. OSHA subsequently issued guidance in December 2013 advising that regulated parties should classify materials as combustible dust using any past experience of explosions involving those materials, results of published test data on similar materials or available information about particle size to determine the combustible dust hazard.