Dust Explosions and Corporate Homicide Prosecutions
A very informative article by Cesar de Castro was recently posted in the New York Law Journal, "Sorting Out the Law on Homicide Prosecutions Against Corporations." which addresses issues concerning corporate homicide prosecution such as workplace fatalities arising from dust explosions. The article mentioned the People v. Warner-Lambertt case where in 1976 a dust explosion at the American Chicle plant in Queens, New York, killed six people and injured 55.
Magnesium stearate (MS) was utilized in the manufacturing process of Freshen-Up chewing gum at the Queen's chewing gum plant. Court documents provided information, "that at the end of one of the work shifts workers were engaged in removing settled MS dust from the bottom of a machine and from overhead pipes by broom sweeping and by the use of air hoses. Suddenly an explosion occurred in the area of the operating machine, followed almost immediately by a second, much larger explosion."
After a lengthy investigation, a grand jury indicted Warner-Lambert and four of its executives on charges of reckless manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide. In 1978 the state court dismissed the charges. The following year, in 1979, the New York State appellate court restored the indictments. A year later, in 1980, the state court again dismissed all charges in connection with the explosion.
Cesar de Castro's excellent article provides helpful insight concerning litigation that ensues following catastrophic incidents such as in the above example. Hopefully manufacturing facilities will adhere to proper preventative and mitigative measures as outlined in the NFPA combustible dust standards in addition to other measures in minimizing the severity and probability of dust explosions from occurring.
Conducting a Google Search on Magnesium Stearate MSDS's produced varying results. Some MSDS's provide information on the dust explosion and fire hazards, yet others don't. The most extensive MSDS was from Mallinckrodt Chemical, which lists the deflagration index (Kst), Minimum Ignition Energy (MIE), Minimum Explosible Concentration (MEC), Minimum Ignition Temperature (MIT)-Dust Cloud, Minimum Ignition Temperature-Dust Layer, and Limiting Oxygen Concentration (LOC).
Reviewing the MSDS provided by Mallinckrodt Chemical is an excellent example of the proactive measures that stakeholders must utilize in providing hazard communication information on the fire and explosion hazards of combustible dust throughout a facility that handle such dusts. With this vital information workers, plant managers, and owners can take the appropiate measures in preventing future fatalities and injuries as what occurred over three decades ago at the American Chicle plant in Queens, New York.
Combustible Dust Explosions and Fires-ATEX
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| NFIRS Data From USFA |
Extrapolating NFPA's
Fire Analysis and Research Division estimates while reviewing combustible dust related fire statistics in manufacturing facilities from the 2006-2010 period, the Combustible Dust Policy Institute noted over 17,000 combustible dust related fires in the twenty-five year period 1980-2005.
Dust, fiber, or lint (including
sawdust )was the
item first ignited in 12% of 5,670
manufacturing facility fires/ (2006-2010) annual average. NFPA's Fire Analysis and Research Division estimates were based on data from the U.S. Fire Administration’s (USFA’s) National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) and the National Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA’s) annual fire department experience survey.
Partial list of
Federal Government organizations (page 12 .pdf) that use NFIRS: U.S.
Consumer Product Safety Commission, Military Services (Air Force, Army,
Coast Guard, Marines, Navy), U.S. Commerce Department, National
Institute on Standards and Technology, Center for Fire, Research, U.S.
Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration, U.S. Congress, House Basic Research Subcommittee, U.S.
Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S.
Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Department
of Housing and Urban Development, U.S. Department of Treasury, Bureau of
Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, Library of Congress
- NFIRS is the world's largest, national, annual database of fire incident information.
- 50 states and the District of Columbia report NFIRS data.
- 37 fire departments with a population protected of over 500,000 participate in the NFIRS.
- About 23,000 fire departments report in the NFIRS each year.
- The NFIRS database comprises 75 percent of all reported fires that occur annually.
Like many of the above governmental organizations, why didn’t the OSHA
Directorates use NFIRS fire incident data when developing the
OSHA
Combustible Dust ANPRM for the rulemaking process? Only relying on
incomplete
CSB incident data (
281 incidents 1980-2005) does not provide stakeholders enough
information so as to understand the complexities and magnitude of the
combustible dust fire problem in the USA manufacturing sector. As a
result of solely using CSB incident data, the definition of combustible
dust is explicitly in
“suspension” and ignores layered combustible dust
related fires (
dust not in suspension). So what do you think, should we continue to ignore combustible dust related fires not in suspension?
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Firefighting Piercing Rod Kit
|
Justin Clift, Industrial Marker Manager from
Hazard Control
Technologies shares with readers in this article the intricacies in combating
combustible dust related fires. Justin
emphasizes
these fires can be safely extinguished with
the correct equipment and fire fighting agent while following a six-step hazard
elimination procedure.
1) Understand, Assess & Identify Incident Hazards
2) Eliminate Secondary Dust Hazards
3) Eliminate Primary Dust Hazards
4) Eliminate Flash Fuel Hazards
5) Eliminate Smoldering Hazard
6) Eliminate Injuries
You must use the micelle encapsulating agent, F-500 and you may require a Piercing Rod
Kit for deep seated hot spots (>10ft
below surface). Foam caps the material trapping the combustible vapors and
will not penetrate. For instance, water will not penetrate or saturate the material.
Deep Seated Fires
When a deep seated hot spot burns it dries out the material surrounding it forming a crust. As the temperature increases the crust becomes thicker and
thicker. 95% of the time, the crust will adhere to the sides of the structure
so attempting to run it out is not an suitable option. This crust will continue
to slowly expand until the weight of the material above it causes it to
collapse.
This collapse will typically result into a flash fire, which hits the structures ceiling adding confinement and
triggering the primary explosion. The primary
explosion disperses the float dust on surrounding structures and equipment,
which contacts the primary explosion's flame front and triggers a catastrophic secondary explosion.
You can't flood the structure with water because water will not penetrate this crust. If enough water is applied,
it's weight will allow it to penetrate the material but it still can't
penetrate the hot spot's crust. Thus it runs off to the sides and starts
washing away the foundation of the hot spot, causing it to collapse and
triggering the chain of events as discussed above.
The root cause of the problem is a lack of knowledge on combustible dust related fires and explosions. Emergency
Responders need to be rebooted for a lack of a better term. The actual
fire or smoldering material is not their problem, their problem is the
environment surrounding the fire and the nature of a deep seated hot spots.
Firefighters have the equipment and training to be very successful at extinguished fires, they can see.
However, it's extremely difficult to fight a fire no one can see and if you can't see it then you can't confirm it's
been extinguished and you can't let your guard down. Our Emergency Response Team knows to never trust a fire you can't see.
It's not a safe scene until we have confirmed extinguishment to the best of our
abilities and all material has been completely removed from the structure.
Presentation and Videos
If you’re interested, here is a hyperlink where you can download some videos and a presentation I
delivered recently at Coal Industry
Conference. Unfortunately, I can’t get the videos to link properly with
the presentation but you can view them separately. The file is 482MB so it may take a couple of
minutes to download completely. If you have any questions or problem with the
hyperlink please feel free to contact me anytime.
The presentation is about preparing for the unexpected and discusses some lessons learned during a few recent Emergency Response Services HCT
performed. Procedures are important but just having a good playbook, doesn’t
mean you’re ready to take the field. There is no shame in having a fire from
time to time, it’s the nature of the coal
and the inherent hazards of a power plant.
What is remorseful, is when a plant is ill-prepared and gets caught with their pants down which may jeopardize the health and safety of plant personnel and
Emergency Responders. Plants must be prepared for the unexpected, they must
have the proper procedures which are practiced, revised, and reviewed in effort
to be prepared as possible. If a plant doesn’t properly prepare and practiced
they shouldn’t be awestruck when they fall short of their expectations.
About the Author
Justin Clift is the Industrial Market Manager for Hazard Control Technologies, headquartered in Fayetteville, GA. He is originally from Ohio
and transferred to Georgia
to start working for HCT shortly after graduating from Ohio State University in 2005.
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| Justin Clift |
Mr. Clift provides loss control solutions for the power
industry, specializing in fire detection, suppression, and prevention. He also conducts class room training for
emergency responders on the hazard of combustible dust and silo fire fighting through
the use of piercing rods and a micelle encapsulating agent.
Justin has visited hundreds of industrial facilities and has first-hand experience extinguishing coal fires throughout the US, as HCT Emergency Response
Team’s Incident Commander. He has also
worked side by side with engineering and plant personnel, specifying upgrades
to the plant’s fire protection system utilizing F-500 concentrate control
systems.
Frequently Justin is asked to assist in the development of emergency response procedures, specifically applicable to the handling of a
combustible dust. He is often called-upon to speak at industry meetings and events
that focus on power generation and industrial safety, and on the hazards
associated with combustible dust.
Contact Information:
Justin Clift , Industrial Marker Manager, Hazard Control Technologies C:
770-318-1805 O: 770-512-5112 E:
jclift@hct-world.com
Reviewing the OSHA a
dvance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPR) creates quite a concern. For example in the second sentence of the
"Summary" at the top of the page,
"For the
purposes of this notice, the term "combustible dust" includes all
combustible particulate solids of any size, shape, or chemical
composition that could present a fire or deflagration hazard when
suspended in air or other oxidizing medium"
So for combustible dust to be hazard it must be suspended in air? What about
smoldering layers of dust which also fire and explosion hazards? Before dust can be in suspension it first must be layered on horizontal surfaces. Personnel have been fatally and severely injured from smoldering dust initially
not in suspension. Additionally facilities have
burned to the ground due to layers of dust.
The problem of OSHA defining combustible dust solely in
suspension became readily apparent when trade associations submitted comments in response to the ANPRM requesting their NAICS be removed from "
Table 1--Industries Having at Least One Recorded Combustible Dust Incident Reported Since 1980," since combustible dust incidents at facilities they represented were dust layered fires and
not in suspension. Was the
Dust Incident table (page 43 .pdf) listing severity of consequences (Kst's) instead of NAICS, during a topic of discussion at the 2011 OSHA Combustible Dust Expert Forum a response to the turmoil of defining combustible dust solely in suspension?
There is no mention whatsoever in the OSHA Combustible Dust ANPRM about catastrophic combustible dust related fires as a result of layered dust not in suspension. In stark and awakening contrast, the
NFPA Fire Analysis and Research Division prepared a report,
"Fires in U.S. Industrial and Manufacturing
Facilities" providing insightful information regarding combustible dust related structure fires in manufacturing properties from 2006-2010. The NFPA report noted that shop
tools and industrial equipment were involved in 29% of these structure fires.
Most importantly dust, fiber, or lint (including sawdust) was the item first ignited in 12% of manufacturing facility incidents. This would equate to over 600 combustible dust related incidents annually. A vast and disturbingly revealing difference from the 2006 CSB Dust Hazard Investigation Report identifying 281 combustible dust incidents from 1980-2005, or approximately 11 incidents annually. The educational NFPA report obtained fire incident data from the US Fire Administration's National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) data in conjunction with NFPA’s annual survey of U.S. fire departments.
Its quite alarming where our global trading partners in the IECEx Scheme and European ATEX System recognize dust layers as a fire and explosion hazard yet here in the USA we do not recognize these immediate hazards in the current combustible dust rulemaking process. Continuing to proceed in solely defining combustible dust as a hazard in suspension and ignoring dust layers will have serious consequences in the future as experienced now and in the past. Is it time for a revision of the OSHA Combustible Dust; Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in accordance with reality or should we continue while in error?
On a side note, do you know the burning behavior of your dust? Additional information on burning behavior (VDI 2263). Currently OSHA nor CSB recognizes burning behavior in evaluating combustible dust fire and explosion workplace hazards.Unfortunately, we'll have to wait for another catastrophe before burning behavior is reconized like it is amongst our international trading partners.
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| Wheel Alignment or New Tire? |
Earlier this year a combustible dust fire and explosion at a North Carolina fiber recovery facility resulting in four injuries has safety professionals scratching their heads and wondering why OSHA continues to ignore the multitude of manufacturing sub-sectors (NAICS) in the OSHA Combustible Dust
National Emphasis Program ((NEP). For instance, the fiber recovery facility is classified as
NAICS: 322299, All Other Converted Paper Product Mfg. (515 establishments in 2007) which is not recognized in
Appendix D-1 nor D-2 of the OSHA NEP as an industry that may have potential for combustible dust explosions or fires.
There are many more
NAICS not recognized in Appendix D-1 or D-2 where combustible dust fires and explosions have occurred since the NEP was reissued in 2008. Continuing on the misguided approach of targeted inspections for a select few of NAICS while not recognizing a multitude of others is a path wrought with undesirable consequences. There is a commonality of process equipment, effective ignition sources, and potentially
explosive atmospheres amongst all global manufacturing sub-sectors processing and handling combustible dust. Its not a matter of if, but when a combustible dust related incident will occur. Solely relying on a NAICS conflicts with reality in conjunction with fire service response to the multitude of repeatable combustible dust fires and explosions regardless of whether a NAICS is listed in the NEP or not.
Deputy Chief Greg Blackburn of the Ronda Fire Department put it more succinctly following the March 2012 fiber recovery facility incident, "It's happened before. It's not uncommon,
this kind of situation," he said. On a larger scale the same can be said as we observe continually from nationwide news accounts similar views following fire service response to combustible dust related fires and explosions of NAICS not recognized in the OSHA ComDust NEP.
For how much longer will the ComDust NEP continue to be a static document? Its already been over a half a decade since initially issued October 17, 2007. Will stakeholders have to wait for another tragic combustible dust catastrophe where the U.S. Chemical Safety Board will investigate providing key recommendations for root and contributing cause that we already know about? Continuing to ignore the fire service as a welcome partner in the combustible dust rule-making process fails to acknowledge the root of all catastrophic events. This would be in the form of all the prior non-consequential combustible dust events the fire service is responding to repeatedly.
We have it all backwards right now with all the focus on catastrophic dust explosions while ignoring the multitude of non-consequential combustible dust related fires. For instance, say your car is traveling down the freeway and you get a tire blowout due to a worn out tire treads. So you go to the tire shop for a new tire and the repair person notices your wheel alignment is off. Not having correct wheel alignment will cause your tires to wear improperly resulting in tires rapidly wearing down at the treads.
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| New Tire or Wheel Alignment? |
So what you going to do purchase a new tire and continue your highway travel or get a wheel alignment before purchasing a new tire? Having a tire blowout on the highway at high speed is analogous to a potential catastrophic event. A wheel alignment is just like addressing the fires in minimizing the probability of a tire blowout while traveling on the highway. So is it time for a realignment? What do you think?
In addition to costly structural damage following the combustible dust related fire OSHA visited the site shortly thereafter. As a result of the OSHA visit the facility was cited with a
General Duty Clause citation noting
"employees being exposed to wood dust explosions, deflagrations, and fire hazards due to
deficient design and/or implementation of preventative and/or protective
measures in the wood waste collection systems and related equipment, such as:"
A.Dust System: Employees were exposed to fire and/or explosion hazards because the wood waste
collection system that processed combustible wood dust, including the:
- Peerless Aristocrat Grinder Wood Hog
- Pneumatic conveying ducts (located both inside and outside of the building)
- Fan
- Cyclone
- Dusthouse, was not equipped with systems for fire/explosion prevention, suppression, venting and/or isolation.
B.Shavings System: Employees were exposed to fire and/or explosion hazards because the wood waste collection system that
processed combustible wood dust, including the:
- Newman Whitney shaving machine
- Fan
- Pneumatic conveying ducts (located both inside and outside of the building)
- Cyclone
- Silo was not equipped with systems for fire/explosion prevention, suppression, venting and/or isolation.
A local news account provided
additional information: .
"Metal pieces of a safety guard from one of the machines were found in the “Hogger”... an apparatus that pulverizes wood debris prior to it
(wood debris) being sent to the dust house via exhaust fan," Mark
Zarcaro, public information officer for the Enfield fire departments,
wrote in a news release."the theory is that a heated piece of this metal was transported to
the dust house, causing the sawdust to ignite," Zarcaro said."
If your facility is processing and handling wood products that generate combustible dust then make sure you are utilizing best industry practices covered in the new edition of
NFPA 664. This would be the ideal preventative and mitigative method in avoiding both a damaging structural fire and costly OSHA citation.
Probability of Occurrence?
April 10, 2011 Carris Reels, Statesville, NC, "Sawdust Bin Fire" http://www.nc911.com/fire_wrecks_pages/04-10-11%20Carris%20Reel.htm "Fire at Carris Reel in the sawdust silo. Units from Monticello, Troutman, West Iredell and Statesville Fire Dept responded. A large volume of water was needed to put out the fire which lasted about 2 1/2 hrs." http://youtu.be/se1oERAeqiM
January 3, 2007" Carris Reels is Back to Business After Fire" Rutland Town, Vermont -
"Chief Denardo said the fire at Carris Reels Tuesday night was the worst Rutland had experienced in 25 years-- since the same company's mill burned back in 1981."
http://www.wcax.com/global/story.asp?s=5889188 Muddy Pond Rutland VT http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Muddy_Pond_Rutland_VT_May_1861_or_1862.JPG
Statesville, NC "Carris Reels December 21, 1997 "One of the three firefighters operating on the roof was lifted upward and landed back in the silo, his call cushioned by the fill product. Another was ejected up and outward. He fell through a trailer shed and landed in an open top trailer filled with wood product. The third was enveloped by the machinery from the roof top which trapped him at the top rim of the silo.
"All three were rescued in the course of a multi-hour operation. The firefighter who landed in the silo was treated for burns and released from the hospital a week later. The firefighter who landed in the trailer suffered shoulder and knee injuries requiring surgery, and the one trapped at the top rim of the silo was treated and released for minor burns and bruises." http://www.usfa.fema.gov/downloads/pdf/publications/tr-122.pdf
U.S. Fire Administration/Technical Report Series, Industrial Silo Fire and Explosion, North Carolina
USFA-TR-122/December 1997">So what is the probability
of occurrence of having a combustible dust related incident at a
plywood reel and spool manufacturing facility?
April 10, 2011 Carris Reels, Statesville, NC, "Sawdust Bin Fire" http://www.nc911.com/fire_wrecks_pages/04-10-11%20Carris%20Reel.htm "Fire at Carris Reel in the sawdust silo. Units from Monticello, Troutman, West Iredell and Statesville Fire Dept responded. A large volume of water was needed to put out the fire which lasted about 2 1/2 hrs." http://youtu.be/se1oERAeqiM
January 3, 2007" Carris Reels is Back to Business After Fire" Rutland Town, Vermont -
"Chief Denardo said the fire at Carris Reels Tuesday night was the worst Rutland had experienced in 25 years-- since the same company's mill burned back in 1981."
http://www.wcax.com/global/story.asp?s=5889188 Muddy Pond Rutland VT http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Muddy_Pond_Rutland_VT_May_1861_or_1862.JPG
Statesville, NC "Carris Reels December 21, 1997 "One of the three firefighters operating on the roof was lifted upward and landed back in the silo, his call cushioned by the fill product. Another was ejected up and outward. He fell through a trailer shed and landed in an open top trailer filled with wood product. The third was enveloped by the machinery from the roof top which trapped him at the top rim of the silo.
"All three were rescued in the course of a multi-hour operation. The firefighter who landed in the silo was treated for burns and released from the hospital a week later. The firefighter who landed in the trailer suffered shoulder and knee injuries requiring surgery, and the one trapped at the top rim of the silo was treated and released for minor burns and bruises." http://www.usfa.fema.gov/downloads/pdf/publications/tr-122.pdf
U.S. Fire Administration/Technical Report Series, Industrial Silo Fire and Explosion, North Carolina
USFA-TR-122/December 1997">Or more specifically, NAICS: 321999-All Other Miscellaneous Wood Product Manufacturing (over 1,900 establishments) not
recognized in Appendix D-2 of the OSHA Combustible Dust National Emphasis Program NEP (Reissued) as an Industry that may have Potential
for Combustible Dust Explosions/Fires.
April 10, 2011 Carris Reels, Statesville, NC, "Sawdust Bin Fire" http://www.nc911.com/fire_wrecks_pages/04-10-11%20Carris%20Reel.htm "Fire at Carris Reel in the sawdust silo. Units from Monticello, Troutman, West Iredell and Statesville Fire Dept responded. A large volume of water was needed to put out the fire which lasted about 2 1/2 hrs." http://youtu.be/se1oERAeqiM
January 3, 2007" Carris Reels is Back to Business After Fire" Rutland Town, Vermont -
"Chief Denardo said the fire at Carris Reels Tuesday night was the worst Rutland had experienced in 25 years-- since the same company's mill burned back in 1981."
http://www.wcax.com/global/story.asp?s=5889188 Muddy Pond Rutland VT http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Muddy_Pond_Rutland_VT_May_1861_or_1862.JPG
Statesville, NC "Carris Reels December 21, 1997 "One of the three firefighters operating on the roof was lifted upward and landed back in the silo, his call cushioned by the fill product. Another was ejected up and outward. He fell through a trailer shed and landed in an open top trailer filled with wood product. The third was enveloped by the machinery from the roof top which trapped him at the top rim of the silo.
"All three were rescued in the course of a multi-hour operation. The firefighter who landed in the silo was treated for burns and released from the hospital a week later. The firefighter who landed in the trailer suffered shoulder and knee injuries requiring surgery, and the one trapped at the top rim of the silo was treated and released for minor burns and bruises." http://www.usfa.fema.gov/downloads/pdf/publications/tr-122.pdf
U.S. Fire Administration/Technical Report Series, Industrial Silo Fire and Explosion, North Carolina
USFA-TR-122/December 1997">April 10, 2011, Statesville, NC, "Sawdust Bin Fire"
"Fire in the sawdust silo. Units from Monticello,
Troutman, West Iredell and Statesville Fire Dept responded. A large
volume of water was needed to put out the fire which lasted about 2 1/2 hrs."
January 3, 2007
April 10, 2011 Carris Reels, Statesville, NC, "Sawdust Bin Fire" http://www.nc911.com/fire_wrecks_pages/04-10-11%20Carris%20Reel.htm "Fire at Carris Reel in the sawdust silo. Units from Monticello, Troutman, West Iredell and Statesville Fire Dept responded. A large volume of water was needed to put out the fire which lasted about 2 1/2 hrs." http://youtu.be/se1oERAeqiM
January 3, 2007" Carris Reels is Back to Business After Fire" Rutland Town, Vermont -
"Chief Denardo said the fire at Carris Reels Tuesday night was the worst Rutland had experienced in 25 years-- since the same company's mill burned back in 1981."
http://www.wcax.com/global/story.asp?s=5889188 Muddy Pond Rutland VT http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Muddy_Pond_Rutland_VT_May_1861_or_1862.JPG
Statesville, NC "Carris Reels December 21, 1997 "One of the three firefighters operating on the roof was lifted upward and landed back in the silo, his call cushioned by the fill product. Another was ejected up and outward. He fell through a trailer shed and landed in an open top trailer filled with wood product. The third was enveloped by the machinery from the roof top which trapped him at the top rim of the silo.
"All three were rescued in the course of a multi-hour operation. The firefighter who landed in the silo was treated for burns and released from the hospital a week later. The firefighter who landed in the trailer suffered shoulder and knee injuries requiring surgery, and the one trapped at the top rim of the silo was treated and released for minor burns and bruises." http://www.usfa.fema.gov/downloads/pdf/publications/tr-122.pdf
U.S. Fire Administration/Technical Report Series, Industrial Silo Fire and Explosion, North Carolina
USFA-TR-122/December 1997">
April 10, 2011 Carris Reels, Statesville, NC, "Sawdust Bin Fire" http://www.nc911.com/fire_wrecks_pages/04-10-11%20Carris%20Reel.htm "Fire at Carris Reel in the sawdust silo. Units from Monticello, Troutman, West Iredell and Statesville Fire Dept responded. A large volume of water was needed to put out the fire which lasted about 2 1/2 hrs." http://youtu.be/se1oERAeqiM
January 3, 2007" Carris Reels is Back to Business After Fire" Rutland Town, Vermont -
"Chief Denardo said the fire at Carris Reels Tuesday night was the worst Rutland had experienced in 25 years-- since the same company's mill burned back in 1981."
http://www.wcax.com/global/story.asp?s=5889188 Muddy Pond Rutland VT http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Muddy_Pond_Rutland_VT_May_1861_or_1862.JPG
Statesville, NC "Carris Reels December 21, 1997 "One of the three firefighters operating on the roof was lifted upward and landed back in the silo, his call cushioned by the fill product. Another was ejected up and outward. He fell through a trailer shed and landed in an open top trailer filled with wood product. The third was enveloped by the machinery from the roof top which trapped him at the top rim of the silo.
"All three were rescued in the course of a multi-hour operation. The firefighter who landed in the silo was treated for burns and released from the hospital a week later. The firefighter who landed in the trailer suffered shoulder and knee injuries requiring surgery, and the one trapped at the top rim of the silo was treated and released for minor burns and bruises." http://www.usfa.fema.gov/downloads/pdf/publications/tr-122.pdf
U.S. Fire Administration/Technical Report Series, Industrial Silo Fire and Explosion, North Carolina
USFA-TR-122/December 1997">Rutland, Vermont
April 10, 2011 Carris Reels, Statesville, NC, "Sawdust Bin Fire" http://www.nc911.com/fire_wrecks_pages/04-10-11%20Carris%20Reel.htm "Fire at Carris Reel in the sawdust silo. Units from Monticello, Troutman, West Iredell and Statesville Fire Dept responded. A large volume of water was needed to put out the fire which lasted about 2 1/2 hrs." http://youtu.be/se1oERAeqiM
January 3, 2007" Carris Reels is Back to Business After Fire" Rutland Town, Vermont -
"Chief Denardo said the fire at Carris Reels Tuesday night was the worst Rutland had experienced in 25 years-- since the same company's mill burned back in 1981."
http://www.wcax.com/global/story.asp?s=5889188 Muddy Pond Rutland VT http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Muddy_Pond_Rutland_VT_May_1861_or_1862.JPG
Statesville, NC "Carris Reels December 21, 1997 "One of the three firefighters operating on the roof was lifted upward and landed back in the silo, his call cushioned by the fill product. Another was ejected up and outward. He fell through a trailer shed and landed in an open top trailer filled with wood product. The third was enveloped by the machinery from the roof top which trapped him at the top rim of the silo.
"All three were rescued in the course of a multi-hour operation. The firefighter who landed in the silo was treated for burns and released from the hospital a week later. The firefighter who landed in the trailer suffered shoulder and knee injuries requiring surgery, and the one trapped at the top rim of the silo was treated and released for minor burns and bruises." http://www.usfa.fema.gov/downloads/pdf/publications/tr-122.pdf
U.S. Fire Administration/Technical Report Series, Industrial Silo Fire and Explosion, North Carolina
USFA-TR-122/December 1997"> "Back to Business After Fire" "Chief Denardo said the fire at Carris Reels Tuesday night was the worst
Rutland had experienced in 25 years-- since the same company's mill
burned back in 1981." Muddy Pond Rutland VT
April 10, 2011 Carris Reels, Statesville, NC, "Sawdust Bin Fire" http://www.nc911.com/fire_wrecks_pages/04-10-11%20Carris%20Reel.htm "Fire at Carris Reel in the sawdust silo. Units from Monticello, Troutman, West Iredell and Statesville Fire Dept responded. A large volume of water was needed to put out the fire which lasted about 2 1/2 hrs." http://youtu.be/se1oERAeqiM
January 3, 2007" Carris Reels is Back to Business After Fire" Rutland Town, Vermont -
"Chief Denardo said the fire at Carris Reels Tuesday night was the worst Rutland had experienced in 25 years-- since the same company's mill burned back in 1981."
http://www.wcax.com/global/story.asp?s=5889188 Muddy Pond Rutland VT http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Muddy_Pond_Rutland_VT_May_1861_or_1862.JPG
Statesville, NC "Carris Reels December 21, 1997 "One of the three firefighters operating on the roof was lifted upward and landed back in the silo, his call cushioned by the fill product. Another was ejected up and outward. He fell through a trailer shed and landed in an open top trailer filled with wood product. The third was enveloped by the machinery from the roof top which trapped him at the top rim of the silo.
"All three were rescued in the course of a multi-hour operation. The firefighter who landed in the silo was treated for burns and released from the hospital a week later. The firefighter who landed in the trailer suffered shoulder and knee injuries requiring surgery, and the one trapped at the top rim of the silo was treated and released for minor burns and bruises." http://www.usfa.fema.gov/downloads/pdf/publications/tr-122.pdf
U.S. Fire Administration/Technical Report Series, Industrial Silo Fire and Explosion, North Carolina
USFA-TR-122/December 1997">
April 10, 2011 Carris Reels, Statesville, NC, "Sawdust Bin Fire" http://www.nc911.com/fire_wrecks_pages/04-10-11%20Carris%20Reel.htm "Fire at Carris Reel in the sawdust silo. Units from Monticello, Troutman, West Iredell and Statesville Fire Dept responded. A large volume of water was needed to put out the fire which lasted about 2 1/2 hrs." http://youtu.be/se1oERAeqiM
January 3, 2007" Carris Reels is Back to Business After Fire" Rutland Town, Vermont -
"Chief Denardo said the fire at Carris Reels Tuesday night was the worst Rutland had experienced in 25 years-- since the same company's mill burned back in 1981."
http://www.wcax.com/global/story.asp?s=5889188 Muddy Pond Rutland VT http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Muddy_Pond_Rutland_VT_May_1861_or_1862.JPG
Statesville, NC "Carris Reels December 21, 1997 "One of the three firefighters operating on the roof was lifted upward and landed back in the silo, his call cushioned by the fill product. Another was ejected up and outward. He fell through a trailer shed and landed in an open top trailer filled with wood product. The third was enveloped by the machinery from the roof top which trapped him at the top rim of the silo.
"All three were rescued in the course of a multi-hour operation. The firefighter who landed in the silo was treated for burns and released from the hospital a week later. The firefighter who landed in the trailer suffered shoulder and knee injuries requiring surgery, and the one trapped at the top rim of the silo was treated and released for minor burns and bruises." http://www.usfa.fema.gov/downloads/pdf/publications/tr-122.pdf
U.S. Fire Administration/Technical Report Series, Industrial Silo Fire and Explosion, North Carolina
USFA-TR-122/December 1997">December 21, 1997 Statesville, NC "One of the three
firefighters operating on the roof was lifted upward and landed back in
the silo, his call cushioned by the fill product. Another was ejected up
and outward. He fell through a trailer shed and landed in an open top
trailer filled with wood product. The third was enveloped by the
machinery from the roof top which trapped him at the top rim of the
silo.
"All three were rescued in the course of a multi-hour operation. The
firefighter who landed in the silo was treated for burns and released
from the hospital a week later. The firefighter who landed in the
trailer suffered shoulder and knee injuries requiring surgery, and the
one trapped at the top rim of the silo was treated and released for
minor burns and bruises."
U.S. Fire Administration/Technical Report Series, Industrial Silo Fire and Explosion, North Carolina
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