Doug Payne wrote:
On 28/03/2006 3:56 PM, RayV wrote:
I've searched the wreck archives, osha site, googled the web... all I
can find are anecdotal statements.

"sawdust can explode..."
"any combustible material in dust form is explosive..."

When I was younger, I worked a couple of summers on Great Lakes boats
carrying wheat. That dust can definitely explode:

http://www.fireworld.com/magazine/grainperil.html
http://osuextra.okstate.edu/pdfs/CR-1737web.pdf

Under the right conditions and in the right amounts, sawdust is no
different:

http://www.cep.ca/health_safety/files/wooddust_e.html
http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/wis1.pdf
http://www.healthandsafety.co.uk/hswd.html
http://www.dol.state.nc.us/osha/etta...s/CombDust.pdf

And on and on...



sure, in big industrial facilities with dust systems moving tons of
material per hour the risk is real, and the measures taken to control
static discharge are vital. in the home shop with probably a maximum
5hp collector sucking dust from at most a few machines at once through
probably 6" maximum pipe you aren't going to make a big enough static
spark to get ignition.

if you can present evidence to the contrary I'll nominate you king of
the wreck.