Threaded throughout this issue, in which Biomass Magazine once again turns it editorial gaze to dust management and plant safety, is a continued call for greater education, regardless of an employee’s position within a facility. This point is driven home in Managing Editor Anna Simet’s page-10 feature, “Dusting Up on Risk and Regulation.” Her piece opens and closes in the West Pharmaceutical Services plant in Kingston, North Carolina, the site of a massive explosion in 2003 that killed six and injured dozens more. The plant produced a very particular kind of dust that was accumulating in a suspended ceiling. Maintenance employees at the plant were aware of the dust build-up, but not aware of the danger it posed. The results were tragic. With that in mind, please share this issue broadly with your teams, regardless of their areas of responsibility.

This issue is loaded with technical information. Our team talked with engineers, technology developers, university researchers and plant personnel, and the result is a comprehensive overview of the dangers this industry confronts on a daily basis. A special thank you to Mark Wilson, CEO of New England Wood Pellet, for talking with Senior Editor Ron Kotrba about the lessons the plant learned after being cited by OHSA. Understandably, plants aren’t always forthcoming about lessons learned in this way, and Wilson’s candor really brings Kotrba’s feature to life. He tells Kotrba, “We thought we were in good shape. We thought we knew a lot, but we didn’t know much at all.” He goes on to say that his team knew components of the various codes and guidelines for safety, but lacked a system-wide understanding of best practices.

Both Kotrba’s and Simet’s stories make it clear that the body of knowledge surrounding dust, its inherent risks and best practices in dust control is robust and simply needs to be more widely shared within plants and across the industry. Differing from the aforementioned stories is Associate Editor Katie Fletcher's page-16 feature, which concludes that the knowledge base surrounding safety issues posed by stored wood pellets is still being accumulated. Researchers and industry are working to gain a solid understanding of the risks, their causes, and prevention techniques. Her story looks at two studies that yielded different results, and consequently, prompted different reactions from the industry.

Our reader surveys tell us that a majority of our readers pass along their issue of Biomass Magazine to a colleague. In the spirit of sharing vital safety information, our team asks that this month’s issue makes its way onto every desk in your operation.

Author: Tim Portz
Vice President of Content  & Executive Editor
tportz@bbiinternational.com