Dust Safety Week is June 22 to 26 this year, and Tolko is recognizing it as part of our overall commitment to safety. Wood dust explosions are a potential risk in our industry, and we established standards in our facilities to address high-risk areas and outline best practices. A wood dust explosion occurs when fine, combustible dust is suspended in air and exposed to an ignition source, causing very rapid burning and a subsequent increase in pressure that results in an explosion.
Combustible dust safety is an important element of our core business model, and we’re consistently meeting the standards for the capture and removal of wood dust from our divisions. Some of the steps we’ve taken include:
- Improvements to our dust extraction/collection systems are part of our continuous improvement plans and will help to further reduce the risks associated with combustible dust;
- An increased operational focus on asset protection, as well as preventative maintenance on dust extraction and collection systems, will also lead to improved performance and safety;
- Significant effort has been made across our organization to identify and seal openings in walls, floors, and ceilings that could potentially accumulate dust; and
- All Tolko employees, from entry level workers to the CEO, have demonstrated a commitment to reducing the combustible dust risk.
For more information on Dust Safety Week, visit the Canadian Biomass Magazine website.
