Providing many lessons learned from past silo fires coupled with in-depth knowledge from experts, this book explains current prevention measures in detail -- helping to prevent future damage. It covers numerous types of fire detection devices and fire fighting equipment, backed by extensive data tables listing fire and explosion characteristics of bulk materials, color photographs of silos on fire and documentation of firefighters' actions. In addition, diagrams and formulas as well as pre-prepared check lists are included for risk assessment and fire fighting actions. Possibly lifesaving reading for chemists in industry, engineers, chemical engineers, health officers, environmental consultants, instructors in the chemical industry, as well as chemicals suppliers and safety officers.

An award-winning columnist and journalist describes how businesses that structure their teams into functional departments, or "silos," actually hinder work, cripple innovation, restrict thinking and force normally smart people to ignore risks and opportunities. --

Powders and bulk solids, handled widely in the chemical, pharmaceutical, agriculture, smelting, and other industries present unique fire, explosion, and toxicity hazards. Indeed, substances which are practically inert in consolidated form may become quite hazardous when converted to powders and granules. The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board is currently investigating dust explosions that occured in 2003 at WestPharma, CTA Acoustics, and Hayes-Lemmerz, and is likely to recommend that companies that handle powders or whose operations produce dust pay more attention to understanding the hazards that may exist at their facility. This new CCPS guidelines book will discuss the types of hazards that can occur in a wide range of process equipment and with a wide range of substances, and will present measures to address these hazards.