Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1366075
8 / May 2021 powderbulk.com PBE UPFRONT CORRECTION In the March issue of PBE, a ref- erence on page 36 was incorrectly listed. The notation should have read: S. Dhodapkar, P. Solt, G. Klinzing, "Understanding bends in pneumatic conveying systems," Chemical Engineering, April 2009. We apologize for the error. PBE UPDATE Sign up now for PBE 's free June webinar As part of PBE's 2021 free webinar series, Vahid Ebadat of Stonehouse Process Safety will present "Elec- trostatic spark control in powder facilities: Is bonding and ground- ing enough?" on June 15. During the session, Ebadat will talk about the electrostatic ignition hazards that can arise when processing powders. He'll also explain prac- tical measures to consider for preventing and controlling these hazards based on the requirements of NFPA 77: Recommended Practice on Static Electricity. Be sure to also check out the remaining webinars in PBE's 2021 free series: • On August 10, Jack Osborn of Airdusco will present "Dust collection hood design for engineers and nonengineers;" • On October 12, Jack Hil- bert of Hatch will present "Troubleshooting pneumatic conveying system problems;" • And on November 9, Eric Maynard of Jenike & Johan- son will present "Preventing dust explosions in your dust collector — the basics." All presentations are on a Tuesday and run from noon to 1:30 p.m. ET. For additional information or to reg- ister, go to www.powderbulk.com. to the investigation findings, the company was doing a trial batch when the explosion occurred and as a result, the CSB is working with the company to sample and test the chlorinated dry bleach powder involved in the incident. The inves- tigation is ongoing as of the writing of this piece and the CSB will even- tually report on the explosion's cause or probable cause. The CSB still has only a single board member and currently has a backlog of 14 open cases dating from 2016 onward. According to board member Katherine Lemos, CSB staffers have been asked to take on management responsibilities as the agency awaits additional board members. In 2020, the agency hired six investigators. According to previous board mem- ber, Manny Ehrlich, these additional duties for non-board members could create a conflict of interest, particularly as investigators are supposed to remain impartial while board members are charged with making recommendations based on the investigations. The Biden administration can appoint board members (who are confirmed by the Senate) at any time. However, there has been no indication that the administration will be making appointments to the agency in the near term as the focus has been on other issues and presidential appointments. The CSB, Washington, DC, is an independent federal agency that investigates and determines the cause or probable cause of indus- trial chemical incidents resulting from the accidental release of reg- ulated or extremely hazardous substances into the ambient air. INDUSTRY NEWS Industrial IoT proponents gather for IIoT World's Manufacturing Day The event IIoT World's Manufac- turing Day was held virtually on March 18, 2021. The event brought together leading subject matter experts with knowledge of the industrial internet of things (IIoT). Hosted by digital media outlet IIoT World, which shares content via newsletters, LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube, the organizers expected more than 5,000 attendees at the virtual event to share insights into their digital transformation journey via panel discussions and audi- ence question and answer sessions. Attendees from more than 125 countries were expected. Focus- ing on the role of IIoT and artificial intelligence in the manufacturing realm, the event's programming is for C-level executives, business line leaders, engineers, plant manag- ers, IT/OT professionals, and other interested parties. IIoT World is based in Cleveland, OH, and will host future events on smart cities, energy, and cybersecu- rity related to IIoT in 2021. CSB releases details on Optima Belle explosion event, remains behind on investigations The US Chemical Safety Board (CSB) has released an incident summary on the explosion that occurred December 8, 2020, at Optima Belle LLC in Belle, WV. The explosion occurred in an industrial drying unit that was removing water from chlorinated dry bleach. One worker was fatally injured during the incident, and a local resident was injured after a pro- jectile from the explosion landed on the nearby highway. According