CLASSIFICATION: COMBUSTIBLE DUST/RESPIRATORY HAZARD IF SMALL PARTICLES ARE SUSPENDED IN AIR DURING HANDLING OR BY OTHER MEANS. 

LABEL ELEMENTS: SIGNAL WORDS: WARNING 

HAZARD STATEMENT(S): CLASS 2B EYE IRRITANT. MAY CAUSE BREATHING DIFFICULTIES IF INHALED.

IF SMALL PARTICLES ARE SUSPENDED IN AIR DURING HANDLING OR BY OTHER MEANS, MAY FORM COMBUSTIBLE DUST CONCENTRATIONS IN AIR. 

PRECAUTIONARY STATEMENT(S): DUST FROM PARTICULATES MAY BE A MECHANICAL EYE IRRITANT. RINSE EYES WITH WATER FOR SEVERAL MINUTES.

AVOID BREATHING DUST. EXCESSIVE INHALATION MAY AFFECT NOSE, THROAT AND LUNGS. AVOID IGNITION SOURCES: GRAIN DUST MAY BURN IF SUSPENDED IN AIR AND MAY CREATE A FLASH FIRE/ EXPLOSION HAZARD. 

EMERGENCY OVERVIEW: DUST FROM PARTICULATES MAY BE MECHANICAL IRRITANT TO EYES. EXCESSIVE INHALATION OF GRAIN DUSTS MAY AFFECT NOSE THROAT, AND LUNGS. MAY FORM COMBUSTIBLE DUST CONCENTRATION IN AIR; SEE “EXPLOSION HAZARD” BELOW. 

EXPLOSION HAZARD: GROUND GRAINSARE GENERALLY CONSIDERED NON HAZARDOUS BUT DUST GENERATED THROUGH DOWNSTREAM ACTIVITIES THAT MAY REDUCE ITS PARTICLE SIZE (E.G., SHIPPING, HANDLING, TRANSFER TO BINS, ETC.) MAY CREATE A HAZARDOUS CONDITION.

IF EXPOSED TO AN IGNITION SOURCE, DUST MAY BURN. AIRBORNE DUST IN SUFFICIENT CONCENTRATIONS WHEN EXPOSED TO AN IGNITION SOURCE MAY FLASH OR, IN A CONFINED SITUATION, MAY FUEL AN EXPLOSION. 

INHALATION:
REMOVE PERSON FROM EXPOSURE. SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION FOR ANY BREATHING DIFFICULTY. 

INGESTION:
IF SWALLOWED, GIVE SEVERAL GLASSES OF WATER TO DILUTE. NEVER GIVE ANYTHING BY MOUTH TO AN UNCONSCIOUS PERSON. 

SKIN CONTACT:
WASH AFFECTED SKIN WITH SOAP AND WATER.  

EYE CONTACT:
FLUSH EYES WITH WATER. SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION AS NEEDED. 

FLASH POINT (METHOD): N/A

AUTOIGNITION TEMPERATURE: UNKNOWN

HAZARDOUS COMBUSTION PRODUCTS: OXIDES OF CARBON

SPECIAL FIREFIGHTING PROCEDURES: EXTINGUISH WITH WATER FOG, DRY CHEMICAL POWDERS OR FOAM. DO NOT USE STRONG STREAMS OF WATER OR DRY CHEMICAL IF DUST CAN BE DISPERSED INTO THE AIR. DUST PLACED IN SUSPENSION WITH AN IGNITION SOURCES PRESENT MAY FLASH OR EXPLODE.

UNUSUAL FIRE AND EXPLOSION HAZARDS: FINE DUST DISPERSED IN AIR AT A SUFFICIENT CONCENTRATION MAY IGNITE IF EXPOSED TO AN IGNITION SOURCE.

CLEAN UP WITH SOFT BRISTLE BROOM(S) OR A VACUUM APPROVED FOR A CLASS II HAZARDOUS LOCATION. DUST DEPOSITS SHOULD BE MAINTAINED TO A MINIMUM ON SURFACES, AS THESE COULD FORM AN EXPLOSIVE MIXTURE IF THEY ARE RELEASED INTO THE ATMOSPHERE IN SUFFICIENT CONCENTRATION. AVOID DISPERSAL OF DUST IN THE AIR (I.E., CLEANING DUST SURFACES WITH COMPRESSED AIR IN THE PRESENCE OF IGNITION SOURCE SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED).  

FINE DUST DISPERSED IN AIR AT A SUFFICIENT CONCENTRATION MAY IGNITE IF EXPOSED TO AN IGNITION SOURCE. REMOVE GRAIN DUST FROM AREA/PROCESSING EQUIPMENT PRIOR TO USING ANY HEAT PRODUCING EQUIPMENT SUCH AS ARC WELDERS, CUTTING TORCHES AND SPARK/HEAT PRODUCING TOOLS SUCH AS PORTABLE SURFACE GRINDERS. ACCORDING TO 29 CFR 1910.272(F) A HOT WORK PERMIT IS REQUIRED.  

RESPIRATORY PROTECTION: WEAR AN APPROVED NIOSH DUST RESPIRATOR WHENEVER DUST CONCENTRATIONS IN THE WORK AREA ARE ABOVE ACGIH TLV/OSHA PELS

GRAIN DUST
OSHA PEL
10 MG/M3

ACGIH TLV
4MG/M3*

ACGIH TLV
5 MG/M3 (RESPIRABLE)

* THIS TLV APPLIES TO NUISANCE PARTICULATES. THE GRAIN INDUSTRY BELIEVES THERE IS CURRENTLY INADEQUATE DATA TO SUPPORT THIS TLV.

PROTECTIVE GLOVES: N/A

EYE PROTECTION: SAFETY GLASSES / GOGGLES SUGGESTED IN DUSTY CONDITIONS

WORK / HYGIENIC PRACTICES: GOOD PERSONAL HYGIENE PRACTICES SHOULD BE FOLLOWED. AVOID EXCESSIVE DUST ACCUMULATION AND CONTROL IGNITION SOURCES. WHERE APPROPRIATE, EMPLOY GROUNDING, VENTING, AND EXPLOSION RELIEF PROVISIONS IN ACCORDANCE WITH ACCEPTED ENGINEERING PRACTICES IN PROCESSES CAPABLE OF GENERATING DUST AND/OR STATIC ELECTRICITY

FLASH POINT (METHOD): N/A

APPEARANCE: GROUND GRAIN - MEDIUM TO DARK YELLOW, GROUND TO A MEDIUM COARSE POWDER

UPPER/LOWER FLAMMABILITY OR EXPLOSIVE LIMITS: WHEN DISPERSED INTO THE AIR IN SUFFICIENT CONCENTRATIONS GRAIN DUST CAN EXPLODE IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE. DO NOT ALLOW DUST TO BECOME DISPERSED INTO THE AIR, EVEN BY THE EXTINGUISHING AGENT. MINIMUM EXPLOSIVE CONCENTRATION IS 55 G/M3. HOWEVER, MOISTURE CONTENT, PARTICLE SIZE, CALORIC PROPERTIES, AND SPECIFIC INGREDIENTS ALSO AFFECT THE EXPLOSIVENESS OF GRAIN DUST.

THE FLASH POINT AND FLAMMABLE LIMITS ARE ACCURATE BECAUSE GRAIN DUST HAS NO FLASH POINT, LEL, OR UEL DUE TO ITS PROPERTIES. THE FIREFIGHTING MEASURES LISTED ARE IN ACCORD WITH OTHER SIMILAR SDS.

FOR AN EXPLOSION TO OCCUR, FOUR CONDITIONS MUST EXIST: FIRST, OXYGEN MUST BE PRESENT. SECOND, THERE MUST BE AN IGNITION SOURCE (E.G. ELECTRICAL SHORT, SPARKS, ETC.). THIRD, THERE MUST BE FUEL (E.G. GRAIN DUST IN SUSPENSION). FOURTH, THERE MUST BE CONTAINMENT OF SUSPENDED GRAIN DUST (I.E. SILO, VESSEL, ETC.). ALTHOUGH AN EXPLOSION WILL NOT OCCUR IF THERE IS NO CONTAINMENT, THE DUST CAN STILL IGNITE, RESULTING IN A FIRE.

AS NOTED EXPLOSIONS ARE DEPENDENT UPON THE CONCENTRATION OF THE FUEL (E.G. GRAIN DUST SUSPENDED IN THE AIR. THE MINIMUM EXPLOSIVE CONCENTRATION (MEC) FOR GRAIN DUST IS AROUND 55 G/M3 THE MEC VARIES ACCORDING TO THE PARTICLE SIZE AND CALORIC PROPERTIES OF THE PRODUCT. IN ADDITION, THE SPECIFIC INGREDIENTS OF THE GRAIN DUST WILL AFFECT THE MEC. THEREFORE, THE LISTED MEC RANGE WOULD BE APPROPRIATE.

THE FOLLOWING INSERT TAKEN FROM "PREVENTING GRAIN DUST EXPLOSIONS" EXPLAINS EXPLOSIVE LIMITS FOR GRAIN DUST:

"A TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY DUST CONTROL SCIENTIST SUGGESTS THAT THE MEC RANGE IS ABOUT 50 TO 150 GRAMS PER CUBIC METER, DEPENDING ON THE TYPE OF DUST AND THE SIZE OF PARTICLES (PARNELL, 1998). THIS EQUATES TO THE SAME MEC LEVEL USED BY THE NATIONAL GRAIN AND FEED ASSOCIATION (NGFA). NGFA STATES THAT THE BROAD, GENERALLY ACCEPTED MEC FOR GRAIN DUST EXPLOSIONS IS ABOUT 0.05 OUNCES PER CUBIC FOOT OF VOLUME. IT SAYS THAT THE OPTIMUM EXPLOSIVE CONCENTRATION (DEC) IS ABOUT 0.5 TO 1.0 OUNCES PER CUBIC FOOT - ABOUT 10 TIMES THE MEC (GILLIS, 1985, P. 43)."

ODOR: N/A