OnAire with SonicAire

What does it take to build a strong safety culture in manufacturing? How can plant leaders manage risk, protect employees, and create a workplace where everyone feels comfortable speaking up?

In Episode 21 of the **OnAire Podcast**, hosts Jordan and Taylor welcome U.S. Congressman Pat Harrigan for a conversation about manufacturing safety, leadership, risk management, and the future of American manufacturing.

A West Point-trained nuclear engineer, former Green Beret, and manufacturing business owner, Harrigan brings a unique perspective to the challenges facing today's plant managers, engineers, and environmental health and safety (EH&S) professionals.

*In this episode, we discuss:*

One of Harrigan's most memorable insights?

"Every little detail tells a story about the culture of a business. Every little detail."

*What makes a strong manufacturing safety culture?* It's a workplace where employees can spot hazards, speak up without fear, and trust that leadership will take action before small problems become serious incidents.

Whether you're responsible for plant operations, workplace safety, engineering, or facility management, this episode offers practical lessons on building stronger teams and safer workplaces.

Can combustible dust explosions actually be prevented? In this episode of the OnAire Podcast, Jordan and Taylor sit down with Dr. Kingsly Ambrose of Purdue University to talk about combustible dust explosions, grain facility safety, fugitive dust, and what manufacturers can do to reduce risk. Dr. Ambrose studies particle technology and dust explosions and compiles annual data on combustible dust incidents. His goal is one we can all get behind: reaching a year with zero explosions, zero injuries, and zero deaths. But getting there takes more than equipment.

🔥 *What is one of the most important ways to prevent a combustible dust explosion?* Start by keeping the facility clean. Dr. Ambrose explains that preventing deposited and suspended dust from building up is a critical first step. From there, facilities need employee and contractor training, warning systems, explosion protection, and a safety culture where unusual noises, smells, or other warning signs are never ignored.

Safety works best when it is more than a priority. It needs to be part of how your plant operates every day. In Episode 19 of the OnAire Podcast, Senior Explosion Safety Consultant Kevin Jeffries shares lessons from 30 years in EH&S, including firsthand experience with facilities impacted by major explosions. He explains why combustible dust safety starts with understanding real-world risk, listening to the people doing the work, and designing processes that make the safe choice the easy choice. The conversation explores safety culture, dust explosion prevention, leadership, and why EH&S should be a partner in production, not just the department called when something goes wrong.

What can more than 15 years and over 1,000 industrial dust control fan installations teach you about combustible dust housekeeping?

In this episode of the OnAire Podcast, Jordan and Taylor sit down with Darrell Cloudt of Energy Solutions of Texas, one of the most experienced SonicAire installers in the world. From wood products and plastics to grain processing and food manufacturing, Darrell has seen firsthand what works, what doesn't, and what manufacturers often overlook.

They discuss why overhead dust is usually worse than plant teams expect, why pre-cleaning is critical to long-term success, and how communication between contractors and facility teams can make or break an installation. Darrell also shares stories from challenging projects, including towering grain facilities, hazardous Class II Division 1 environments, and facilities where preventive maintenance made the difference between reliable performance and costly downtime.

Whether you're a plant engineer, maintenance manager, operations leader, or EH&S professional, this conversation is full of practical advice you can apply in your facility today.

In this episode:

• Why combustible dust is often hiding where no one is looking

Featured Quote:

Learn more about SonicAire's engineered dust control solutions:

The grain industry has a dust problem — and according to Feed & Grain editor Steven Kilger, it’s completely preventable.

In this episode of the OnAire Podcast, we sit down with Steven Kilger, Managing Editor of Feed & Grain magazine, to talk about the real challenges facing grain and feed facilities today:

Steven brings a unique perspective as someone who has spent more than a decade covering the grain industry from the inside. From dust explosions and housekeeping challenges to the future of technology in agriculture, this conversation dives deep into the realities manufacturers and processors are facing right now.

If you work in grain handling, feed manufacturing, agriculture, or industrial dust control, this episode is packed with practical insight and honest conversation.

Subscribe for more conversations around combustible dust, industrial safety, manufacturing, and automation.

Learn more about SonicAire dust control solutions:

https://www.sonicaire.com

Connect with Feed & Grain:

https://www.feedandgrain.com

What causes combustible dust explosions, and how can manufacturers reduce their risk?

In this episode of the OnAire Podcast, Jordan and Taylor discuss the recent combustible dust explosion at a wood processing facility in Maine that resulted in multiple injuries and the tragic loss of two first responders. The conversation explores why combustible dust remains a serious hazard across industries, including wood products, grain handling, and metal processing.

The hosts emphasize the importance of combustible dust hazard assessments (DHAs), proactive dust control strategies, and maintaining compliance with NFPA standards and OSHA regulations.

The episode also features SonicAire licensed electrician Alec Brenchley, who shares his journey into the electrical trade and explains how SonicAire's turnkey installation services help manufacturers simplify combustible dust mitigation projects. Alec discusses electrical compliance, classified locations, permitting, installation challenges, and how proper system design helps facilities maintain safe and compliant operations.

Topics Covered:

• Recent combustible dust explosion in Maine

• Why combustible dust incidents impact entire communities

• NFPA and OSHA combustible dust compliance

• What is a Dust Hazard Analysis (DHA)?

• Electrical requirements for dust control systems

• Class II Division 1 and Class II Division 2 environments

• Turnkey dust control system installation

• Common challenges in industrial dust control projects

• How facilities can improve combustible dust safety

If you're searching for answers about combustible dust prevention, combustible dust compliance, industrial dust control systems, overhead dust accumulation, dust hazard analysis requirements, or how to reduce combustible dust explosion risks, this episode provides practical insights from industry professionals working in the field every day.

Learn more about fugitive dust control and combustible dust safety at http://www.sonicaire.com.

In this episode, we break down the real combustible dust explosions that happened in 2025 and 2026—and the hard lessons every facility needs to learn from them.

These aren’t old case studies.

These are recent incidents in grain, biofuel, and metal facilities—some resulting in injuries, fatalities, and devastating damage.

The truth?

Most of these events were preventable.

🔍 What We Cover:

The 2025 grain dust explosion report (7 incidents, injuries up, fatalities up)

Real incidents across:

Grain elevators

Feed mills & biofuel plants

Metal dust facilities

What caused them:

Overheated bearings

Equipment maintenance failures

Smoldering material

Unknown ignition sources

Why small and mid-sized facilities are increasingly at risk

A recent North Carolina explosion and what we know so far

Dust accumulation + ignition source = explosion risk

Even with dust collectors and cleaning crews in place, fugitive dust still escapes and builds up in overhead areas, where it becomes the most dangerous.

The Key Lesson: Prevention Beats Reaction

Many facilities rely on:

Dust collection systems

Manual cleaning

Scheduled maintenance

But these are often reactive rather than preventive.

That’s why more facilities are turning to engineered housekeeping solutions like Dynamic Particle Control (DPC), which continuously prevents dust from accumulating in the first place.

Why This Matters

Behind every incident is a real cost:

Lives lost

Families impacted

Teams forever changed

And the hardest part is that we know how to prevent these events.

What You Can Do Next

If you’re responsible for plant safety, operations, or maintenance:

Take a hard look at your housekeeping strategy

Don’t rely on dust collection alone

Make sure your facility is truly compliant and protected

Learn More About Preventing Dust Explosions

Visit 👉 https://www.sonicaire.com

Get a free facility evaluation and see how you can eliminate fugitive dust risks before they become incidents.

👍 If This Helped:

Like & Subscribe for more real-world dust safety insights

Share this with someone responsible for plant safety

Because the next incident doesn’t have to happen.

What does it take to build a company that helps prevent combustible dust disasters—not just clean up after them?

In this special episode of OnAire, Taylor switches chairs and puts the spotlight on Jordan, SonicAire’s President and Owner, to share the story behind the mission.

Jordan grew up in Reidsville, North Carolina, with grease under his fingernails—learning to fix machines the old-school way. That curiosity led him to mechanical engineering at NC State… then into forensic engineering, where he investigated real fires and explosions. From there, he worked at Underwriters Laboratories (UL) testing safety-critical equipment like firefighter rescue gear.

Then came the turning point: Jordan joined SonicAire (15 years ago) and moved from “showing up after the incident” to helping customers prevent incidents in the first place.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

If you’re asking questions like:

…this episode is for you.

👉 Learn more about SonicAire and how we help facilities reduce dust accumulation risk: sonicaire.com

In this episode of OnAire, we kick off 2026 with a powerful conversation with Travis Davis, Operations Manager at a major grain elevator in Kansas. Travis shares how he helped develop and implement SonicAire’s first-ever Class II Division 1 certified fan for hazardous grain environments.

If you’ve ever wondered:

“Can a fan really help with dust in a grain elevator?”

“Why hasn’t the grain industry adopted new dust solutions?”

“How do I reduce manual housekeeping and increase uptime?”

…this episode is for you.

Hear Travis’s honest take on:

How he helped push SonicAire to innovate for grain

What it took to get internal buy-in for something new

The real-world results they’re seeing after installation

Why his crew now takes their dust-free environment for granted (and that’s a good thing)

SonicAire’s fans are a proven technology in textiles, wood, paper, and now — thanks to people like Travis — agriculture. If you’re in grain handling or ag processing and fighting the uphill battle against dust, you’ll want to hear this.

🔧 Learn more at SonicAire.com

🎧 Subscribe for more industry stories, safety breakthroughs, and everything dust-related.

Featuring: Jana and Mark from Osprey, SonicAire’s trusted European partners in engineered dust control.

The Big Idea:

Fans don’t always create dust clouds.

SonicAire fan systems prevent them.

In this international episode of the OnAire Podcast, we sit down with our partners from Osprey, based in France, to explore a powerful truth: combustible dust control is misunderstood by regulators, insurers, and even safety professionals on both sides of the Atlantic.

Who Should Watch This Episode:

Fire marshals and local AHJs

Safety officers, plant managers, and EHS leaders

Insurance auditors and risk assessors

Professionals in grain, feed, wood, tobacco, paper, recycling, and other high-risk industries

What You’ll Learn:

1. US vs. Europe: Two Compliance Worlds, One Shared Challenge

In the US, OSHA and NFPA (especially NFPA 652) guide combustible dust standards. In Europe, ATEX regulations govern explosive environments, but insurance companies often enforce standards more aggressively than local authorities. Across both regions, misunderstandings about fan-based dust control are common—and costly.

2. The Myth: Fans Stir Up Dust and Make Things Worse

Some AHJs and insurers assume that fans increase fire and explosion risk by stirring up dust. In reality, SonicAire fans prevent dust accumulation in overhead and hard-to-clean areas by maintaining continuous airflow barriers. The result: no build-up, no dust clouds, no shutdowns.

3. The Reality: Fans Reduce Risk, Improve Compliance, and Restore Coverage

Osprey shares how European customers—especially in wood and paper industries—have been able to: Avoid insurance cancellations Reduce costly manual cleanings Achieve ongoing OSHA and ATEX compliance Prevent secondary explosion hazards with cleaner overheads

4. What Happens When Insurers or Fire Marshals Say “No” to Fans

This episode walks through real scenarios where inspectors shut systems down—only to reverse their decisions after being educated on how SonicAire fans work. With the right documentation, the conversation shifts from “this looks risky” to “this solves our problem.”

5. What Documentation is Available for Regulators and Insurers?

SonicAire provides:

Fan compliance letters

Documentation that aligns with NFPA 662, Class II Div 1 and Div 2 ratings, and ATEX 22 certification

Reference sites and real-world case studies to support approvals

Why This Episode Matters

If you're a regulatory official, insurance decision-maker, or plant safety leader, and you’ve ever questioned the role of fans in a combustible dust environment, this conversation is essential. The idea that “fans cause dust clouds - not control them” is a myth. And in today’s risk-averse world, myths can lead to missed opportunities, higher costs, and increased hazards.

Watch This Podcast to Learn:

Who thinks their compliance guidelines are tougher, the US or Europe?

How insurance companies in Europe now recommend SonicAire systems.

What makes NFPA/OSHA and ATEX perspectives similar—and different.

Why prevention always beats reaction when it comes to dust compliance.

How Osprey and SonicAire partner to help facilities educate regulators, retain insurance, and protect people

🎧 Listen now: sonicaire.com/on-aire-podcast 📩

Need help talking to an AHJ or insurer? Contact our compliance team.

This isn’t just another safety podcast. It’s a direct conversation with the people who’ve seen the misconceptions—and fixed them.