Is your facility safe for your employees ?
The combination of these 5 elements cause a dust explosion:
- Ignition
- Dispersion
- Confinement
- Dust
- Oxidant
Risk Factors
Industries Most at Risk for Dust Explosions:
- Metal processing (e.g. zinc, magnesium, aluminum, iron)
- Woodworking facilities
- Grain elevators
- Food production
- Chemical manufacturing (e.g. rubber, plastics, pharmaceuticals)
- Recycling facilities (e.g. paper, plastics, metals)
- Coal-fired power plants.
Materials Most at Risk for Dust Explosions:
- Metals such as aluminum, bronze, magnesium, zinc, etc.
- Wood
- Agricultural products such as egg whites, powdered milk, cornstarch, sugar, flour, grain, potato, rice, etc.
- Chemical dusts such as coal, sulphur, etc.
- Pharmaceuticals
- Pesticides
- Rubber
- Textiles
- Plastics
Find out by conducting a DHA.
A DHA (Dust Hazard Analysis) is a series of tests conducted to determine the presence of a combustible dust hazard within a facility.
NFPA 654- Chapter 7 outlines the details of a DHA.
A DHA includes:
- Dust testing to determine hazards of present dusts.
- Systematic review to identify and assess fire, flash fire, and explosion risks from combustible particulate solids.
- Identifying hazards for each process, facility, and component, along with defining safe operating ranges and safeguards.
- Collecting data for system requirements, including dust hazard testing.
- Offering guidance for managing combustible particulate solids and documenting all results.
DHAs are essential due to prevalent fire and explosion risks in industries handling combustible particulate solids.
Many materials can be explosive in dust form, necessitating DHAs to recognize, evaluate, and mitigate hazards effectively.