Dust Hazard Assessments

Many materials can form explosive dust hazards in certain circumstances. For industrial facilities that produce combustible dust in their manufacturing process due to cutting or grinding operations, and facilities that specifically handle, process or store combustible dust, there are a number of dust explosion protection measures that need to be in place to protect employees, the public and business operations. These protection measures can include automatic protection systems, process monitoring and interlocks, safe electrical installations for hazardous locations, and manual housekeeping programs.

Facilities involved in processing wood, processing agricultural products (flour, sugar, corn, barley, starch, etc.), manufacturing chemical/pharmaceutical products, manufacturing processes involving plastics and certain metals are some examples where dust explosion incidents have occurred, and explosion protection measures are required.  Facility owners and operators have a legal and ethical responsibility to minimize the risk of dust explosions and fires in the workplace.

How PLC Can Help

PLC engineers are experts that have the knowledge and experience to complete a risk assessment and develop measures to help prevent a fire or explosion from occurring or to mitigate their effects.   Dust explosions can have severe outcomes including fatalities or serious injuries, cause extensive damage to the facility and specialized industrial equipment, and long-term loss of production. PLC engineers can help you minimize this risk.  PLC has been an active member of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Technical Committee on Explosion Prevention Systems since 1988 and has spent decades developing an understanding of dust hazards and their protection requirements from additional organizations including:

• International Standards Organization (ISO)
• The Association of German Engineers (VDI)
• European Directives (ATEX)
• Factory Mutual Global (FM)
• ASTM International Standards organization (ASTM)

As a result, PLC has the know-how and the experience to develop solutions to control the risk and minimize the consequences of a dust explosion in the workplace.