Сombustible dust hazard analysis: 5 key benefits for the company

Introduction

Many production facilities generate particulate solids that is a serious safety threat. Even a small spark can cause an explosion or fire, resulting in personal injury, equipment damage and production stoppage. Analyzing combustible dust hazards is an effective tool to prevent such incidents. In this article we review how it helps to identify and eliminate risks, protecting your facility from potential disasters.

What is Combustible Dust Hazard Analysis?

Combustible Dust Hazard Analysis (sometimes shortened to DHA) presents a method for identifying and assessing combustible dust hazards in a plant. This is a key factor in preventing a fire and subsequent explosion.

 The danger of hazardous particulate solids accumulation exists in various industrial areas:

Combustible Dust Hazard Analysis (DHA) follows a systematic approach:

• Identification: location and definition of all areas in a facility where explosible particles could be found, including its type, where it accumulates, and how it’s created.
• Evaluation:  determining the probabilities of dust ignition and the occurrence of a fire or explosion.
• Risk assessment involves evaluating the probability of an event and the potential damage from each hazard.
• Recommendations: based on the results of the risk assessment, recommendations are developed to reduce the likelihood of accidents due to particulate solids accumulation. These recommendations  include: engineering controls (ventilation systems, explosion protection equipment), administrative controls (proper way of cleaning of production areas), personal protective equipment.
• Documentation: proper documentation of all steps in the process, including analysis results, risk assessment and proposed measures, is not only a legal requirement, but also a key element for continuous monitoring and optimization of the combustible dust risk management program.

4 steps for dust testing

1. Request a free consultation
   Tell us about the purpose of dust testing and the specifics of your production.
2. Collect and send the dust
   ATEX.CENTER experts will provide you with a guide on dust collection and send it to the lab.
3. Get a report
   Check the characteristics of the sample from your facility. 
4. Use the results 
   If the dust is combustible, develop a protection plan for your facility with the experts at ATEX.CENTER.

We can define the following explosive dust parameters:

• Kst – explosion hazard index
• Pmax – maximum explosion pressure
• ST1, ST2, ST3 explosion class (depends on Kst):
  • Kst ≤ 200 bar m/s – class ST1.
  • Kst from 200 to 300 bar m/s – class ST2.
  • Kst ≥ 300 bar m/s – class ST3.

Additional explosion hazard parameters which are necessary for a correct risk assessment include:

• MIT and MIE – Minimum Ignition Temperature and Energy.
• LEL and UEL – Lower and Upper Explosive Limits.
• (dp/dT)max – Maximum rate of explosion pressure rise.

5 Key Benefits of Combustible Dust Hazard Analysis  

There are at least five key benefits of DHA that show the service is essential for absolutely any business that handles combustible dust.

1. Preventing Catastrophic Accidents
   Conducting a proper DHA is the key to preventing devastating explosions and fires. It identifies ignition sources, particulate solids accumulation zones and safety weaknesses so that effective preventive measures can be implemented.
2. Compliance with Safety Standards
   To avoid fines, legal problems and a negative reputation, it's important to not only comply with OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) and NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) safety requirements, but to view them as the foundation of responsible business. A comprehensive DHA ensures your facility meets these standards, ensuring safe operations and enhancing your company's reputation.
3. Reducing Insurance Costs
   Insurance companies assess the risks of your operations and this directly affects the cost of insurance. A comprehensive and regularly updated combustible dust hazard analysis shows your responsible approach to safety, which can significantly reduce insurance premiums in the long term. Detailed documentation of your dust risk management process demonstrates your reliability as a customer and delivers significant savings.
4. Minimizing Downtime and Losses
   Downtime due to dust explosions and fires is a significant business loss. Careful analysis can prevent these losses by ensuring effective dust control and equipment maintenance. Minimizing risks ensures production continuity, equipment safety and stable profits. Investments in prevention always pay off, unlike the cost of accident recovery.
5. Protecting Employees and Reputation
   Employee safety and health is a key value for any organization. A comprehensive dust testing demonstrates your commitment to creating a safe work environment, which is the foundation for preventing explosions and fires, protecting employees from serious injury and fostering a culture of safety. An impeccable safety reputation attracts top talent, strengthens relationships with partners, customers and the local community, and creates a sustainable competitive advantage.

Conclusion

In combustible dust hazard control, understanding the unique properties of explosive dust at each facility becomes key. Explosion potential, ignition thresholds and minimum allowable concentrations are determined by particle composition and dispersion, varying from plant to plant. That is why a detailed analysis and comprehensive study of combustible dusts, taking into account the specifics of materials and technological processes, is not just desirable, but absolutely necessary.