Combustible dusts are fine particulate dusts generated from organic products such as wood, metal, grain, agricultural, chemical, plastic, paper and carbonaceous products. In manufacturing and production facilities, machinery pulverizes, mills, grinds, crushes, macerates and cuts the bulk product. In return, dust is generated and accumulates on all equipment and facility structure surfaces. The fine powder dust, which is suspended on the higher, inaccessible surfaces, is the most problematic source of combustible dust.
Proceed safely with combustible dusts
When encountering combustible dust, several important procedures should be implemented. Safety is the top priority. The following measures are some of the issues that need to be addressed, when encountering combustible dusts:
• Implement a Process Hazard Analysis of the affected areas which contain or produce combustible dusts.
• Preventing static electricity, sparking and any electrical charge is the first preventative step.
• Proper grounding of in-house electrical systems, equipment, forklifts, high-reach equipment, vacuums, extension cords and lighting is mandatory under the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 654 Standard. With certain combustible dusts, such as zirconium, the simple act of static charge from a human can create a charge that can lead to a dust explosion.
• Testing and sampling of the powder and bulk dust particulate is required to determine whether or not the dust particulate is combustible. Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) for each product can be useful in testing the dust.
• Donning proper PPE is also important. Essential protection basics can include: a HEPA-filtered respirator, safety lanyards and harnesses, hard hats, safety glasses, ear protection, disposable gloves, special coveralls and steel toe boots.
Insurance Claim Risks and Impacts
Combustible dust can impact a company's insurance risk and rates due to several factors. First, combustible dusts can be found over large areas of sensitive manufacturing equipment, electronics, lighting, and fire suppression systems. These items can generate more heat at a faster rate since the combustible dust acts as an insulator, causing sensitive items to overheat, wear out and fail at faster rates. A fire suppression head covered in combustible dust may never activate properly.
Second, combustible dust will increase expenditures that come straight out of company profits. Inhalation of dust may cause illnesses and increase workers' compensation and retraining costs, absenteeism and production faults. They also decrease productivity, morale, and ultimately, profits.
Third, if an incident or explosion occurs, then a manufacturing facility may have to completely shutdown, and the company might receive citations and fines from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
Properly trained Staff is Key
Properly trained housekeeping staff is the key to preventing combustible dust risks. Some important areas to focus on include high ceilings and surfaces, HVAC air conveyance systems, dust collectors, conveyor belts, silo tanks, and lab fume hoods, as well as dust control vacuuming. Keeping these areas clean and maintained helps prevent airborne dust and particulates from accumulating in manufacturing facilities. Cleaning combustible dust may also help extend the life of equipment, decrease utility costs for operating equipment, increase lighting brightness, stabilize insurance rates, and allow a greater return on investment of manufacturing equipment.
Properly trained personnel should perform combustible dust cleaning. It is important to implement a safety training program that covers the dangers of handling and cleaning combustible dusts. Explosion-proof HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filtration vacuums should be the primary type of equipment used for combustible dust cleaning. Beware of vendors who use dirty rags or other potentially contaminated equipment. Sweeping with a broom or using compressed air is not a safe means of cleaning combustible dust. The act of sweeping and the use of compressed air actually create dust clouds and release particulate into the air, which may create more issues with sensitive equipment, and possible combustible dust explosions.
Choosing the proper vendor affects the outcome. Ask for liability insurance and workers' compensation certificates. Before and after photos of other projects can provide an indication of how well trained and knowledgeable a team is. A clean and safe facility can impact employee morale, improve productivity and reduce liability.
Jon Barrett is the commercial marketing manager for SERVPRO of Cherry Hill/Haddonfield and Mount Laurel/Moorestown. He can be reached at sp.jb@comcast.net.
© Arc, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to TMSalesOperations@arc-network.com. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.