WHITE PAPER

How to Make Sure Your Dust Collection System

Complies with Combustible Dust Standards
Combustible dust explosions are a risk in many areas of a plant, but one of the most common
locations is the dust collection system. How do you know if your dust collection system complies?
What do you do if it doesn’t? Are your employees at risk?

This white paper reviews the OSHA National

Emphasis Program for combustible dust, the NFPA
standards that address how to prevent or limit
explosion hazards, how to identify these hazards,
and the types of equipment used for explosion
protection. It will also examine the most common
shortfalls to compliance and how to avoid them.

By Tony Supine, Plant Manager, Camfil APC

and Mike Walters, Senior Engineer, Camfil APC
How to Make Sure Your Dust Collection System Complies
with Combustible Dust Standards
By Tony Supine, Plant Manager, Camfil APC
and Mike Walters, Senior Engineer, Camfil APC

Combustible dust explosions are a risk in many areas of a plant, but one of the most common locations is
the dust collection system. How do you know if your dust collection system complies? What do you do if
it doesn’t? Are your employees at risk? What are the hazards and how do you identify them?

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) sets standards and codes to protect buildings against
fire and explosion risks, and the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) is applying these
standards with increasing vigilance. When it comes to combustible dust, several standards must be
considered. This white paper reviews the current status of the OSHA National Emphasis Program for
combustible dust, the NFPA standards that address how to prevent or limit explosion hazards, how to
identify these hazards, and the types of equipment used to eliminate or control explosion hazards. We
will also examine the most common shortfalls to compliance and how to avoid them.

The last decade: a look back

In January 2003, an explosion at the
West Pharmaceutical facility in Kings-
ton, North Carolina killed six workers
and injured 38 others, including two
firefighters. The culprit: inadequate
control of dust hazards at the plant.
Only a month later, in February 2003,
another explosion and fire damaged
the CTA Acoustics manufacturing plant
in Corbin, Kentucky, fatally injuring
seven workers. Investigators found that
resin dust, accumulated in a produc-
tion area, was likely ignited by flames
from a malfunctioning oven, triggering
the explosion.

The most famous combustible dust

explosion in the past decade – and the These dust collectors are equipped with passive and active controls.
one responsible for re-focusing the Passive controls are an explosion vent and ducting that control the
pressure and flame direction, and a rotary valve that contains the flame in the
national spotlight on this issue – was hopper. The active control is a chemical isolation system mounted on the
the February 2008 accident at the inlet duct. Triggered by a pressure/flame detector, it will extinguish a flame
front passing through the inlet pipe before it goes back into the plant.
Imperial Sugar Company’s Wentworth,

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Georgia refinery. A dust cloud explosion triggered a fatal blast and fire that killed 13 workers and injured
42 others, generating a storm of media attention and government scrutiny.

These are by no means the only fatal explosions to occur in U.S. manufacturing plants, though they are
the three deadliest to be investigated. More recently, in December 2010, two brothers lost their lives in a
chemical explosion at the New Cumberland, West Virginia plant of AL Solutions. And during 2011, three
deadly fires and explosions occurred at a Hoeganaes Corp. plant in Gallatin, Tennessee. Investigators
found that accumulations of fine iron powder in the facility led to the explosions.

In the U.S. alone in the 25 years between 1980 and 2005, the Chemical Safety Board reported 281
explosions caused by ignited combustible dust. These explosions resulted in 199 fatalities and 718
injuries. Combustible dust explosions over the past decade in U.S. plants are blamed for well over 100
fatalities and hundreds more injuries. Sadly, experts believe these accidents could have been prevent-
ed if the companies involved had followed best practices for fire and explosion protection such as the
methodologies described in this white paper.

Agencies involved
There are three key entities involved in combustible dust issues, each with its own particular area of
responsibility:

NFPA: The NFPA sets safety standards, amending and updating them on a regular basis. As noted, when
it comes to combustible dust, there
are several different documents that
come into play, as summarized in
the section directly below. Togeth-
er these standards add up to total
protection to prevent an explosion,
vent it safely, and/or ensure that it
will not travel back inside a building.
Most insurance agencies and local
fire codes state that NFPA standards
shall be followed as code. Exceptions
would be where the authority hav-
ing jurisdiction (AHJ), such as Factory
Mutual, specifies an alternative safe-
ty approach which might be even
more stringent.

OSHA: It is OSHA’s role, together

This dust collector is equipped with an explosion vent with vertical upblast with local authorities, to uphold
deflector plate. Other safety features include a sprinkler system and filters with
special carbon-impregnated media for static dissipation. the standards published by NFPA. In

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the aftermath of the Imperial Sugar Company
explosion in 2008, OSHA re-issued its 2007
Combustible Dust National Emphasis Program
(NEP) outlining policies and procedures for
inspecting workplaces that create or handle
combustible dusts. As defined by OSHA, “These
dusts include, but are not limited to: metal dust
such as aluminum and magnesium; wood dust;
coal and other carbon dusts; plastic dust and
additives; bio-solids; other organic dust such
as sugar, flour, paper, soap, and dried blood;
and certain textile materials.” The revised NEP,
which OSHA reissued on March 11, 2008, was
designed to ramp up inspections, focusing in
particular on 64 industries with more frequent Figure 1: Penalty graph shows fines imposed from com-
and serious dust incidents. mencement of the OSHA Combustible Dust National
Emphasis Program (NEP) in 2008 until October 2011.
(Image courtesy of www.oshalawupdate.com)
According to an October 2011 OSHA update
on its Combustible Dust NEP, since the commencement of inspections under the 2008 program, more
than 2,600 inspections have occurred. More than 12,000 violations were found during this timeframe,
including more than 8,500 which are classified as serious. Federal penalties and fines for these violations
have totaled $22,738,909, with nearly another $1,600,000 in state fines. OSHA uncovered a variety of
dust collection violations in these inspections, including dust collectors that were not equipped with
proper explosion protection devices and systems that were not vented to safe locations. (Figure 1)

U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB): The CSB is an independent federal agency responsible for investigating
industrial chemical accidents. Staff members include chemical and mechanical engineers, safety experts,
and other specialists with chemical industry and/or investigative experience. The CSB conducts thorough
investigations of explosions like the ones mentioned above – sifting through evidence to determine root
causes and then publishing findings and recommendations. The CSB has a wealth of information on their
web site (www.csb.gov), including educational videos depicting how combustible dust explosions occur.

The CSB has become an outspoken advocate of the need for more stringent combustible dust
regulations and enforcement. On February 7, 2012, the fourth anniversary of the Imperial Sugar
explosion, the chairman of the CSB issued a statement in which he applauded the progress made to date
in dealing with combustible dust issues. He noted, however: “Completing a comprehensive OSHA dust
standard is the major piece of unfinished business from the Imperial Sugar tragedy…. We believe such
a standard is necessary to reduce or eliminate hazards from fires and explosions from a wide variety of
combustible powders and dust.” The CSB has also recommended that the International Code Council,
which sets safety standards that are often adopted by state and local government, revise its standards to
require mandatory compliance with the detailed requirements of the various NFPA standards relating to
combustible dust.
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The role of Congress: Some members of Congress are also advocating
faster action by OSHA to implement a combustible dust standard. In
February 2013, Representative George Miller of California, together
with Representatives John Barrow of Georgia and Joe Courtney of
Connecticut, reintroduced a bill titled The Worker Protection against
Combustible Dust Explosions and Fires Act (H.R. 691). If enacted, it
would require OSHA to issue an interim standard within one year
of passage and the Secretary of Labor to issue a proposed rule 18
months later, with a final rule due within another three years. This At the startup of a staged explosion,
explosive dust is injected into the dust
is similar to another bill, H.R. 522, which was introduced in 2011 but collector to create a flammable cloud.
never enacted. An earlier bill passed the House in April 2008 but
never went to the Senate.

Relevant NFPA Standards

In trying to sort through the list of combustible dust standards, a
good starting point for every plant engineer or manager is NFPA 654,
the Standard for the Prevention of Fire and Dust Explosions from the
Manufacturing, Processing and Handling of Combustible Particulate
Solids. Simply stated, NFPA 654 is an all-encompassing standard on
how to design a safe dust collection system. It is regarded as the About 50 milliseconds later, the dust
ignites and the vent opens.
guiding dust document and the most general on the topic, and it will
lead you to other relevant documents.

Depending on the nature and severity of the hazard, NFPA 654 will
guide you to the appropriate standard(s) for explosion venting and/
or explosion prevention, as follows:

NFPA 68 – Standard on Explosion Protection by Deflagration Venting:

This document focuses on explosion venting – i.e., on devices and
systems that vent combustion gases and pressures resulting from The flame is diverted away from the
a deflagration within an enclosure, for the purpose of minimizing dust collector to a safe area.
structural and mechanical damage. The current edition, published
in 2007, contains much more stringent requirements than past
editions, essentially elevating it from a guideline to a standard.

NFPA 69 – Standard on Explosion Prevention Systems: This stan-

dard covers explosion protection of dust collectors when venting
is not possible. It covers the following methods for prevention of
deflagration explosions: control of oxidant concentration, control
of combustible concentration, explosion suppression, deflagration
pressure containment, and spark extinguishing systems. The smoke quickly clears. The whole
event took about 150 milliseconds.

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The general document (NFPA 654) also directs the reader to appropriate standards for specific manufac-
turing industries. The NFPA recognizes that different industries and processes have varying requirements,
and it relaxes or tightens some aspects of its dust standards accordingly. Wood dusts, for example, tend
to contain high moisture content that make for a potentially less explosive environment, resulting in a
less stringent overall dust standard for that industry. Conversely, metal dusts can be highly explosive and
subject to more vigilant regulation.

The industry-specific standards most commonly employed are:

NFPA 61 – Standard for the Prevention of Fires and Dust Explosions in Agricultural and Food Process-
ing Facilities. This standard covers facilities engaged in dry agricultural bulk materials including grains,
oilseeds, agricultural seeds, legumes, sugar, flour, spices, feeds, and other related materials; facilities
that manufacture and handle starch; seed preparation and meal-handling systems of oilseed processing
plants not covered by NFPA 36, Standard for Solvent Extraction Plants. Examples of facilities covered by
NFPA 61 include but are not limited to bakeries, grain elevators, feed mills, flour mills, corn and rice mill-
ing, dry milk products, mix plants, soybean and other oilseed preparation operations, cereal processing,
snack food processing, tortilla plants, chocolate processing, pet food processing, cake mix processing,
sugar refining and processing, and seed plants.

NFPA 484 – Standard for Combustible Metals. This standard covers all metals and alloys in a form that
is capable of combustion or explosion, and it outlines procedures that shall be used to determine
whether a metal is combustible or noncombustible form. It also applies to processing or finishing opera-
tions that produce combustible metal powder or dust such as machining, sawing, grinding, buffing and
polishing. Parts that contain multiple metals or alloys are subject to the requirements of the metal whose
combustion characteristics they most closely match. The standard also defines exclusions such as the
transportation of metals or the primary production of aluminum, magnesium, and lithium.

NFPA 664 – Standard for the Prevention of Fire and Explosions in Wood Processing and Woodworking
Facilities. This standard establishes the minimum fire and explosion prevention requirements for facilities
that process wood or manufacture wood products using wood or cellulosic fibers, creating wood chips,
particles, or dust. Examples include wood flour plants, industrial woodworking plants, furniture plants,
plywood plants, composite board plants, lumber mills, and production-type woodworking shops and
carpentry shops that meet minimum requirements for plant size or dust collection flow rates.

Using Performance-Based Codes: In 1995, the NFPA created a Performance-Based (PB) Support Team to
assist NFPA Technical Committees with the transition to performance-based documents. Since that time,
the NFPA has been incorporating performance-based options into its updated standards: The NFPA 654
general dust document first adopted this concept in 2006, with the other more specific combustible dust
standards following suit since that time. Using the newer performance-based codes, solutions no longer
have to follow NFPA standards to the letter if the variance is backed by full-scale, real-world destructive
test data.

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Performance-based provisions state specific life safety objectives and define approved methods to
demonstrate that your design meets these objectives. They give equipment manufacturers and plant
engineers greater flexibility by allowing methods to quantify equivalencies to existing prescriptive-based
codes or standards, as long as the proposed solution demonstrates compliance.

A performance-based design procedure includes the following steps: (1) establish safety goals; (2) evalu-
ate all aspects of the facility with regard to safety; (3) identify potential hazards; (4) define appropriate
hazard scenarios; (5) establish performance objectives and criteria; (6) select calculation methods (e.g.
computer models); (7) develop a proposed solution; (8) assess the solution; and (9) obtain approval.

Technologies for explosion protection

There are many types of devices and systems used to comply with NFPA standards for the explosion
protection of dust collection systems, but they fall into two general categories: passive and active.
Passive systems react to the event, while active systems detect and react prior to or during the event.

The goal of a passive system is to control an explosion so as to

keep employees safe and minimize equipment damage in the
plant. An active system, by contrast, can prevent an explosion
from occurring. An active system involves much more costly
technology and typically requires re-certification every three
months.

Passive devices include:

• Explosion venting: Designed to be the “weak” link of
the dust collector vessel, an explosion vent opens when
predetermined pressures are reached inside the collec-
tor, allowing the excess pressure and flame front to exit
to a safe area. It is designed to minimize damage to the Figure 2: A dust collector explosion vent
collector and prevent it from blowing up in the event of designed in accordance with NFPA standards.

a deflagration, thereby reducing the hazard. (Figure 2)

• Flameless venting: Designed to install over a standard

explosion vent, a flameless vent extinguishes the flame
front exiting the vented area, not allowing it to exit the
device. This allows conventional venting to be accomplished
indoors where it could otherwise endanger personnel and/
or ignite secondary explosions. (Figure 3)

• Passive float valve: Designed to be installed in the

outlet ducting of a dust collection system, this valve utilizes a Figure 3: Flameless venting device

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 mechanical barrier to isolate pressure and flame fronts caused by the explosion from propagating
further through the ducting. The mechanical barrier reacts within milliseconds and is closed by the
pressure of the explosion.

• Flow operated flap valve: This is a mechanical back draft damper positioned in the inlet ducting.
It utilizes a mechanical barrier that is held open by the process air and is slammed shut by the pressure
forces of the explosion. When closed, this barrier isolates pressure and flame fronts from being able to
propagate further up the process stream.

• Flame front diverters: These devices divert the flame front to atmosphere and away from the
downstream piping. Typically, these devices are used between two different vessels equipped with
their own explosion protection systems. The flame front diverter is used to eliminate “flame jet
ignition” between the two vessels that could overpower the protection systems installed.

Active devices include:

• Chemical isolation: Designed to react within milliseconds of detecting an explosion, a chemical
suppression system can be installed in either inlet and/or outlet ducting. Typical components include
explosion pressure detector(s), flame detector, and a control panel. This system creates a chemi-
cal barrier that suppresses the explosion within the ducting and reduces the propagation of flame
through the ducting and minimizes pressure increase within connected process equipment.

• Chemical suppression: Whereas chemical isolation is used to detect and suppress explosions within
the ducting, chemical suppression protects the dust collector itself. It is often used, together with
isolation, when it is not possible to safely vent an explosion or where the dust is harmful or toxic. The
system detects an explosion hazard within milliseconds and releases a chemical agent to extinguish
the flame before an explosion can occur.

• Fast acting valve: Designed to close within milliseconds of detecting an explosion, the valve installs in
either inlet and/or outlet ducting. It creates a mechanical barrier within the ducting that effectively
isolates pressure and flame fronts from either direction, preventing them from propagating further
through the process.

• High-speed abort gate: The gate is installed in the inlet and /or outlet ducting of a dust collection
system and is used to divert possible ignition hazards from entering the collector, preventing a
possible explosion from occurring and preventing flame and burning debris from entering the facility
through the return air system. A mechanical barrier diverts process air to a safe location. Abort gates
are activated by a spark detection system located far enough upstream to allow time for the gate to
activate.

When planning explosion protection, don’t overlook additional devices and materials that can help
reduce fire risk within the dust collection system. For spark-generating applications, a range

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 of features and technologies are
available, from flame-retardant and
carbon anti-conductive filter media to spark
arrestors in the form of drop-out boxes,
perforated screens or cyclone device installed
at the collector inlet. Fire sprinkler systems
may also be required with some installations.

A dust collector that uses vertically-mount-

ed filter cartridges can also reduce fire and
explosion risks. With horizontally-mount-
ed cartridges, dust becomes trapped in the
pleats in the upper third of the filters (Figure
Figure 4: Example of horizontally-mounted dust collector filters 4). This dust will become dispersed during a
deflagration providing unnecessary excessive
amounts of extra fuel for the event. Horizontal cartridges are also exposed to all of the dust entering the
collector, coarse and fine. This leads to premature failure from abrasion and leaks. These leaks can go
unnoticed for quite some time while fine combustible dust is blown into your facility. Vertically-mounted
filters use baffle systems to segregate much of the dust into the hopper, which reduces the load on the
filters and helps eliminate these problems.

Mistakes, misconceptions and pitfalls

A wide range of problems can contribute to explosion risk in a facility, but some common denominators
exist. Based on years of field experience, the ones we have most commonly encountered are:

Insistence on maintaining the status quo: “I’ve worked here for 30 years and we’ve never had a
problem” is a frequently heard response. This mindset stems in part from a common misconception that
the dust is not explosive because the facility has not had an event– when in fact, the opposite may be
true. In some cases, it may take many years for dust to accumulate to explosive levels as seen in the CTA
Acoustics event.

To understand the risks, it is necessary to review the five

elements comprising what is known as the “dust explosion
pentagon” (Figure 5). They are (1) combustible dust; (2)
an ignition source; (3) oxygen in the air; (4) dispersion of
the dust in sufficient concentration to be explosive; and (5)
containment of the dust cloud within a confined or semi-
confined vessel or area. All five of these elements may ex-
ist in an industrial facility, but all must be present at the
same time for an explosion to occur. If there is no contain-
ment, it is still possible for a flash fire to erupt if elements Figure 5: Dust explosion pentagon shows the ele-
ments that must be present for a combustible dust
#1-4 are present simultaneously. explosion to occur.

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In a closed vessel such as a cartridge dust collection system, an explosion typically begins when an
ignition source enters the dust collector. This ignition source can come from many things and in most
cases is never identified. When a pulse cleaning event occurs, a suspended cloud of combustible dust is
present in high concentration within the collector. This completes the five elements of a dust explosion
and initiates the explosion.

Though some incidents involve a single explosion, it is more common for a series of deflagrations to
occur. The initial explosion can dislodge ignitable dust hidden on overhead surfaces or other areas over
a large area and trigger secondary explosions that can be ignited from the initial explosion or from other
ignition sources. It is these secondary explosions that have historically caused the majority of injuries and
damage to property.

How do you know if your facility is at risk? Even if there has never been a problem before, this is no
guarantee of future safety. The level of hazard can change from day to day and even from moment to
moment – whether due to the introduction of a new process, a temporary lapse in housekeeping, or a
static electricity discharge caused by improper grounding. It takes ongoing vigilance and management of
change to identify conditions in your plant that might cause a potential safety problem.

Lack of a risk evaluation or hazard analysis:

Failure to conduct a hazard analysis is an all Kst Values of Common Dusts
too common oversight. The NFPA states that
Common Dusts Micron Kst Value
a hazard analysis is needed to assess risk and
determine the required level of fire and explo- Activated Carbon 18 44
sion protection. The analysis can be conducted Aluminum Grit 41 100
Aluminum Powder 22 400
internally or by an independent consultant, but Asphalt 29 117
either way the authority having jurisdiction will Barley Grain Dust 51 240
Brown Coal 41 123
ultimately review and approve the findings.
Charcoal 29 117
Cotton 44 24
Regarding explosion protection, the first step Magnesium 28 508
Methyl Cellulose 37 209
in a hazard analysis is determining whether Milk Powder 165 90
your dust is explosive. Many commercial test Paper Tissue Dust 54 52
Pectin 59 162
laboratories offer a low-cost test to establish Polyurethane 3 156
whether a dust sample is combustible. If the Rice Starch 18 190
test is positive, then the explosive index (Kst) Silicon 10 126
Soap 65 111
and the maximum pressure rise (Pmax) of the Soy Bean Flour 20 110
dust should be determined by ASTM E 1226-10, Sulphur 20 151
Tobacco 49 12
Standard Test Method for Explosibility of Dust Toner 23 145
Clouds. Wood Dust 43 102

Your dust collection equipment supplier will Figure 6: Kst values of common dusts
need the Kst and Pmax values in order to cor-

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rectly size explosion venting or suppression systems. Failure to provide this information will increase
your costs, since the supplier will have to use worst-case estimates of the Kst and Pmax values or may
even refuse to provide the equipment. The liability to the manufacturer and to the equipment purchaser
is too high to ignore the life safety objectives.

The fact is, any dust above 0 Kst is now considered to be explosive, and the majority of dusts fall into
this category. If OSHA determines that even a very low Kst dust is present in a facility with no explosion
protection in place, a citation will result. This is one of the biggest changes to occur with the re-introduc-
tion of the OSHA NEP in 2008. Figure 6 shows the Kst values of a number of common dusts.

Bargain-hunting: Every plant engineer and manager is acquainted with the benefits of basing
purchasing decisions on life-cycle cost – sometimes called “total cost of ownership” – over choosing
equipment with the lowest price tag. A dust collector is no exception. A well-designed dust collection
system can pay for itself rapidly in energy and maintenance savings, costing far less to operate than a unit
with a low initial price.

A high-quality, heavy duty collector can also offer a less obvious advantage in the event of a combustible
dust problem. As documented both in full-scale
testing and field experience, in the event that
a dust explosion occurs in the collector, a “bar-
gain” model will more than likely require total
replacement. A collector made of thicker-gauge
metal with higher vessel strength, however, will
survive an explosion and can often continue in
service with only the explosion vent and filter
cartridges needing to be replaced.

Using non-compliant devices: A close cousin

to the bargain-hunting issue involves the use
of non-compliant or uncertified explosion
protection devices. As an example, sometimes
products such as back flap dampers may be
reverse-engineered by suppliers that do not
have any expertise in explosion protection
or have chosen not to perform the required
testing to satisfy the standards and/or the
performance-based provisions. No testing
exists to prove that the device will comply with
current standards.

If an OSHA inspector finds this situation in the Photos of a factory taken before and after installation of a dust
collection system show how effectively the collector cleans up
field, the plant will have to replace the device hazardous dust and fumes.

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and may be subject to a fine. Worse yet, if a combustible dust problem should occur, there is no guaran-
tee that the device will perform as expected.

It is also worth noting, there is no such thing as an “NFPA-approved” device. A supplier may correctly state
that a device “carries CE and ATEX certifications” and/or is “manufactured in accordance with NFPA stan-
dards” – but test data must be available to support these claims. Such a device might cost more than its
non-compliant counterpart, but in the long run it can save money, headaches, and even lives.

Housekeeping problems: In an October 2011 update on the Combustible Dust NEP, OSHA reported that
one common violation encountered during inspections involved “hazardous levels of dust accumulation
in the workplaces due to poor housekeeping practices”. In the authors’ experience, as a rule of thumb, if
an OSHA inspector can run his finger across a dusty surface or see a footprint, that is considered a citable
condition.

Diligent cleanup of floors and work surfaces is still not enough if more elevated areas are neglected: Dust
that accumulates on rafters and other horizontal overhead surfaces, or on top of machinery, is a frequent
culprit. In NFPA 654, hazardous surface dust is defined as any dust layer of 1/32 inch (0.8 mm) or greater.

When it comes to the dust collector, a simple but important housekeeping requirement is to change
filters when airflow through the system reaches a differential pressure limit as prescribed by the
manufacturer or when the pressure drop across the collector is negatively affecting the ability of the dust
collection system to capture the dust, thus allowing it to escape into the facility. Some long-life cartridge
filters available today can operate for two years or even longer between change-outs; but for heavy
dust-loading applications, filter replacement might be considerably more frequent.

Also, use of a listed portable vacuum helps keep the surrounding area free of spilled dust and surface
dust. Use of compressed air to control dust is permitted only under certain conditions because it can
increase the hazard by creating a combustible dust cloud.

Another housekeeping misstep is storing dust in the dust collector’s hopper. The hopper should
be equipped with a device that discharges the dust into a separate drum or storage container
after it is pulsed off the filters during the cleaning process. Equally important, this storage
container must be emptied regularly, or dust can back up into the hopper. Dust sitting in a hopper
creates a potential fire or explosion risk, and may also affect performance of the dust collection system.
This will lead to loss of airflow which will reduce conveying velocities, allowing build-up of dust in the
ducting and emissions of dust at the process hoods.

Misunderstanding risks involved with “open” style dust collectors: Some plant managers mistakenly
believe that open type dust collection systems, such as those incorporated into bag-dump stations,
downdraft tables and booths, are not a hazard. While these collectors admittedly differ from traditional
dust collectors in that they do not take the form of a tightly contained vessel, at least four of the five
ingredients of the explosion pentagon may still be present: combustible dust, an ignition source, oxygen,

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and dispersion of the dust in sufficient concentra-
tion to pose a hazard.

Thus, there is still a risk of flash fire directed by a

pressure front – a potentially fatal risk, given that
workers are in close proximity in these environ-
ments. If you are using an open type dust collector,
you must still test and evaluate the combustibility
of the dust and equip the area with fire and/or ex-
plosion protection equipment as required.

The error of over-specification: The problems

described above involve not doing enough in one
way or another. But sometimes plant engineers err
on the side of doing too much – the error of over-
engineering or over-specification, which results in
explosion protection solutions that may be need-
lessly expensive and time-consuming to maintain
and monitor.
Storage drum prevents dust from backing up in the hopper
The NFPA uses relatively conservative textbook cal- and creating an explosion hazard.
culations in its standards for explosion protection
equipment, and justifiably so. However, as noted above (see performance-based codes), the NFPA also
allows real-world destructive test data to be used in place of its own standard calculations, provided the
dust collection supplier can provide adequate data to prove that the collection system is designed to
meet a specific set of criteria for a given situation. The use of real-world destructive test data is thus a
permissible and sometimes overlooked strategy.

An example is actual explosion testing of a dust collector to show that it will stand up to anticipated
pressure conditions, instead of using the reduced pressure calculations in NFPA 68. By combining
field testing and full-scale dust collection laboratory test apparatus to prove certain assumptions, this
approach might allow you to install longer duct lengths in a given application; to use a single explosion
vent where multiple vents might otherwise have been needed; or even to use explosion venting in place
of a more costly chemical suppression system. Find out if your dust collection supplier can provide real-
world test data to assist in a strategy that may help you to avoid over-engineering and save on equipment
costs without compromising safety.

Conclusion
Not everyone agrees on the best way to tackle combustible dust issues. Some concur with the CSB
position that OSHA needs to accelerate efforts to produce and enforce its own standard, citing a
long-standing precedent with the grain industry.

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Explosions in grain bins used to be one of the
biggest safety problems in the U.S. In 1987,
following a series of deadly explosions, OSHA
promulgated a Grain Handling Facilities Stan-
dard that remains in effect today. This stan-
dard has yielded major improvements in
combustible dust safety in these facilities.
According to OSHA, “The lessons learned in the
grain industry can be applied to other industries
producing, generating, or using combustible
dust.”

Others argue that more stringent and perhaps con-

solidated dust standards from the NPFA, diligently
enforced by OSHA and local authorities, would
be preferable to a separate OSHA standard. What
everyone does seem to acknowledge is that
more drastic action is necessary to prevent com-
bustible dust tragedies from continuing to occur.
This heavy duty dust collector with explosion vent is designed
Until such action is mandated, a certain degree to survive a combustible dust explosion with minimal damage.
of self-regulation is called for. Managers of in-
dustrial facilities can choose to be part of the problem or part of the solution. By following the guidelines
in this article, and securing the help of engineering consultants and equipment suppliers with a proven
track record in combustible dust applications and performance-based solutions, you can minimize risk
factors and maximize combustible dust safety in your facility.

# # #

Tony Supine has held numerous positions with Camfil APC including research and development manager,
technical director and currently plant manager. Mike Walters, a registered Professional Engineer with 30 years’ expe-
rience in air pollution control and dust collection systems, is a senior engineer with the company. Camfil APC is a leading
manufacturer of dust collection equipment. The authors can be reached at (800) 479-6801 or (870)933-8048; email
[email protected]; website www.camfilapc.com.

References
National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), 1 Batterymarch Park, Quincy, MA 02169; www.nfpa.org.

• NFPA 61: Standard for the Prevention of Fires and Dust Explosions in Agricultural and Food Processing Facilities (2013)
• NFPA 68: Standard on Explosion Protection by Deflagration Venting (2013)
• NFPA 69: Standard on Explosion Prevention Systems (2008)

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• NFPA 484: Standard for Combustible Metals (2012)
• NFPA 654: Standard for the Prevention of Fire and Dust Explosions from the Manufacturing, Processing and handling of
Combustible Particulate Solids (2013)
• NFPA 664 – Standard for the Prevention of Fire and Explosions in Wood Processing and Woodworking Facilities (2012)

Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA), 200 Constitution Avenue, Washington, DC 20210; www.osha.gov.

• OSHA Combustible Dust National Emphasis Program (Reissued) – Directive Number: CPL 03-00-008; effective date March
11, 2008.
• OSHA Combustible Dust Standards, July 2008.

U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB), 2175 K. Street, NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20037;
www.csb.gov.

The Library of Congress, 101 Independence Ave, SE, Washington, DC 20540; http://beta.congress.gov/: H.R. 691: Worker
Protection Against Combustible Dust Explosions and Fires Act of 2013.

OSHA Law Update, a Hazard Communication, Epstein Becker Green, 1227 25th Street, NW, Suite 700, Washington, DC 20037;
http://www.oshalawupdate.com : “2011 Rundown of OSHA’s Combustible Dust National Emphasis Program and Rulemak-
ing”, Amanda R. Strainis-Walker and Eric J. Conn; December 29, 2011.

ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA, 19428; www.astm.org; “ASTM E 1226-10,
Standard Test Method for Explosibility of Dust Clouds”, 2010.

© Copyright 2013 Camfil APC

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