Focus Article - Completing a Dust Hazard Analysis
Under the right conditions, dust from material as innocuous as sugar or wood can suddenly ignite, causing highly destructive flash fires and explosions. New standards on combustible dust require organizations in the chemical, food, and related industries to complete a dust hazard analysis to ensure they have effective controls in place to prevent catastrophic consequences.
This Focus Article outlines the process for completing a dust hazard analysis. We discuss:
- Background on the requirements of the new standard NFPA 652
- How the risk of combustible dust-clouds forming around your equipment is assessed
- A flow chart detailing the first steps of a dust hazard analysis
- Important questions every dust hazard analysis should answer