PDHonline Course C382 (3 PDH)

Combustible Dust Hazards- Awareness

Instructor: Jeffrey R. Sotek, PE, CSP, CIH

2012

PDH Online | PDH Center

5272 Meadow Estates Drive
Fairfax, VA 22030-6658
Phone & Fax: 703-988-0088
www.PDHonline.org
www.PDHcenter.com

An Approved Continuing Education Provider

 Combustible Dust Hazards

Presented by:

Jeffrey R. Sotek, PE, CSP, CIH

Overview
 Background – Why do We Care?
 Dust Hazards
 How to Prevent Dust Related Incidents
 OSHA’s Policy
 OSHA’s National Emphasis Program

HRP Associates, Inc.

Why Do We Care?
 A 2006 Chemical Safety and Hazard
Abatement Board (CBS) Study indicated
that:
 281 dust fires and explosions occurred
between 1980 and 2005 from combustible
dust incidents.
 These incidents reportedly claimed 119 lives
and injured 718 people
 These incidents occurred in 44 states in many
different industries and involved a variety of
different materials.

HRP Associates, Inc.

Why Do We Care?
 Domino Sugar refinery in Baltimore
Maryland on November 2, 2007.
 There were no fatalities
 3 employees suffered minor injuries
 Employees were performing maintenance on a
dust collector at the time of the explosion
 Maryland Occupational Safety and Health
Administration fined Domino $4,000 for
allowing dust to accumulate in its refinery

HRP Associates, Inc.

Why Do We Care?
 North Carolina
pharmaceutical plant that
manufactured rubber
drug-delivery components
in 2003
 Six employees were killed
and 38 people, including
two firefighters, were
injured.
 Cause determined to be
an accumulation of a
combustible polyethylene
dust above the suspended
ceilings fueled the
explosion.

HRP Associates, Inc.

Why Do We Care?
 Imperial Sugar refinery in Port Wentworth, GA
on February 8, 2008
 There were 13 fatalities
 40 employees suffered injuries including severe burns
 OSHA issued penalties of $5.06 MM for the company’s
Port Wentworth refinery and $3.7 MM based upon an
inspection of the company’s refinery in Gramercy, LA
following the Port Wentworth explosion.
 The company was issued 69 Willful
violations and 51 serious violations at the
Port Wentworth refinery and 49 Willful
violations and 48 serious violations at its
Gramercy, LA refinery

HRP Associates, Inc.

Dust Hazards
 The 3 elements
needed for a fire
(the “fire
triangle”) are:
1. Combustible dust
(fuel)
2. Ignition source
(heat)
3. Oxygen in air
(oxidizer)

HRP Associates, Inc.

Dust Hazards
 Additional
elements needed
for a combustible
dust explosion:
1. Dispersion of dust
particles in
sufficient and
concentration
2. Confinement of
the dust cloud

HRP Associates, Inc.

Dust Hazards
Industries at Risk
 Plastics production  Starch and candy
 Rubber reclamation production
 Wood, paper, or pulp  Spice, sugar, and
processing cocoa operations
 Flour and feed mills  Coal handling and
 Manufacture or processing
storage of metal  Pharmaceutical plants
powders  Grain elevators, bins,
 Chemical production and silos
 Explosives  Tobacco handling
Manufacturing operations
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Dust Hazards

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How to Prevent Dust
Related Incidents
 Perform a hazard assessment of your
facility
to assess potential for dust explosions
 Review and evaluate:
 Materials that can be combustible when finely
divided
• You need to determine whether your dust is
explosive and collect and analyze dust from:
• High places
• Floors and equipment surfaces
• Within ductwork
HRP Associates, Inc.
 Dust Hazards
 Several Dust Explosion Tests
 Explosibility Screening Test - A/B Classification
 Minimum Ignition Energy Test - Dust Cloud
 Minimum Ignition Energy Test - Dust Layer
 Minimum Ignition Temperature Test - Dust Cloud
 Minimum Ignition Temperature Test - Dust Layer
 Kst and Pmax Values
 Measure of explosion severity. Used in relief vent sizing and design of explosion
suppression and containment systems
 Limiting Oxygen Concentration (LOC)
 Measure of the oxygen concentration below which an explosion will not occur. Used
in designing inerting systems.
 Minimum Ignition Energy
 Measure of sensitivity to ignition by electrostatic discharge
 Minimum Ignition Temperature
 Measure of sensitivity to ignition by hot surfaces, friction sparks, and electrical
equipment
 Resistivity, Conductivity, and Chargeability
 Measure of ignition risks

HRP Associates, Inc.

Dust Hazards
 NFPA classifies dusts according
to their explosibility —
 Class 0 dusts are rated at 0
KSt (no explosion)
 Class 1 dusts are rated below
200 KSt (weak explosion)
 Class 2 dusts range from 200
to 300 KSt (strong explosion)
 Class 3 dusts are rated above
300 KSt (very strong
explosion)
 As a rule of thumb, when dusts
approach 600 KSt, they’re so
explosive that wet collection
methods are recommended.

HRP Associates, Inc.

 Dust Hazards
The
following
table
specifies
the type of
data that
might be
required
for some
common
unit
operations
involving
powders

HRP Associates, Inc.

How to Prevent Dust
Related Incidents
 Review and evaluate:
 Processes which use, consume, or produce combustible
dusts
• Conduct internal and external audits in order to identify
potential explosion hazard
• Have employees and supervisors identify explosion
hazards through job hazard analyses
• Pay particular attention to dust collection systems and
other areas not in plain view during the assessment.
 Open areas where combustible dusts may build up
 Hidden areas where combustible dusts may accumulate
(i.e. ceilings, duct work, etc.)
 Means by which dust may be dispersed in the air
 Potential ignition sources
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How to Prevent Dust
Related Incidents
 Additional Questions that Need to Be Answered:
 What is the site history of fires involving dust?
 Does the MSDS indicate a dust explosion hazard?
 Are dust accumulations hazardous?
 Collection of samples of combustible dusts for
laboratory analysis
 Audit of dust management practices and
equipment including dust collectors, ductwork,
and other dust containers
 Audit of room safeguards
 Audit of ignition source management
 Location of Hazard Classification Locations
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 How to Prevent Dust
Related Incidents
 Adopt a
comprehensive
approach to
preventing and
controlling
combustible dust
hazards
 4 major
Graphic Courtesy of:
components

HRP Associates, Inc.

How to Prevent Dust
Related Incidents
1. Dust Control
 Implement a hazardous dust inspection, testing,
housekeeping, and control program
 Use proper dust collection systems and filters
 Minimize the escape of dust from process equipment or
ventilation systems
 Use surfaces that minimize dust accumulation and facilitate
cleaning
 Provide access to all hidden areas to permit inspection
 Inspect for dust residues in open and hidden areas at regular
intervals
 If ignition sources are present, use cleaning methods that do
not generate dust clouds
 Use only vacuum cleaners approved for dust collection
 Locate relief valves away from dust deposits

HRP Associates, Inc.

How to Prevent Dust
Related Incidents
2. Ignition Control
 Use appropriate electrical equipment and wiring methods
 Control static electricity, including bonding of equipment to
ground
 Control smoking, open flames, and sparks
 Control mechanical sparks and friction
 Use separator devices to remove foreign materials capable of
igniting combustibles from process materials
 Separate heated surfaces from dusts
 Separate heating systems from dusts
 Select and use industrial trucks properly
 Use cartridge activated tools properly
 Use an equipment preventive maintenance program.

HRP Associates, Inc.

How to Prevent Dust
Related Incidents
3. Injury and Damage
Control Methods
 Separation of the
hazard (isolate with
distance)
 Segregation of the
hazard (isolate with a
barrier)
 Deflagration
isolation/venting
 Pressure relief venting
for equipmen
 Direct vents away
from work areas

HRP Associates, Inc.

How to Prevent Dust
Related Incidents
3. Injury and Damage Control Methods
(Cont)
 Specialized fire suppression systems

 Explosion protection systems

 Spark/ember detection for suppression

activation
 Develop an emergency action plan

 Maintain emergency exit routes

HRP Associates, Inc.

How to Prevent Dust
Related Incidents
4. Training and Educating Employees on
Combustible Dust Hazards
 Safe work practices applicable to their job
tasks
 Overview of dust hazard assessments of the
site
 Overview of dust and ignition control
procedures at the worksite
 Proper use of fire extinguishers on
combustible dust fires
 Emergency evacuation procedures

HRP Associates, Inc.

OSHA’s Policy
 Safety and Health information Bulletin -
SHIB 07-31-2005
 Combustible Dust in Industry: Preventing and
Mitigating the Effects of Fire and Explosions
• Facility Dust Hazard Assessment
• Dust Control
• Ignition Control
• Damage Control
• Training
• References

HRP Associates, Inc.

OSHA’s NEP
 Combustible Dust National
Emphasis Program (Reissued)
 DIRECTIVE NUMBER: CPL 03-00-008
 EFFECTIVE DATE: 3/11/08

 Contains policies and procedures for

inspecting workplaces that create or
handle combustible dusts.

HRP Associates, Inc.

OSHA’s NEP
 The dust addressed in the NEP for Combustible
Dust include but are not limited to the following:
 Metal dust such as aluminum and magnesium
 Wood dust
 Coal and other carbon dusts
 Plastic dust and additives
 Biosolids
 Other organic dust such as sugar, flour, paper, soap
and dried blood
 Certain textile materials

HRP Associates, Inc.

OSHA’s NEP
 There are two main list in the NEP for
Combustible Dust that OSHA Area Offices
will utilize in scheduling inspections
 Appendix D-1 (Industries with More Frequent
and/or High Consequence Combustible Dust
Explosions/Fires)
 Appendix D-2 (Industries that may have a
Potential for Combustible Dust
Explosions/Fires)
 They must schedule 3 inspections from
Appendix D-1 and 1 inspection from Appendix
D-2

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OSHA’s NEP

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OSHA’s NEP

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OSHA’s NEP
 Sample questions CSHOs may use during the course of an
inspection
 What types of combustible dust does the facility have?
 Does the facility have a housekeeping program with regular cleaning
frequencies established for floors and horizontal surfaces, such as
ducts, pipes, hoods, ledges, and beams, to minimize dust
accumulations within operating areas of the facility? Under the
housekeeping program, is the dust on floors, structural members,
and other surfaces removed concurrently with operations?
 Is there dust accumulation of 1/32 inch thick, or greater?
 For housekeeping violations, what are the dimensions of the room
and the dimensions of the area covered with the dust?
 Are the dust-containing systems (ducts and dust collectors) designed
in a manner that fugitive dusts are not allowed to accumulate in the
work area?
 Are dust collectors greater than 8 cubic feet in volume located inside
of buildings?

HRP Associates, Inc.

OSHA’s NEP
 Recent NEP Inspection (Date of article - 3/11/09)
 OSHA cited Thomson, Ga., automotive parts supplier,
H P Pelzer, with $135,000 in proposed penalties
 OSHA was issuing citations for 24 occupational health
and safety violations against H P Pelzer Automotive
Systems Inc. in Thomson, Ga. The agency was
proposing $135,000 in penalties against the
company.
 A health inspection of the plant revealed seven
serious violations resulting in penalties of $32,500.
The health violations include the company allowing
combustible dust to accumulate, not protecting
employees from noise hazards and exposing
employees to an airborne concentration of
formaldehyde.

HRP Associates, Inc.

Additional References
 NFPA 61, Standard for the Prevention of Fires and Dust
Explosions in Agricultural and Food Processing Facilities
 NFPA 68, Guide for Venting of Deflagrations
 NFPA 69, Standard on Explosion Prevention Systems
 NFPA 70, National Electrical Code®
 NFPA 91, Standard for Exhaust Systems for Air Conveying
of Vapors, Gases, Mists, and Noncombustible Particulate
Solids
 NFPA 120, Standard for Fire Prevention and Control in
Metal/Nonmetal Mining and Metal Mineral Processing
Facilities
 NFPA 480, Standard for the Storage, Handling, and
Processing of Magnesium Solids and Powders
 NFPA 481, Standard for the Production, Processing,
Handling, and Storage of Titanium
 NFPA 482, Standard for the Production, Processing,
Handling, and Storage of Zirconium
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Additional References
 NFPA 484, Standard for Combustible Metals, Metal Powders, and
Metal Dusts
 NFPA 495, Explosive Materials Code
 NFPA 499, Recommended Practice for the Classification of
Combustible Dusts and of Hazardous (Classified) Locations for
Electrical Installations in Chemical Process Areas
 NFPA 505, Fire Safety Standard for Powered Industrial Trucks
Including Type Designations, Areas of Use, Conversions,
Maintenance, and Operation
 NFPA 560, Standard for the Storage, Handling, and Use of
Ethylene Oxide for Sterilization and Fumigat
 NFPA 654, Standard for the Prevention of Fire and Dust
Explosions from the Manufacturing, Processing, and Handling of
Combustible Particulate Solids
 NFPA 664, Standard for the Prevention of Fires and Explosions in
Wood Processing and Woodworking Facilities
 NFPA 1124, Code for the Manufacture, Transportation, Storage,
and Retail Sales of Fireworks and Pyrotechnic Articles
HRP Associates, Inc.
Questions????

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 Thank You

Jeffrey R. Sotek, PE, CSP, CIH

HRP Associates, Inc.