Streamline your Dust Hazard Analysis

One of the most essential responsibilities of a plant or site operator handling combustible dust is the undertaking of a dust hazard analysis (DHA). Ultimately, the dust hazard analysis will help identify the fire and explosion hazards that exist in the processes at your facility.

A DHA is a required assessment by NFPA 652 Standard on the Fundamentals of Combustible Dust and its related NFPA 654 Standard for the Prevention of Fire and Explosions from the Manufacturing, Processing, and Handling of Combustible Particulate Solids.

The DHA is therefore conducted to identify and evaluate fire, deflagration, and explosions when handling combustible materials. All industry-specific NFPA standards are considered as recognized and generally accepted good engineering practice (RAGAGEP) by OSHA.

The recent CCPS book, Guidelines for Combustible Dust Hazard Analysis, presents two approaches to completing DHAs: traditional and risk-based.

In a risk-based approach, consequences and likelihood are assessed to determine the risks of an identified hazard scenario. Ignition source control is a major part of defining the probability of an event.

Potential sources of ignition are also considered, and credible ones are evaluated, with the goal of understanding the mechanism by which they are generated, their incendivity in the process equipment, and the existing safeguards, or barriers, protecting against them.

With most of the time in a DHA spent understanding and evaluating potential sources of ignition, preparing the necessary input information ahead of time can streamline the time spent.

This white paper seeks to present the type of information, including dust characteristics, equipment, operating, and maintenance, that is often used in a thorough evaluation of ignition sources. Gathering this data for ready access during the DHA, will streamline the study and make more efficient use of team time.