Page 41 - Occupational Health & Safety, May 2019

self-heating (laboratory test simulating the process) and maintaining the process tem- perature well below this temperature.
■ Protecting Against the Consequenc- es of an Explosion. If explosion preventive measures (identification and avoidance of ignition sources or avoidance of explosible dust cloud atmospheres) alone cannot re- duce the risk of a dust cloud explosion to an acceptable level, then explosion protection measures must be considered. It must be noted that explosion protection measures should be considered in addition to taking all reasonable steps to reduce the possibility of formation/spread of dust clouds and to exclude potential ignition sources. Explo- sion Protection measures include:
3 Explosionventingtoasafeplace according to NFPA 68: Guide for Venting of Deflagrations.
3 Explosion suppression by inject- ing a suppressant according to NFPA 69: Standard on Explosion Prevention Systems.
3 Containmentbyexplosion-resis- tant construction (Design based on ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, Section VIII, Division I).
3 Explosion isolation (mechanical or chemical) to prevent deflagration propa- gation between connected equipment and/ or work areas.
Conclusion
The effective evaluation and management of dust deflagration and explosion hazards requires:
■ Assessment of explosibility charac- teristics of dust(s)
■ Understanding of your processes and operations
■ Dust flash fire and explosion hazard analysis:
■ Written safety management pro- grams
■ Regular inspection and mainte- nance of equipment and facility
For more information on the topics that are discussed in this article or other process safety-related matters, please contact Dr. Vahid Ebadat. Call 609-455-0001, email vahid.ebadat@stonehousesafety.com.
Vahid Ebadat, Ph.D., M.Inst.P, MIET, C.Phys., is CEO of Stonehouse Process Safe- ty, Inc. He has worked extensively as a pro- cess safety consultant for the chemical, phar- maceutical, food, paper/wood, and other process industries globally for over 30 years.
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