Combustible Dust White Paper

Solid Leadership HAFCOVAC In Industrial Safety

COMBUSTIBLE DUST Understanding How To Prevent Industrial Fire Hazards

Supplying Superior Compressed Air Industrial Vacuums Many manufacturing and mining industries create large amounts of Combustible Dust that have the potential of becoming highly explosive and causing fatalities and millions of dollars in damage.

WOOD METAL PAPER DIRT CONTENT

The site of a devastating blast Feb. 7, 2008, at the Imperial Sugar Refinery in Port Wentworth, GA. The massive explosion and fire killed 14 people, injured dozens and caused millions of dollars in property damage.

4 Executive Summary 5 What is Combustible Dust 6 Example of Combustible Dust 6 Industries at Risk 7 Causes of a Combustible Dust Explosion 7 Secondary Explosions 7 Conditions Needed for A Dust Explosion 7 Dust Hazard Assessment 8 Preventative Measures 8 Administration 9 How to Select an Anti-Static Explosion Proof Vacuum 10 Intrinsic Safety 11 Explosion Proof Certification 12 Explosion Proof Applications 13 OSHA Information 13 National Fire Protection EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

4 HAFCOVAC provides a comprehensive dust control solution for combustible materials.

More than 450 accidents involv- AL Solutions incident is one of measures to understand the risks, ing combustible dust have killed nine serious combustible dust learn as much as possible about nearly 130 workers and injured incidents investigated by the CSB the threat and take solid measures another 800-plus since 1980, since 2003, including the Imperial to prevent potential hazards and according to a Center for Public Sugar disaster near Savannah, be prepared should an incident Integrity analysis of data compiled Georgia, in 2008 as well as three take place. by the federal Occupational Safety combustible dust incidents over and Health Administration and the a six month period in 2011 at We hope this Introduction to U.S. Chemical Safety Board. the Hoeganaes facility located in Combustible dust is a first step in These fires and explosions have Gallatin, TN. These nine explosions learning more and taking ad- been caused by a variety of dust and fires caused a total of 36 equate measures to reduce risks. sources including sugar, nylon deaths and 128 injuries. We encourage you to lean more fiber, coal, iron, plastic and wood. and seek additional information Most in the manufacturing industry Dust and other debris will always from the resources listed at the are aware of some of the dangers be present in the manufacturing back of this guide. and have read or seen reports process. Since dust is inevitable of these explosions in the news. in the process, manufacturing An explosion ripped through the facilities must take the proper New Cumberland A.L. Solutions titanium plant in West Virginia on December 9, 2010, fatally injuring three workers. The plant workers were processing titanium powder at the time of the explosion. The

Solid Leadership in Industry Safety What is Combustible Dust? The technical definitions for com- pieces, regardless of size, shape, bustible dust will differ depending or chemical composition, which on the source that you reference. presents a fire or deflagration The Occupational Safety and hazard when suspended in air or Health Administration (OSHA) in some other oxidizing medium over the United States defines com- a range of concentrations”. bustible dust as “a solid material 5 composed of distinct particles or In Canada, one example is Al- berta’s Occupational Health and Safety Code which defines combustible dust as “a dust that can create an explosive atmosphere when it is suspended in air in ignit- able concentrations”.

OSHA defines combustible dust as “fine particles that present an explosion hazard when suspended in air under certain conditions. A dust explosion can cause catastrophic loss of life, injuries, and destruction of buildings.”

Solid Leadership in Industry Safety What are examples of materials that Combustible Dust Makers can be a combus- Agricultural tible dust hazard? Products Potato Flour Lead Stearate Believe it or not the Occupational Egg White Milk, Powdered Potato Starch Methyl-Cellulose Safety and Health Administration Raw Yucca Seed Dust 6 Milk, Nonfat, Dry Paraformaldehyde (OSHA) lists over 120 materials as Soy Flour Rice Dust Sodium Ascorbate combustible dust makers. See that Starch, Corn Rice Flour Sodium Stearate chart to the right for a full list. Starch, Rice Rice Starch Sulfur Sugar Rye Flour Sugar, Milk Semolina Metal Dust What Industries Sugar, Beet Soybean Dust Aluminum Tapioca Spice Dust Branze Are at Risk for Whey Spice Powder Iron Carbonyl Wood Flour Sugar (10X) Magnesium Combustible Dust? Sunflower Zinc OSHA notes some of the industries Agricultural Dusts Sunflower Seed Dust Tea at risk include: Alfalfa Plastic Dusts Tobacco (Poly) Acrylamide • Agriculture Apple Beet Root Tomato (Poly) Acrylonitrile • Food Carrageen Walnut Dust (Poly) Ethylene (low pres- • Pharmaceutical Carrot Wheat Flour sure process) • Pesticide Cocoa Bean Dust Wheat Grain Dust Epoxy Resin • Rubber Cocoa Powder Wheat Starch Melamine Resin Xanthan Gum • Plastic Coconut Shell Dust Melamine Molded (phenol-cellulose) • Woodworking Coffee Dust Corn Meal Carbonaceous Dust Melamine Molded • Textiles Cornstarch Charcoal (activated) (wood flour and mineral • Chemical Cotton Charcoal (wood) filled phenolformalde- • Recycling Cottonseed Coal (bituminous) hyde) • Coal fired Power Plants Garlic Powder Coke (petroleum) (Poly) Methyl Acrylate Gluten Lampblack (Poly) Methyl Acrylate Grass Dust Lignite (emulsion) Green Coffee Peat (22%H2O) Polymer Hops (malted) Soot (pine) Phenolic Resin Lemon Peel Dust Cellulose (Poly) Propylene Lemon Pulp Cellulose Pulp Terpene-Phenol Resin Linseed Cork Urea-Formaldehyde/Cel- Locust Bean Gum Corn lulose (molded) Malt (Poly) Vinyl Acetate/Eth- Oat Flour Chemical Dusts ylene Copolymer OSHA is an agency of the United Oat Grain Dust Adipic Acid (Poly) Vinyl Alcohol States Department of Labor. Con- Olive Pellets Anthraquinone (Poly) Vinyl Butyral gress established the agency under Onion Powder Ascorbic Acid (Poly) Vinyl Chloride/ the Occupational Safety and Health Parsley (dehydrated) Calcium Acetate Ethylene/Vinyl Acetylene Act on December 29, 1970. OSHA’s Peach Calcium Stearate Emulsion Copolymer mission is to assure safe and healthful Peanut Meal & Skins Carboxy-Mehtylcellulose working conditions for working men Peat Dextrin and women by setting and enforcing Potato Lactose standards and by providing training, outreach, education and assistance.

Solid Leadership in Industry Safety Causes of a Secondary • The dust must be suspended in air. Combustible Dust Explosions • The dust must have a particle Explosion size large enough to spreading After the initial combustible dust the flame. There are three elements need for explosion, there is often a second- • The concentration of the dust a dust fire to occur and is referred ary explosion caused. The second suspension must be within the explosion is caused by dust that to as the “Fire Triangle”. They are: explosive range. 7 • Combustible dust (i.e. the fuel) is shaken loose from the primary • An ignition source must be in • Oxygen explosion which also ignites. The contact with the suspended dust. • Heat source secondary explosion may be actu- • Adequate oxygen must be ally larger and more severe than present to support and sustain the initial explosion. combustion Conditions Needed Dust Hazard HEAT for a Dust Explosion Assessment for OXYGEN to Occur Your Facility

The simple recipe for a dust explo- Plants should carefully look at the FUEL sion to happen is for combustible following areas to determine the dust particles to be suspended in Fire Triangle potential for dust explosions: air and include an ignition source. • Materials In reality, several other conditions • Processes generally need to be present • Open Areas of dust There are also two additional ele- • The combustible dust must • Hidden Areas of dust ments needed to cause a combus- release enough heat to sustain • Dust dispersion sources tible dust explosion, often called the fire. • Ignition sources the “Dust Explosion Pentagon” • Dispersion of dust particle in sufficient quantity • Confinement of the dust cloud

CONFINEMENT

DISPERSION

OXYGEN

HEAT

FUEL

Dust Explosion Pentagon

Solid Leadership in Industry Safety Preventative Measures A good housekeeping plan goes a long way to reducing work hazards, providing employee safety, and increasing • Develop a housekeeping plan • Use only approved vacuum facility productivity within the entire work environment. cleaners for dust collection • Find and eliminate hidden areas 8 where dust accumulates • If possible, avoid or minimize horizontal surface where dust may accumulate • Use cleaning methods that do not generate dust clouds • Use proper electrical and ventilation systems

You may also want to consult NFPA 654, Standard for the Pre- vention of Fire and Dust Explo- sions from the Manufacturing, Processing, and Handling of Com- bustible Particulate Solids, which contains comprehensive guidance on the control of dusts to prevent explosions. Administration tion sources away from dusty • Develop and implement a areas or use suitable controls. combustible dust inspection and • Educate and train employees control program including when regarding the hazards of com- inspections will take place and bustible dusts and their role in specific actions to control dust. eliminating the threat of explo- • Develop a hot work permit sions system for activities such as • Inspect for dust at regular inter- welding and cutting. vals. • Develop an ignition control • Regularly inspect machines, program to eliminate or reduce ducts, and ventilation systems sources of ignition. Keep igni- for dust. Repair

Solid Leadership in Industry Safety How to Select an Anti Static Explosion Proof Vacuum Cleaner

HafcoVac explosion proof vacuum with our MSHA approved static If you are unsure if dust ignition cleaners are safe for use as part conductive hose, a HafcoVac proof vacuum equipment is neces- of a combustible dust control explosion proof vacuum is an sary for your application or facility, program and are suitable for many economical alternative to other a HafcoVac representative will 9 flammable and combustible mate- products which often sell for many gladly provide a thorough applica- rials. With no motors to arc and no times the cost. tion analysis to ensure appropriate moving parts to create friction or product selection. spark, our non-electric explosion With performance uncompro- proof vacuums are a safe, reliable mised by explosion proof vacuum and cost effective solution for your safeguards, an upgrade to an business. explosion proof vacuum cleaner will perform with the same power HafcoVac explosion proof vacuum HafcoVac is known for. Best of all, cleaners bond all components of you don’t have to sacrifice your the vacuum together, ensuring no budget to protect your business part is left isolated from its path to and employees. ground. When used in conjunction

Solid Leadership in Industry Safety Intrinsic Safety

HafcoVac explosion proof indus- The complete grounding of all trial vacuums are suitable for use components, including air supply in Class I, Class II, and Class III line, vacuum generating head, environments, Division 1 and 2. collection drum, dolly and vacuum Our explosion proof pneumatic hose ensure that static electricity vacuums: is continuously dissipated, pro- 10 • contains no moving parts, tecting against dangerous static eliminating possibility of igni- buildup, which could lead to elec- tion from mechanical friction or trostatic discharge (ESD), posing contact. potentially serious consequences • uses no electricity, eliminat- when in the presence of com- ing sparks from motor arcing, bustible substances. HafcoVac shorts, switches, etc. explosion proof vacuum models • are fully grounded when factory equipped as an explosion an explosion proof vacuum proof configuration ensures static unit configuration is ordered, electricity will not accumulate. ensuring dangerous static electricity will not accumulate. It is critically important that the op- erator understand the functions of Intrinsic Safety is a protection the grounding system. Inspections technique for equipment operat- are suggested prior to each use to ing in explosive environments. ensure the integrity of all ground- The principal states that electrical ing wires and points. Care must and thermal energy must not build be taken to not circumvent any up sufficiently to discharge. With grounding safeguards, and should heat or friction risks such as those also be exercised to ensure parts present when using an electri- such as hoses aren’t used inter- cally operated industrial vacuum changeably with those from non safely eliminated, static electricity explosion proof systems. remains.

Solid Leadership in Industry Safety Are HafcoVac’s Vacuums Certified Explosion Proof?

To this date, there are no pub- materials & connections, coupled lished certification procedures for with complete grounding of all air powered (pneumatic) equipment. components of the unit. 11 HafcoVac anti-static grounded An independent testing lab has units (“x” model designation) stated that our “X” line can be used machines meet the criteria for in hazardous locations, specifically intrinsically safe operation – no in Class I, Class II, & Class III moving parts, non-electric & fully environments, divisions 1&2. grounded means the unit will not spark and will not generate dangerous amounts of heat.

Additionally, we have designed these machines specifically for use in hazardous locations – building in a double safeguard of conductive static dissipative

Solid Leadership in Industry Safety Explosion Proof Applications

HafcoVac explosion proof vacuum ments. Additional regulation is Static prone materials - Many cleaners are suitable for a wide pending, if your company doesn’t materials, even those which range of applications. Safeguard already have a combustible dust pose no explosion hazard, create your business from worker injury, program, you’ll likely catch the dangerous static electricity buildup 12 OSHA fines or catastrophic inci- attention of an OSHA inspector if as they are conveyed through an dent by protecting your facility with you don’t have suitable equipment ungrounded system. An explosion HafcoVac’s safe non electric anti such as a HafcoVac explosion proof unit will provide static dissi- static vacuum cleaners. proof vacuum. pation. A HafcoVac is an excellent choice as a powder paint vacuum Some typical applications which Flammable Liquids - Many for which often require the use of industries need to recover flam- Protection from the unknown - appropriately equipped explosion mable liquids or fuels produced You may not anticipate a vacuum proof vacuums include: as a byproduct of a manufactur- being used for picking up flam- ing process, or inadvertently mable or combustible materials, Hazardous Locations - If you spilled. Even if your facility does but you never quite know what a need to operate a vacuum in an not regularly produce hazardous tool in your facility may be used OSHA defined hazardous location, byproducts, ensuring your vacuum for outside it’s normal applica- you must use equipment safe for is safe for any unpredicted appli- tion. Add explosion protection for use in that environment. Hafco- cation is prudent protection. peace of mind. Vac explosion proof models are approved for use in Class I,II and Manufacturing Byproducts - III, divisions 1 and 2. Many processes such as milling, grinding, cutting produce danger- Combustible Dust Mitigation - ous scrap which must be safely OSHA has been increasingly strict collected and properly disposed of about enforcing it’s General Duty without endangering employees or Clause, Section 5(a)(1) through the facility. it’s Combustible Dust National Emphasis Program. Many busi- nesses have faced steep fines for failing to adhere to these require-

Solid Leadership in Industry Safety HafcoVac is providing information on pertinent OSHA and NFPA standards as a convenience to OSHA Information our customers. Our reference to OSHA, NFPA, MSHA or other OSHA Standards, Interpreta- governing bodies is not intended tions, and Publications to be construed as an endorsement 13 U.S. Department of Labor/OSHA of this, or any specific product, by OSHA Publications Office National Fire the respective agency. 200 Constitution Ave., NW, Protection N-3101 Washington, DC 20210 National Fire Protection Asso- Telephone: (202) 693-1888 ciation (NFPA) Fax: (202) 693-2498 • NFPA 484, Standard for Combustible Metals, Metal Powders, and Metal Dusts 1 Batterymarch Park • NFPA 485, Standard for the Storage, Related OSHA standards found Quincy, MA 02169-7471 Handling, Processing, and Use of in 29 CFR: Telephone: (800) 344-3555 Lithium Metal • NFPA 495, Explosive Materials Code • 1910.22 - General Requirements: • NFPA 499, Recommended Practice for Housekeeping Related NFPA Standards: the Classification of Combustible Dusts • 1910.38 - Emergency Action Plans and of Hazardous (Classified) Locations • 1910.94 - Ventilation • NFPA 61, Standard for the Prevention of for Electrical Installations in Chemical • 1910.107 - Spray Finishing Using Flam- Fires and Dust Explosions in Agricultural Process Areas mable and Combustible Materials and Food Processing Facilities • NFPA 505, Fire Safety Standard for • 1910.146 - Permit-Required Confined • NFPA 68, Guide for Venting of Deflagra- Powered Industrial Trucks Including Spaces (references combustible dust) tions Type Designations, Areas of Use, Con- • 1910.178 - Powered Industrial Trucks • NFPA 69, Standard on Explosion Pre- versions, Maintenance, and Operation • 1910.269 - Electric Power Generation, vention Systems • NFPA 560, Standard for the Storage, Transmission and Distribution (coal • NFPA 70, National Electrical Code® Handling, and Use of Ethylene Oxide for handling) • NFPA 91, Standard for Exhaust Sterilization and Fumigat • 1910.272 - Grain Handling Facilities Systems for Air Conveying of Vapors, • NFPA 654, Standard for the Prevention • 1910.307 - Hazardous (classified) Loca- Gases, Mists, and Noncombustible of Fire and Dust Explosions from the tions (for electric equipment) Particulate Solids Manufacturing, Processing, and Han- • 1910.1200 - Hazard Communication • NFPA 120, Standard for Fire Prevention dling of Combustible Particulate Solids and Control in Metal/Nonmetal Mining • NFPA 655, Standard for Prevention of and Metal Mineral Processing Facilities Sulfur Fires and Explosions • NFPA 432, Code for the Storage of • NFPA 664, Standard for the Preven- Organic Peroxide Formulations tion of Fires and Explosions in Wood • NFPA 480, Standard for the Storage, Processing and Woodworking Facilities Handling, and Processing of Magnesium • NFPA 1124, Code for the Manufacture, Solids and Powders Transportation, Storage, and Retail • NFPA 481, Standard for the Production, Sales of Fireworks and Pyrotechnic Processing, Handling, and Storage of Articles Titanium • NFPA 1125, Code for the Manufac- • NFPA 482, Standard for the Production, ture of Model Rocket and High Power Processing, Handling, and Storage of Rocket Motors Zirconium

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HAFCOVAC Combustible Dust 1114.Whitepaper