Do you have combustible dusts in your operation? A critical new National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) development is on the horizon. It is essential that all businesses and facilities that have combustible dust are prepared for the changes.
NFPA 652 was issued in 2015, setting a new standard on the fundamentals of combustible dust. This new standard relates to industry-specific standards and makes sure that standard requirements are consistently managed across industries, processes, and dust types. The new development, occurring as of October 2018, states that industries will no longer be grandfathered into compliance. Individual industries will be required to develop and maintain compliance with NFPA standards:
- NFPA 61 Agricultural and Food Processing
- NFPA 68 Explosion Protection by Deflagration Venting
- NFPA 69 Explosion Prevention Systems
- NFPA 484 Combustible Metals
- NFPA 654 Combustible Particulate Solids (Manufacturing, Processing, & Handling)
- NFPA 655 Sulfur
- NFPA 664 Wood Processing & Woodworking
It will be the responsibility of facility and business owners to determine whether the dust materials in their operation are explosive or combustible. Even facilities that have no prior record of incidents must evaluate current conditions to verify compliance. Any process that involves handling or generating dusts, powders, or materials that break apart into smaller pieces during processing, may result in combustible particulate. Such operations will be required to confirm the degree of combustion risk or explosiveness of the material. Business owners will also be responsible for documenting the properties of the material as required to support the Dust Hazard Analysis (DHA). The DHA must be done before October of 2017.
Air Solutions is experienced and qualified to work with you on NFPA combustible dust compliance. Our team can help assist in the dust testing and evaluating the system-wide vulnerabilities at your facility. We will work with you to assure that you understand and comply with NFPA 652 and other applicable combustible dust standards. We develop compliance solutions that address the needs of specific facilities and processes. You will be able to confidently meet the NFPA transition challenges ahead when you partner with Air Solutions.