Tuesday, April 17, 2018

Methods Of Preventing Combustible Dust Explosions

By Douglas Stone


Different plants have different residues depending on what they are manufacturing. There are companies whose main residue is dust. These include powder processing companies, aw milling plant among many others. This powder may be harmful if not well handled. The article below discusses combustible dust explosions.

The first step is to identify whether or not the dirt being produced is combustible. This is the first step towards determining how to go about such a situation. Combustible powder forms in areas of the factory where materials are transferred in large masses. After concluding the type of powder you have, you can get the necessary equipment.

Your employees are the reason why your plant stays afloat every day. Their well-being should be a priority for you. As you employ them, tell them about the risks of the job. Tell them about the danger of combustible dirt. You should also never neglect to tell them what is required of them in the event of an emergency so that they can stay safe.

The dust should be cleaned as often as possible. Never let the powder accumulate to the point of forming a thick visible layer. Have a cleaning crew that removes the powder from every surface in sight. Think of it like if there is no powder, there can be no explosion. You can even have the employees take turns in leaning out the powder in the vents and all the other places.

Come up with a program that assures you that the processing plant has been cleaned. It is little wonder employees may not take the issue seriously and not dirt very thoroughly. You can set aside a group of employees or managers who will regularly inspect the plant after cleaning. They will report back to you, and you will make improvements where need be.

The method of cleaning should not add danger to the already dangerous situation. This means that you should try as much as possible to avoid a method that would leave small clouds of powder in the air. If enough powder gets saturated in the air, it will not be so hard to start an explosion. Make sure this especially happen near sources of heat.

Make sure that the ignition points in the plant are as minimal as possible. The ones that are not in use can be completely gotten rid of. You should also put up no smoking signs because some people may be ignorant and lead to the end of the company. Make sure the ignition points are cleared of powder even more regularly than other places.

Use vacuums classified for class 2. This will go a long way in saving your plant from permanent damage. The normally sized vacuums are not well suited to handle the amount of powder emitted in a whole plant. If you try them out, they may break down, overheat and even end up sparking up the place on their own thus a catastrophic outcome.




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