Combustible Dust Hazard Analysis Reports

Many manufacturers and some insurance companies are not aware of an important addition to National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standard that was implemented in 2016.  NFPA 652 Standard on the Fundamentals of Combustible Dust was created as an umbrella standard to clarify and organize the various industry and commodity specific protection standards already part of the NFPA standards.  And now the International Building Code and International Fire Code mandate compliance with NFPA 652, and inherently, the commodity standards on combustible dusts.

The important change is Chapter 7 of NFPA 652 that states “ The owner/ operator of a facility where materials that have been determined to be combustible or exposable in accordance with Chapter 5 are present in an enclosure (i.e. dust collector) shall be responsible to ensure a Dust Hazards Analysis (DHA) is completed in accordance with the requirements of this chapter”.  Originally the deadline for completing the DHA was September 2018.  Due to the shortage of qualified companies that can conduct a DHA, the deadline has been extended to September 7, 2020.

The purpose of the DHA is to identify, evaluate and document the fire, deflagration and explosion hazards of each part of the manufacturing process and each building/compartment and how those hazards are being managed.  The DHA will identify existing safeguards, recommend additional safeguards as necessary and document the results including action items and a plan for implementation and management of change.

The goal of the DHA is to reduce the risk and protect plant personnel, process equipment, facilities and ultimately the profitability of the operation.  Although DHA’s can be a time-consuming endeavor with far reaching impacts and benefits, with the right approach valuable resources can be conserved, regulatory requirements can be met and most importantly risk can be reduced.  Over the course of ten years a proprietary scoring system has been developed to prioritize the hazards in a manufacturing facility.  This in turn provides a comprehensive action plan and clear road map for addressing the areas at risk from the highest risk to the lowest risk with a recommended implementation schedule.

We will supply a very well qualified and experienced vendor with years of experience conducting DHAs, working with facilities to implement feasible and safe recommendations to limit the potential for dust fires and explosions, and getting facilities compliant with the NFPA standards, OSHA regulations, and Insurance/Fire Marshalls requirements.