Tuesday, April 17, 2018

Ways Of Avoiding 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.

Make sure that the plant is cleaned regularly. It is normal for the dirt to settle every time the plant is at work. The secret is not to let it accumulate. If there is no dust, there will be no explosion. Regular cleaning is one of the best methods of avoiding explosions. Make sure that all the hard to reach places are cleaned as dirt is most likely to settle there.

You need to come up with a way of telling if the plant is cleaned as scheduled or not. Some employees may feel that they know better and neglect cleaning out the powder and after a while, the plant come burning to the ground. To steer clear of such a scenario, make sure that you have an inspection crew that can assure of the place being cleaned.

As you dust, the powder may blow away into the air. It may seem harmless but eventually, the powder will accumulate, and the air will be potentially explosive. If the dust is combustible and it does blow too close to an ignition source, the plant will come down faster that you can blink. Recovering from such damage will take a lot of money which may be scared.

The same way a house may have too many seats, a plant may have too many ignition sources. The best way to reduce the risk is to get rid of the ones that are not necessary. Since you cannot stop the production of powder, you need to improvise methods of keeping it away from the fire. Make sure the fire sources are cleaned more often than the other surfaces.

Most people get rid of powder through vacuuming which is very effective. However, the vacuum used in the plant and the one at home are different. If you use the one for the house on the plant, it may give out and spark. A small spark is all that is required for a damaging explosion.




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