Don’t Pardon the Dust – Risk-Based Approaches to Managing Combustible Dust Hazards

Combustible dusts are finely divided particulate solids that can produce a flash-fire or explosion when suspended in air and ignited. Examples can be found across the process industries. Although many of the hazards associated with these materials parallel those associated with flammable gases and liquids, the management of combustible dust is often not subject to the same external requirements (e.g., codes, standards, and regulations). This session solicits best practices and lessons learned from the development and implementation of safety management systems intended to control combustible dust hazards, including at facilities where other hazardous materials are managed. Example topic areas include management system approaches to hazard identification and risk analysis, fugitive dust prevention (containment, dust collection, and housekeeping), ignition source control, explosion prevention/protection asset integrity management, hybrid mixtures, metal dusts, reactive dusts, and compliance with standards.