Industrial Fire Prevention

August @ 2011 @ Ask The Experts Near Infrared Spark Detection vs. black body ember detection.  Definition of spark detection as defined by the experts. Q. We have differing recommendations on spark detection systems for dry wood dust collection. One recommends only detecting and extinguishing black body radiation for specific ignition temperature. Another specifies to detect and extinguish any and all sparks prior to the collector. Given limited information available, which method is preferable? NFPA 664, Paragraphs A.8.6.2.2 states: “Provide a spark detection and extinguishing system on the main airflow duct between the dryer drum and cyclone. The spark extinguishing system should activate every time a single spark is detected [emphasis added]. It will reset after a few seconds (if no additional sparks have been detected), and the dryer can continue to operate. The spark counting features available in some approved spark extinguishing systems can be used to sh...

NFPA Offering Free Combustible Dust Webinar Oct. 11 -- Occupational Health & Safety Guy Colonna, division manager for the association's Industrial & Chemical Engineering -- Hazardous Chemical & Materials Department, will discuss the 2013 edition of NFPA 654 standard. Sep 26, 2012 The National Fire Protection Association is now registering attendees for a free webinar about 2013 NFPA 654 and combustible dust hazard assessment that will be presented from 12:30 to 2 p.m. EDT on Oct. 11 by a well-known expert on the topic: Guy Colonna, division manager for the Industrial & Chemical Engineering -- Hazardous Chemical & Materials Department at NFPA. He'll be discussing the 2013 edition of NFPA 654: Standard for the Prevention of Fire and Dust Explosions from the Manufacturing, Processing, and Handling of Combustible Particulate Solids , as well as related standards and safety best practices and controls. Colonna has engineering degrees from the...

Dust to Dust | OHS Canada Dust to Dust OHS Canada By: Jean Lian July/August 2012 2012-07-16 For a dust explosion to occur, everything has to be lined up just right. Unlike a fire, which can be started by a trio of elements — fuel, an ignition source and oxygen — a dust explosion can occur only if a pentagon comprising two additional elements, dispersion and confinement, come together. That destructive constellation is now being investigated as a possible cause behind the explosion of two sawmills in British Columbia that blew up months apart from each other. On January 20, 2012, an explosion and fire destroyed Babine Forest Products mill in Burns Lake, killing two workers and seriously injuring more than a dozen. On April 23, an explosion and the resulting fire razed Lakeland Mills in Prince George, claiming two employees and injuring 22. The similarities between the two explosions are striking — both are sawmills, dust was present in both...

From Plant Engineering and Camfil Farr, an excellent commentary on the state of the art in current combustible dust explosion prevention/protection standards and design. Combustible dust: Identifying, addressing explosion risks can save lives  | Plant Engineering Combustible dust: Identifying, addressing explosion risks can save lives Review of the current status of the OSHA National Emphasis Program for combustible dust, the NFPA standards that address how to prevent or limit explosion hazards, how to identify these hazards, and the types of equipment used to eliminate or control explosion hazards. Tony Supine and Mike Walters, Camfil Farr APC 06/09/2012 The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) sets standards and codes to protect buildings against fire and explosion risks, and OSHA is enforcing these standards with increasing vigilance. When it comes to combustible dust, several standards must be considered. Combustible dust explosions are a ri...

Inspection photos show dust buildup at Prince George facility Five months before a deadly explosion at Lakeland Mills sawmill, photos show combustible wood dust built up on ledges, under a machine, and on hand railings, light fixtures and pipes for the water-sprinkler system. In several photos of the Prince George mill, obtained by The Vancouver Sun under a freedom of information request, the dust is so thick it is visible in the air as hazy, luminescent dots. A five-year span of fire inspection reports, as well as the Nov. 29, 2011 photos, show Lakeland Mills was warned several times about combustible dust hazards before the April 23 explosion that killed two workers. Combustible dust is defined in the B.C. Fire Code as “dusts and particles ignitable and liable to produce an explosion.” WorkSafeBC inspections of the mill, which have been previously reported, noted high levels of dust but keyed on the harm that wood dust could do to workers’ lungs. Inspection ...