Towards Compliance: NFPA 652 Standard on the Fundamentals of Combustible Dust

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From out friends at OHS Online, and Vahid Ebedat

Towards Compliance: NFPA 652 Standard on the Fundamentals of Combustible Dust

If explosion preventive measures alone cannot reduce the risk of a dust cloud explosion to an acceptable level, then explosion protection measures must be considered.
Explosible dust clouds can be expected at some point during any powder/dust handling, transfer, processing, dust collection, or packaging operation. Of course, if there is an ignition source present, a dust deflagration or explosion may occur. It is clearly essential that effective precautions are taken to control the risk and protect employees, contractors, the public, and the facility against the effects of fires and explosions.
Over the past few decades, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has published a number of codes and standards to help industry with its efforts to assess and control dust fires and explosions. Although very useful, these publications also have created some confusion regarding consistency and applicability of some of their requirements.

The NFPA 652 Standard on the Fundamentals of Combustible Dust has sought to consolidate the best general practices for all combustible solids, irrespective of industry and powder/dust type and to direct the user to appropriate NFPA industry- or commodity-specific standards. It also establishes relationship and hierarchy between these standards, while ensuring that fundamental requirements are addressed consistently across industries, processes, and dust types.
This article will discuss the requirements of the 2019 edition of NFPA 652 and provide some practical measures for controlling dust flash fire and explosion hazards associated with the handling, processing, and storing of combustible powders.
Conditions for Dust Cloud Flash Fires and Explosions
Dust cloud flash fires (deflagrations) must be anticipated when the following conditions are simultaneously present:
1. A combustible powder forming a cloud with a concentration above its Minimum Explosible Concentration (MEC). [There needs to be enough dust content (small particle size) to support flame spread.]
2. Sufficient oxidant, which the oxygen in air will usually provide.

Read More: https://ohsonline.com/articles/2019/05/01/towards-compliance-nfpa-652-standard.aspx

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