Mitigation of Combustible Dust in Food and Agriculture
From our friends at: Donaldson Facebook Twitter n Email Food and agricultural processors have led the manufacturing industry in combustible dust risk mitigation. Now that the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has published new editions of its standards on the risks of combustible dust, it’s a good time to review, and possibly revise your mitigation strategies. Regulatory Background Although NFPA standards are not part of federal law, they are considered industry best practices. Many municipalities adopt them in their code and OSHA inspectors sometimes reference them under the General Duty clause when citing unsafe work conditions. In food and agricultural processing, the most relevant standard is NFPA 61, Standard for the Prevention of Fires and Dust Explosions in Agricultural and Food Processing Facilities . The latest edition of NFPA 61 requires that any existing food or agricultural processing facility with combustible or explosible dust must complete a dust hazard an...