Combustible dusts are fine particulate dusts generated from organic products such as wood, metal, grain, agricultural, chemical, plastic, paper and carbonaceous products. In manufacturing and production facilities, machinery pulverizes, mills, grinds, crushes, macerates and cuts the bulk product. In return, dust is generated and accumulates on all equipment and facility structure surfaces. The fine powder dust, which is suspended on the higher, inaccessible surfaces, is the most problematic source of combustible dust.

Proceed safely with combustible dustsWhen encountering combustible dust, several important procedures should be implemented. Safety is the top priority. The following measures are some of the issues that need to be addressed, when encountering combustible dusts:

• Implement a Process Hazard Analysis of the affected areas which contain or produce combustible dusts.• Preventing static electricity, sparking and any electrical charge is the first preventative step.• Proper grounding of in-house electrical systems, equipment, forklifts, high-reach equipment, vacuums, extension cords and lighting is mandatory under the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 654 Standard. With certain combustible dusts, such as zirconium, the simple act of static charge from a human can create a charge that can lead to a dust explosion.• Testing and sampling of the powder and bulk dust particulate is required to determine whether or not the dust particulate is combustible. Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) for each product can be useful in testing the dust.• Donning proper PPE is also important. Essential protection basics can include: a HEPA-filtered respirator, safety lanyards and harnesses, hard hats, safety glasses, ear protection, disposable gloves, special coveralls and steel toe boots.