What is a Dust Hazard Analysis (DHA)?
A Dust Hazard Analysis (DHA), according to NFPA 652, is a formalized process for identifying and evaluating the fire, deflagration, and explosion hazards associated with dusts and particulate solids in your facility. The DHA provides recommendations to manage these hazards. The DHA has to be performed or led by a qualified person and should produce results that are documented. It should include necessary actions for change to your operations or facilities as necessary. The DHA should identify safe operating ranges, check safeguards are in place to mitigate the hazards and should recommend additional safeguards where warranted.
Understanding Dust Explosion Prevention & Protection
There are dozens of dust explosions throughout the U.S. every year, many of which are not publicly reported. These explosions occur in industries as diverse as chemicals, pharmaceuticals, food and beverages, plastics/polymers, metals and many other industries. Dust explosions lead to injuries and fatalities, destruction of plant and equipment, and lost production and income.
Dust explosions are unpredictable as they are dangerous. They are a unique and complex phenomenon, i.e. you can’t find two explosions that share the same characteristics. The five main elements in the Dust Explosion Pentagon include:
- An ignition source
- Oxygen
- A confined area
- A suspended cloud
- Explosive dust
Active safeguards and passive safeguards are two types of technologies categorized under dust explosion protection systems.
What Does Stonehouse Process Safety Provide for Dust Explosion Prevention & Protection Services?
At Stonehouse Process Safety we identify hazards, assess risks, recommend practical hazard and risk control measures and work with you as a partner to provide the support services you need as you implement change to prevent dust explosions and fires. If your plant is processing, creating or handling combustible dust, you are required to perform dust hazard analysis and risk assessment under NFPA 652. Whether you are responsible for an entire plant or a smaller operation, we can undertake a comprehensive DHA to ensure that you are in compliance with the requirements of NFPA 652.
Dust Hazard Analysis (DHA) | Our Approach
A Dust Hazard Analysis (DHA) is a systematic process used to improve plant safety by identifying the specific combustible dust hazards associated with a process. To perform a DHA, we visit your facility to review its operations and processes to identify potential dust explosion risks and develop a plan to minimize or mitigate those risks. A Dust Hazard Analysis procedure normally involves the following steps:
- Reviewing the fire and explosion characteristics of the powders you handle in your facility
- Identifying locations where explosible dust cloud atmospheres could be present
- Identifying potential ignition sources that could be present under normal and foreseeable abnormal conditions
- Evaluating all of the potential dust fire, flash fire, and explosion hazards in the process and facility
- Ensuring safety through properly defined fire and explosion prevention and protection measures – “Basis of Safety
We will work with you to learn more about your operations and develop a plan for the most practical and cost-effective approaches available to reduce the risk of dust explosions. We can also serve as a resource to help you with implementation of the recommendations. Our support services span the implementation process and provide you the peace of mind that comes from working with experts with more than three decades of process safety experience.
Choose Stonehouse Process Safety for Dust Explosion Prevention & Protection Today
Stonehouse Process Safety possesses more than three decades of dust explosion experience throughout the process industries globally. Our process industry experience spans hundreds of process safety projects globally. We have in-house dust explosion laboratories are equipped with the latest process safety information and data. Next, our company is an official member of national standards committees. Since our inception, we have been recognized for our scientific, yet practical approach for preventing and mitigating dust explosions, using hard data whenever possible. When you work with us, we utilize our expertise and experience to address the issues you are facing and develop mitigation solutions efficiently and cost effectively. You can count on us to help you navigate efficiently through any recommendations (prioritizing) – to help you work in an efficient and in a cost-effective manner. To learn more about our expertise in dust explosion prevention & mitigation, do not hesitate to call us at 609 455 0001 or email us at info@stonehousesafety.com today.
We also offer virtual process safety training courses such as Exploding dusts, Explosions, Static Electricity and HAC (Hazardous Area Classification). Find out more here.
