Dust explosions are a serious hazard in the process industries. They have led to the destruction of property, damage to facilities and equipment. In the worst circumstances they may also lead to injury of plant personnel and even fatalities. Just in 2017 alone there were 68 reported cases of dust explosions globally with 163 injuries and 13 fatalities.
This presentation will cover one of the most influential requirements imposed by NFPA 652 which is a core fundamentals rulebook for dust fires and explosions applying to all industries. This requirement is for a Dust Hazards Analysis. The mandatory DHA requirement is a tool used to understand the specific materials in use and the hazards they pose, systematically evaluate the processes for risks and then develop a roadmap to manage those risks by either administrative controls or engineering controls. The DHA should be conducted in such a way as to classify a given facility location, process step or unit operation as “Not a Hazard”, “Maybe a Hazard” or definitely a “Hazard”. Then the DHA should recommend process, operation, facility or material changes to mitigate the identified hazard.
Given the complex nature of this task and the nuanced nature of the identification/classification of the hazard the DHA team should led by a person qualified in the field of combustible and explosible dust hazards with support from engineering staff, maintenance staff and plant floor operators. Methods to achieve this will be touch upon in this presentation.
SPEAKER BIO:
Dr. Ashok Ghose Dastidar is a Fellow Engineer at Westinghouse Electric Company LLC and Vice President, Dust & Flammability Testing and Consulting Services at Fauske & Associates, LLC. He specializes in Chemical Process Hazards Analysis, Flammable Dusts, Liquids & Vapors Explosion and Combustion Hazards Analysis and Testing and Electrostatic Hazards Analysis.
Dr. Dastidar is a member of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE), ASTM International E27 Committee, National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and he is on the Editorial Board of Powder and Bulk Solids and Editorial Board of Journal of Loss Prevention.
Recognized as an industry expert, his work has appeared in numerous journals and publications, and he has been a featured presenter at more than 23 conferences.
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