Combustible Dust Awareness in Manufacturing

• Fire or explosion when combustible dust is dispersed in air
• Secondary explosions caused by accumulated dust being disturbed
• Ignition from sparks, hot surfaces, static, friction, or hot work
• Dust collectors, ducts, enclosures, and hidden areas accumulating material
• Unsafe cleaning methods creating airborne dust clouds
• Workers underestimating fine dust from familiar materials

Many materials can become combustible when reduced to a fine dust. Metal, wood, plastic, rubber, food, chemical, paper, textile, and other process dusts may burn rapidly when the right conditions are present.

A dust event can involve fuel, oxygen, an ignition source, dispersion, and confinement. Even when a small fire begins locally, pressure and flame can spread through equipment, ducts, rooms, and connected systems.

Accumulated dust on beams, floors, equipment, cable trays, ledges, rafters, and hidden surfaces can fuel a secondary event if an initial explosion lifts it into the air.

Ignition sources may include welding, cutting, grinding, bearings, overheated motors, static discharge, electrical faults, smoking, open flame, hot surfaces, and sparks from foreign material entering equipment.

Dust collection and ventilation systems should be operated and maintained as designed. Leaks, plugged ducts, unusual pressure, damaged filters, abnormal noise, and repeated dust escape should be reported.

Housekeeping should use approved methods that avoid creating dust clouds or spreading material into ignition sources. Dry sweeping or compressed-air cleaning should not be used when it can suspend hazardous dust.

Hot work, maintenance, and process changes should account for dust that may be hidden inside equipment, ducts, collectors, bins, ceilings, and wall cavities. Cleaning and isolation may be required before work begins.

Smoke, burning odor, glowing material, hot bearings, sparks, unusual dust release, or collection-system problems should be treated as immediate warnings. Workers should follow the facility's shutdown, alarm, evacuation, and emergency procedures.

• Know which process materials can create combustible dust.
• Prevent dust accumulation on equipment and elevated surfaces.
• Control sparks, heat, static, friction, and hot work.
• Keep dust-collection systems operating and maintained.
• Use approved cleaning methods that do not create dust clouds.
• Report leaks, plugged ducts, hot bearings, or burning odors.
• Follow emergency procedures instead of fighting an uncertain dust event.

• What combustible dusts are produced in this area?
• Where can dust collect out of normal sight?
• What ignition sources are present in the process?
• Are collection and housekeeping methods working as designed?
• What warning signs require shutdown, alarm, or evacuation?