Essential Dust Control Measures for Safe and Efficient Manufacturing

Dust in manufacturing comes from various sources—metal shavings, food ingredients, or chemicals. During handling processes like grinding or conveying, these particles easily become airborne. For instance, flour dust in a bakery can lead to respiratory issues if workers inhale it. Toxic dust, such as those from chemical powders, can cause severe long-term health problems, including lung damage.

Accumulated dust also poses a risk of explosion. In 2008, the Imperial Sugar explosion killed 14 people due to sugar dust accumulation. Another dust explosion occurred in 2017 at Didion Milling in Wisconsin, leading to five fatalities. These examples show how dangerous unchecked dust can be.

Compliance with established standards is vital for managing dust hazards in process manufacturing. Here are some of the critical guidelines that apply.

NFPA 654: General Requirements for Preventing Dust Explosions

NFPA 654 provides guidelines to prevent fires and explosions in facilities manufacturing, processing, and handling particulate solids that can produce combustible dust. It stresses the importance of conducting a Dust Hazard Analysis (DHA) to spot and manage risks. This standard does not provide instructions or methods suggested for performing the DHA as this is manufacturer and process dependent.  Manufacturers should internally discuss this and may find other sources for more detailed instructions on performing the DHA for their process.  With compliance the manufacturer does due diligence to identify potential problems, their sources, and resolutions. When followed and resolutions implemented, less dust related issues will occur.

NFPA 652: Managing Combustible Dust Across Industries

NFPA 652 lays out basic guidelines for managing dust hazards in different sectors. It mandates that facilities perform DHA’s and outlines proven techniques for identifying potential ignition sources, and controlling dust accumulation, which will help mitigate problems associated with dust in combustible particulate material processing and manufacturing.

NFPA 660: New Consolidated Standard

NFPA 660 will soon combine six existing standards, including the NFPA 654 and NFPA 652, into one cohesive guideline to address combustible dust safety. This consolidated document aims to make compliance more manageable by offering a single reference point covering practices for safety where combustible particulate solids are processed, including hazard identification and developing the DHA.

OSHA Guidelines

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) also provides vital safety standards for dust exposure. OSHA’s guidelines emphasize the importance of managing dust emissions to prevent explosions. For more information, check OSHA’s combustible dust standards.

In process manufacturing such as baking, food processing, pet food manufacturing, and others, the handling of dry particulate materials—whether through weighing, batching, mixing, or conveying—frequently results in the creation of dust (fine particles of dry material small enough to be suspended in the air). Identifying the specific points in your process and facility where dust is created is essential for successfully controlling dust and implementing prevention strategies. 

Dust generation can occur naturally through processes such as abrasion/erosion and decomposition of the dry particulate material. In addition, dust can be created through processing of the material. This processing includes handling of the dry materials through actions like conveying, or dust can occur due to the inherent manufacturing process such as batching, mixing, or particle size reduction (grinding/classifying). The specific points where dust is created may include areas where the dry materials are transferred between pieces of process equipment or where mechanical action takes place (like grinding or agitation). Airborne dust can also be created during the discharge of powders from bulk bags for further processing. Containment and control of dust is critical in all of these examples.

Maintaining cleanliness, like following 5S principles, can help limit dust buildup. Dust particles can pose various health and safety concerns. Fine dust can become a respiratory hazard when inhaled, potentially causing conditions such as asthma or chronic lung diseases. Many dust explosions involve secondary blasts triggered by accumulated dust on equipment or structural elements. Keeping surfaces clean and managing dust through proper ventilation, and filtration is essential for maintaining a safe environment.

Controlling dust involves a mix of smart strategies and the right equipment. Let’s explore a few effective and simple methods that are easy-to-implement for ingredient batching systems.

Sealed Scale Hoppers

Ingredient batching systems often include scale hoppers.  These are hoppers used to feed from one to several ingredients into them and weigh them while feeding.  Using sealed scale hoppers helps to contain the dust produced when the dry materials are fed into the scale hoppers. By keeping materials enclosed, you can stop dust from escaping into the surrounding area in the facility.

Feeder Socks

Sealing the connection between the dry material feeder and the scale hopper will minimize dust in the area.  When auger feeders are utilized in the ingredient batching system, feeder socks can be used. These are flexible, sealed connections between feeders and hoppers. They help prevent dust from escaping while transferring materials, keeping the environment cleaner.

Dust Collection Systems

Dust collection systems can maintain good air quality when properly sized, installed and maintained. Systems like baghouses or cyclones can capture dry material particulates before they have a chance to accumulate. For example, dust collectors used during batching system bin filling and feeding can significantly reduce airborne dust in the area surrounding an automatic ingredient batching system with multiple dry material powders involved.

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Putting dust control systems in place requires proper planning and understanding of the amount of dust, its location and source, and your facility’s specific needs.

Proven Techniques

Using sealed systems and the right dust collection equipment is key. Regular maintenance will also help ensure these systems function effectively. It’s also wise to monitor equipment closely to identify and fix issues before they escalate.

Employee Training and Awareness

Training your employees about dust hazards and how to operate equipment safely is equally important. When workers understand the risks and know the proper procedures, they can help ensure a safe working environment. Building a culture of safety boosts the success of your dust control efforts.

Effective dust control systems offer several benefits:

• Improved Safety: Reduces health risks and explosion hazards
• Regulatory Compliance: Meets OSHA and NFPA requirements
• Operational Efficiency: Reduces downtime of equipment linked to dust issues
• Cost Savings: Lowers maintenance by reducing equipment wear and tear

Taking proactive steps to control dust is a wise investment that pays off in safety and efficiency.

Managing dust in process manufacturing is not just about maintaining cleanliness and preventing ignition sources; it’s about ensuring the health and safety of workers, protecting the facility from potential disasters, and complying with regulatory standards. By understanding the sources of airborne dry material particulates, implementing effective control measures like sealed hopper systems, feeder socks, and dust collection units, and implementing rigorous maintenance and housekeeping, manufacturers can significantly reduce dust hazards.

Prioritizing dust control brings many advantages to the process manufacturer: it improves personnel and facility safety by reducing health risks and explosion dangers; it ensures regulatory compliance, boosts operational efficiency by minimizing dust-related downtime, and increases cost savings through a reduction in processing equipment wear and tear, and maintenance needs. 

Training employees and fostering safety in the company culture further amplify the success of dust control measures. By taking proactive steps to address dust control, process manufacturers build safer and more efficient work environments that benefit everyone; from the workers on the factory floor to the executive and management leadership overseeing manufacturing operations.

With over 50 years of expertise in custom engineering solutions for process control and automation in the dry material processing industries; material weighing, ingredient batching, bulk bag unloading and filling, liquid handling, and much more; Sterling Systems & Controls proudly has the experience to provide you with expert guidance in dust control and mitigation, and to achieve your automation and process improvement goals. Contact us today to discuss how our knowledge and expertise can align with your goals, and how you can continue your journey toward manufacturing excellence!