Combustible Dust Testing

Laboratory testing to quantify dust explosion and reactivity hazards

Safety Data Sheets

Develop critical safety data for inclusion in SDS documents

Gas and Vapor

Laboratory testing to quantify explosion hazards for vapor and gas mixtures

UN-DOT
Classification of hazardous materials subject to shipping and storage regulations
Hydrogen
Testing and consulting on the explosion risks associated with devices and processes which use or produce hydrogen
Safety Data Sheets

Develop critical safety data for inclusion in SDS documents

Thermal Stability

Safe storage or processing requires an understanding of the possible hazards associated with sensitivity to variations in temperature

Adiabatic Calorimetry
Data demonstrate the consequences of process upsets, such as failed equipment or improper procedures, and guide mitigation strategies including Emergency Relief System (ERS) design
Reaction Calorimetry
Data yield heat and gas removal requirements to control the desired process chemistry
Battery Safety

Testing to support safe design of batteries and electrical power backup facilities particularly to satisfy UL9540a ed.4

Safety Data Sheets

Develop critical safety data for inclusion in SDS documents

Cable Testing
Evaluate electrical cables to demonstrate reliability and identify defects or degradation
Equipment Qualification (EQ)
Testing and analysis to ensure that critical equipment will operate under adverse environmental conditions
Water Hammer
Analysis and testing to identify and prevent unwanted hydraulic pressure transients in process piping
Acoustic Vibration
Identify and eliminate potential sources of unwanted vibration in piping and structural systems
Gas & Air Intrusion
Analysis and testing to identify and prevent intrusion of gas or air in piping systems
ISO/IEC 17025:2017

Fauske & Associates fulfills the requirements of ISO/IEC 17025:2017 in the field of Testing

ISO 9001:2015
Fauske & Associates fulfills the requirements of ISO 9001:2015
Dust Hazards Analysis
Evaluate your process to identify combustible dust hazards and perform dust explosion testing
On-Site Risk Management
On-site safety studies can help identify explosibility and chemical reaction hazards so that appropriate testing, simulations, or calculations are identified to support safe scale up
DIERS Methodology
Design emergency pressure relief systems to mitigate the consequences of unwanted chemical reactivity and account for two-phase flow using the right tools and methods
Deflagrations (Dust/Vapor/Gas)

Properly size pressure relief vents to protect your processes from dust, vapor, and gas explosions

Effluent Handling

Pressure relief sizing is just the first step and it is critical to safely handle the effluent discharge from an overpressure event

FATE™ & Facility Modeling

FATE (Facility Flow, Aerosol, Thermal, and Explosion) is a flexible, fast-running code developed and maintained by Fauske and Associates under an ASME NQA-1 compliant QA program.

Mechanical, Piping, and Electrical
Engineering and testing to support safe plant operations and develop solutions to problems in heat transfer, fluid, flow, and electric power systems
Hydrogen Safety
Testing and consulting on the explosion risks associated with devices and processes which use or produce hydrogen
Thermal Hydraulics
Testing and analysis to ensure that critical equipment will operate under adverse environmental conditions
Nuclear Safety
Our Nuclear Services Group is recognized for comprehensive evaluations to help commercial nuclear power plants operate efficiently and stay compliant
Radioactive Waste
Safety analysis to underpin decomissioning process at facilities which have produced or used radioactive nuclear materials
Adiabatic Safety Calorimeters (ARSST and VSP2)

Low thermal inertial adiabatic calorimeters specially designed to provide directly scalable data that are critical to safe process design

Other Lab Equipment and Parts for the DSC/ARC/ARSST/VSP2 Calorimeters

Products and equipment for the process safety or process development laboratory

FERST

Software for emergency relief system design to ensure safe processing of reactive chemicals, including consideration of two-phase flow and runaway chemical reactions

FATE

Facility modeling software mechanistically tracks transport of heat, gasses, vapors, and aerosols for safety analysis of multi-room facilities

Blog

Our highly experienced team keeps you up-to-date on the latest process safety developments.

Process Safety Newsletter

Stay informed with our quarterly Process Safety Newsletters sharing topical articles and practical advice.

Resources

With over 40 years of industry expertise, we have a wealth of process safety knowledge to share.

Recent Posts

Labeling SDS for Combustible Dust Hazards

Posted by Fauske & Associates on 06.30.15

by Mark Yukich, Fauske & Associates, LLC

Do you have a combustible dust or think you may have a combustible dust?  Have you wondered if you need to label the material with a warning for a dust explosion hazard?  Recently, the Global Harmonized System (GHS) in the area of the Standard Data Sheets (SDS), particularly focusing on the labeling of dust hazards, has caused companies to consider the explosibility of their dust and if they should be labeling their product with a warning.OSHA-Explosives-Sign-ODE-16414_300

According to the new Hazard Communication Standard (HCS 29 CFR 1910.1200 (f)), “Manufacturers, importers and distributors are required to assess available evidence regarding a product’s hazards and must consider exposures under normal conditions or use or in foreseeable emergencies when evaluating what hazards must appear on the label.”  HCS continues to say, “Where manufacturers are aware that the downstream use of their product routinely generates combustible (hazardous) dusts, a warning addressing a potential explosion hazard should be included on the label as an immediate visual reminder.”

As for the labeling, HCS has instructed that labeling provided should include the word “warning” and the hazard statement: “May form combustible dust concentration in the air.”  The easy solution would be to say that all dusts are combustible, but there is a danger to taking this approach.  Many companies see SDS’s as a way to communicate to their clients about the hazards of a given material.  Saying that a dust, “May form combustible/hazardous dust concentrations,” does not provide operators or technicians with any guidance for how to handle their dust.  It also does not give any security to an EHS department who wants to be sure that their people and processes are safe. 

The first step towards issuing a warning label would be to figure out if you are dealing with a combustible dust or not.  Fortunately, there is a quick and easy test to determine whether a dust is combustible or not.  This test is called the Explosibility Screening Test or a “Go/No Go” test.  If your sample is determined to be a “No Go” then your dust is not combustible.  However, a sample that is a “Go” would mean that your dust is combustible and other testing will need to be done to determine the risks associated with the material.  These additional tests will determine what type of mitigation is necessary to ensure safe handling of the product.

OSHA-Combustible-Sign-ODB-16414_150It is preferable to take the conservative approach when dealing with the safety of your employees and your facilities.  This means that you would test your materials per the ASTM methods.   Remember to first test each item in a “Go/No Go” test or Explosibility Screening test to determine if it is a hazard.  Once you determine the product is a “Go,” conduct the proper testing to ensure the safety of your process and that of your customers.  Finally, add a proper safety label on your product to meet the standards set by the GHS standards.  We all want to be sure that our process is safe, so take the necessary steps in protecting your employees, customers and facilities.

For more information regarding combustible dust, flammable gases and vapors and other hazardous materials, please contact Mark Yukich, Fauske & Associates, LLC, 630-321-4788, yukich@fauske.com,

 

Topics: Combustible Dust

cta-bg.jpg

Is My Dust Combustible?

A Flowchart To Help You Decide
Download Now