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

Ensure NFPA Compliance Through Corporate Level Combustible Dust Audits

Posted by Fauske & Associates on 10.31.22

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) CPL 03-00-008 Combustible Dust National Emphasis Program (NEP, reissued) has been in effect since March 11, 2008. The purpose of this OSHA NEP is to reduce the risk of fires and/or explosions occurring at facilities that handle combustible particulate solids. This Instruction references other applicable OSHA regulations and is supported by related National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Standards. These NFPA standards include:

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This is where a corporate level combustible dust audit can help. These types of audits look at dust management practices and equipment including dust collectors, ductwork and other dust containers to identifying safety issues, prioritize corrective actions and determine any additional information required to mitigate fire/explosion hazards. The information they provide helps enable senior management to understand prioritized recommendations and develop a systematic action plan based on safety needs.

Although many standards are relevant, NFPA 654 Standard for the Standard for the Prevention of Fire and Dust Explosions from the Manufacturing, Processing and Handling of Combustible Particulate Solids is often the reference standard for combustible dust audits. Audit protocol items related to facility dust hazard assessments include, but are not limited to, materials, equipment and facility design, explosion protection, electrical area classification and damage control, along with administrative issues such as dust control/ housekeeping, ignition source control, training for new and veteran affected employees and contractors, Management of Change (MOC), Process Hazard Analysis (PHA), and inspections and preventive maintenance. Reports from individual facility findings and recommendations should follow a standard format, and allow for local management to obtain a clear understanding of the issues related to their specific site, as well as compare findings with plants of similar technology. Below are some of the common findings gleaned from a corporate combustible particulate/dust audit. 

Common Audit Findings: Systems

  • Additional testing needed
  • Improved dust control/housekeeping required
  • Employee/contractor training not implemented or documented
  • Bonding & Grounding – other ignition source control needed
  • Management of change (MOC) system not in place
  • Employee not outfitted with proper personal protective equipment (PPE) 

Common Audit Findings: Equipment

  • Explosion protection required
  • Electrical area classification needed
  • Alarms and controls needed
  • Maintenance and inspection programs not documented 

Managing compliance is a necessity and can sometimes be perceived as an overwhelming task. The findings of a corporate audit can help the company’s internal EH&S group identify areas for improvement and where needed, initiate a revision of their current protocols, both for legacy facilities as well as new design/construction. 

So, you can see, a corporate combustible dust audit is an important part of any combustible hazard/dust management program to help identify hazards, evaluate potential risks, implement safeguards and maintain compliance. 

Need assistance with your corporate combustible dust audit needs? We can help!

 Common Questions Regarding Dust Sample  Collection, Preparation, and Testing

Is My Dust Combustible?

 

 

Topics: Combustible Dust

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Is My Dust Combustible?

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