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

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Resources

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Recent Posts

Is a ST Class 1 Dust Dangerous?

Posted by Fauske & Associates on 10.31.17

By Dr. Ashok Dastidar, MBA, VP of Combustible Dust and Flammability Testing and Consulting, Fauske & Associates, LLC, Ron Allen, PE, Senior Consultant, Fauske & Associates, LLC and Jeff Griffin, MBA, Director of Business Development, Fauske & Associates, LLC

 

One of the questions we commonly encounter is: if my (combustible) dust has a low Kst (or Pmax) is it dangerous? The short answer to this question is a resounding YES.


To explain a bit about the properties of class 1 dusts, and some of the potential dangers associated with those dusts, we’ve invited Dr. Ashok Dastidar and Ron Allen (the ‘Dust Buster’) to share their thoughts.

 

Jeff: So what exactly is a Class 1 dust, and why is it dangerous?

ST Dust Classes.jpgAshok: Combustible dusts are ranked into one of four classes; ST0, ST1, ST2, ST3.

The level of explosion violence increases with the class number. The only dust that has zero risk of explosion is an ST0 dust. All other dusts have an explosion hazard. Even a St-1 dust generates sufficient power to cause a flash fire, compromise containment on a piece of equipment, or blow out the walls of a building.

Jeff: What are some common Class 1 dusts?

Ashok: Grains, Sugar, Coal, PVC, Flour, etc. are all considered St Class 1 dusts. In fact, some of the most famous dust explosions case studies come from class 1 dusts: such as the Imperial Sugar explosion in 2008 in Georgia, and (historically) the Washburn A Mill explosion in 1876. It’s interesting to note that only one of the ten combustible dust investigations completed by the Chemical Safety Board reported fuel sources above St-1.

ST 1 Dust Class Incidents

 

Jeff: Ron, what would you say are best practices for dealing with St Class 1 dusts?

Ron: Best practices for dust are much the same regarding of what the class is, that is to say, good housekeeping, explosion protection and isolation, and employee education. All of these factors are outlined in NFPA 652. That said – I think the most challenging aspect of safety is keeping workers educated and actively involved in mitigating their risks. This takes daily discipline.

Jeff: What are…other concerns, best practices, etc.?

Ron: Five things immediately come to mind:

  • Understanding the characteristics of the dust is first. It is difficult to develop effective combustible dust prevention and protection strategies without understanding the ignition sensitivity and explosion severity properties of the dust that may be present. Laboratory testing provides the foundation needed to develop those strategies.
  • Controlling ignition sources comes next. Some ignition sources may be obvious (e.g., open flames, heated surfaces) but others are more subtle (e.g., static electricity, friction caused by misalignment, inadequate maintenance).
  • Fuel deprivation – a cousin to housekeeping -- is an often-overlooked need. For the most part, housekeeping is performed after combustible/hazardous dust has been released. Fuel deprivation is focused on upstream identification and control of combustible dust sources before the release occurs. Examples of fuel deprivation “opportunities” include: enclosing transfer points; installing local exhaust ventilation, and; redesigning/replacing leaking seals.
  • I don’t think that the risk of flash fire can be underestimated. Providing properly rated fire resistant clothing (FRC) for “at risk” workers can be critical.
  • Conducting a Dust Hazards Analysis (DHA) to gauge the extent to which the hazard is present in the plant and formulate a “to-do” list on how to reduce the risk of an accident.

In our next post, we will discuss: How does the Hazard class related to the hazardous area classification? If you have any questions about your dust, please feel free to contact us at griffin@fauske.com or +1 630 470 7168. www.fauske.com

Is My Dust Combustible? Find Out.

Topics: Combustible Dust

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Is My Dust Combustible?

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