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
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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.

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Testing and consulting on the explosion risks associated with devices and processes which use or produce hydrogen
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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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Published April 25, 2019

New Approach to DHAs: 7 Steps to Tackling Combustible Dust

You've been tasked with overseeing potential dust hazards at your plant and/or you need to be ready for Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJs) and/or you have the unusual task of CONVINCING your leadership team or purchasing department that dust hazards testing is not only necessary, but vital to facility safety as well as their bottom line.

Clearing dustWhat if you could provide a thoughtful way to tackle this task while beginning small (financially) and evaluating larger scale needs, if necessary? 

Here's a new, innovative approach to getting your dusty ducks in a row. Utilize an independent engineering and testing lab to facilitate:

  1. Training /teaching/ facilitating your team to perform DHA’s
  2. A turnkey approach with corrective actions detailed to close gaps identified by team consensus
  3. A core team to develop and complete a Dust Hazard Analysis (DHA) with corrective actions with the help of a trained facilitator
  4. Working as a team to assess your Combustible Dust processes using a "What if/Checklist" approach
  5. Completing documentation provided at end of visit for insurance or regulatory audits assembled in an organized structure
  6. This training and process, which is cost and time effective and scalable to any size company
  7. Processes which align directly with NFPA standards - providing clear references to NFPA standards 

Engineers in mechanical factory reading instructionsBenefits

Turnkey process with management closeout and a deliverable document at the end of the visit:

  • Involves the plant staff (ownership of process by the plant)
  • Educates/trains staff of facility in the basics of dust hazards, how risk assessment tools are used and what to look for
  • Provides practical approach to identifying dust hazards
  • Raises the awareness level of dust hazards
  • Puts easy to use tools in hands of your staff to further assess additional areas of combustible dust risks at your facility
  • Provides actionable corrective actions with assigned responsibilities and target dates
  • Team agrees upon corrective action items
  • Completes a full DHA, organized with supporting documentation at the end of the visit
  • Provides more personnel buy-in and is both timely and cost effective over traditional DHA processes
  • Prevents lengthy delays receiving and reading through reports
  • Provides easy to read report outlining process, gaps, and corrective actions
  • Yields actionable corrective items required to be NFPA compliant

Remind your leadership that per NFPA 652, the owner/operator of the facility is responsible for:

  1. Characterizing combustible materials
  2. Identifying hazards and risks of combustible dust
  3. Mitigating those hazards
  4. Communicating hazards to the workforce

manufacturing processes notebookAny modifications to an existing process with costs that exceed 25% of the original installation costs requires a DHA. All existing facilities handling combustible dust must have a DHA completed (Deadline is September 2020).

Remember, too, that simple Go/No-Go tests are inexpensive and a way to get the ball rolling. The sooner your DHA program becomes part of your company's DNA, the more prepared you will be to meet regulations with the added benefit of education and inclusion.  

Fauske & Associates, LLC recently developed a case study on a combustible dust explosion at a processing plant. We break down our approach to risk based inspection that was implemented to mitigate future hazards. Download the case study by clicking below.


Combustible Dust Case Study

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

regulatory audits.

 

 

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