Air Quality for Worker Safety is Our Business
Combustible Dust Management
At Process Environments, part of keeping your employees safe and your filtration system at peak performance is mitigating the risk of explosions due to combustible dust. Certain facilities often experience small, manageable explosions, while catastrophic explosions are rare but still possible.
Improperly handled deflagrations may necessitate repairs and cause system downtime.
Effects of Explosions
The effects of catastrophic explosions may include:
- Significant equipment and structural damage
- Human injury and loss of life
- Air pollution and contamination of land and water
- Higher insurance premiums or denied coverage
- Regulatory fines or penalties and legal financial liability
Combustible dust management is critical for preventing these outcomes, and we have explosion mitigation options that bring your system up to OSHA and NFPA standards.
High-Risk Industries
The following industries have a higher potential for explosions due to combustible airborne particulates:
- Bulk Powder and Food Processing: Flour, sugar, and starch dust
- Chemical Manufacturing and Processing: Volatile chemicals, gasses, and powders
- Plastics Manufacturing: Combustible dust from polymer grinding, cutting, or powder handling
- Thermal Spraying: Fine flammable metallic and nonmetallic particles
- Spray Metalizing: Airborne ignitable particulate matter
Wood processing facilities also face a significant risk as wood dust is highly combustible and can create explosive atmospheres in confined spaces.
Dust Explosion Chain of Events
When combustible dust is present, airborne, and in critical concentration, there is the possibility of ignition from sparks, static electricity, hot surfaces, or friction. Once the explosion starts, the flame front moves through the dust cloud, creating a pressure wave that ruptures equipment, spreads fire, and injures workers.
This pressure wave can be especially violent in tightly confined spaces like ductwork. Furthermore, the wave can stir up more dust and create secondary explosions.
Explosion Venting and Suppression Equipment
Explosion venting and suppression systems are designed to safely relieve pressure. They detect, contain, redirect, and extinguish explosions and prevent explosion propagation. We provide equipment from:
- Boss Products: Isolation and diversion valves, venting panels, and preventative and protective systems
- Blender Products: Spark Cooler, designed to mitigate sparks in processes such as metal fabrication
- Clarke’s Industries: Aluminum diaphragm vents, explosion backdraft dampers, and spark detection and extinguishment systems
We also source additional equipment from a variety of other vendors as needed to address your specific risks.
Combustible Dust Management Solutions From Process Environments
One of the primary functions of air filtration systems is to create a safe environment in your facility, and whenever ignitable dust is present, the risk of a fire exists. Contact Process Environments today to discuss combustible dust management and request a quote for explosion venting and suppression equipment.
turnkey services offered
Contact Us Today for a Free Site Visit and System Evaluation
Based on a tour of your facility, we will design a custom-tailored solution to fit your dust collection, fume extraction, or mist collection needs.
- Our turnkey services include product specifications and drawings, and turn-key installation costs.
- Our sales staff is experienced, trained professionals who understand the need for compliance with OSHA and TCEQ regulations regarding Combustible Dust, Hexavalent Chromium, and other regulatory requirements.
- We can supply you with a complete system that is part of your total EHS compliance plan.
Need Filters or Parts?
Simply tell us the brand and model of your collector and we’ll supply you high performance industrial air filters from our large, in-stock inventory.
Need Service?
We provide air filtration solutions for a wide variety of manufacturing processes including Plasma and Laser Cutting, Welding, Metalworking and Fabrication, CNC Machining, Spray Metalizing, Thermal Spraying, Coatings Processes, Plastics Manufacturing, Chemical Manufacturing and Processing, Bulk Powder and Food Processing, Wood Processing.