Combustible Dust Risk Management

General Industries: 

Industry-Specific:

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) developed a number of consensus standards to address the dangerous consequences of explosions caused by fire and combustible dust. In this specific situation, the traditional trio of elements needed for a fire - fuel, heat and oxygen - are combined with dispersion of dust particles in sufficient quantity and concentration, and confinement of the dust cloud to create a catastrophic combustible dust explosion.

The NFPA standards are designed to provide guidance on dust explosion prevention and mitigation by controlling fuel sources (combustible dust), ignition sources, and dispersion of dust particles. OSHA announced the National Combustible Dust Emphasis Program in 2008 and updated it in 2015 to address combustible dust. OSHA does inspect for combustible dust and issues fines. Generally, the General Duty Clause is cited, as there are Industry Standards available (NFPA) that detail the risks, hazards, and mitigation of the risks to facilities and employees. 

Combustible dust is not covered by the OSHA PSM standard. The OSHA PSM standard (29 CFR 1910.119) is restricted to flammable gases and liquids. However, the process of evaluating and mitigating the hazards of combustible dust is very similar to PSM. In fact, NFPA 652-required elements are similar to a number of PSM elements. 

NFPA will issue a single combustible dust standard, NFPA 660, Standard for Combustible Dusts will consolidate all the existing NFPA standards (NFPA 61, NFPA 484, NFPA 652, NFPA 654, NFPA 655, and NFPA 664). NFPA 660 is likely to be approved in 2025.

According to the NFPA, all applicable industries are required to conduct Dust Hazard Analyses (DHAs) by September 7, 2020, except agricultural and food processing industries covered by NFPA 61, which have a due date of January 1, 2022.