|
Dust containment is a very important safety measure in any industry that produces combustible sediment during processing. This mostly concerns the agricultural, food processing, pharmaceutical and any other industry that produces organic sediment. However, factories that process minerals or fabricate metals can also be at risk for rapid deflagration and explosion. These disasters can result in catastrophic damage to a facility and loss of life. Mitigating the problem can be difficult, though, because even 1/32 of an inch of sediment is enough to pose a serious explosion risk. During normal working conditions, this amount of material is tough to spot with the naked eye.
As a result, many companies neglect to provide adequate dust containment and removal measures in their facilities. In fact, less than half of facilities are in compliance with OSHA’s standards regarding sediment removal. This negligence has resulted in many plant and factory explosions. Workers exposed to this debris can also develop chronic health conditions over time, including fatal fibrosis of the lung. There are, however, many ways to curtail particulate accumulation, most of which are easy to implement into existing production methods. Dealing with combustible materials can be done in one of two ways. It can either be confined to a small area, where it is regularly cleaned up, or it can be removed from the building during production.
Some facilities that opt for dust containment choose to contain the threat instead of removing it immediately. In most cases, heavy curtains made from plastics or polymers are used for this purpose. They are suspended from tracks and can be opened and closed at will. They are much less expensive than erecting a permanent wall and can be hosed down for fast cleaning. Some curtains are insulated and prevent heat from contaminating the area, greatly reducing the risk of explosion. While these are effective at reducing the spread of combustible material, they can’t be ideally fit into every factory. If dust containment is only needed for a small area, plastic or vinyl enclosures may be enough.
Some industries only produce particulates during a small part of the processing stream. In the food industry, this is usually during mixing or milling. In a mineral processing plant, grinding and crushing create a lot of particulate debris. Enclosures can be designed to section off these parts of the factory from everything else. This effectively keeps combustible material from escaping and settling in other parts of the building. Inside the enclosure, the sediment can be cleaned up regularly to remove the threat completely.
In addition to these enclosures, there are a few other ways to perform effective dust containment in the building. Some of these systems are automated, like filtration devices that catch debris as it is vented through ductwork. Ventilation setups can be designed to catch material before it has a chance to settle. Manual methods of removal are also feasible, but require strict enforcement to function properly. Hand vacuuming using OSHA approved devices can be used in facilities where sediment accumulation is more gradual. With a combination of these safety measures, it is possible to totally eliminate the explosive and health risks caused by dispersed combustibles.
|
