Combustible Dust Hazards
How dust explosions happen and how to prevent them: lessons from Imperial Sugar and the 2012 BC sawmill explosions, the dust explosion pentagon and secondary explosions, Kst, MEC, MIE & ignition temperature testing, industries at risk, the BC OHS Regulation, National Fire Code & NFPA 660, the dust hazard analysis, housekeeping criteria, dust collection & isolation, ignition sources & static (including FIBC types), CEC Section 18 zones compared with the NEC, explosion venting, suppression & emergency response, with a capstone combustible dust management plan.
HSE-313 12 lessons · 5 h 19 min
Offered by HSM University · Safety Training
This is the Canadian version of this course. See the American version.
What you'll learn
- Explain how combustible dust explosions happen and identify the common threads in major incidents such as Imperial Sugar and the 2012 British Columbia sawmill explosions.
- Use the dust explosion pentagon to explain primary and secondary explosions, flash fires and hybrid mixtures.
- Interpret explosibility test results, including Kst, Pmax, MEC, MIE and ignition temperatures, and assign dust explosion classes.
- Recognize industries, materials and process equipment where combustible dust hazards are likely.
- Identify the occupational health and safety law, fire codes and consensus standards that apply to combustible dust in Canada, including the BC OHS Regulation, the National Fire Code and NFPA 660.
- Plan and evaluate a dust hazard analysis that covers process systems and building compartments.
- Set housekeeping criteria and cleaning frequencies from accumulation rates and select safe cleaning methods.
- Evaluate dust collection systems for transport velocity, layout, collector location and isolation.
- Identify and control ignition sources, including hot work, mechanical sparks, static electricity and self-heating, and select suitable bulk bags.
- Apply hazardous location classification for combustible dust under the Canadian Electrical Code and compare it with the US National Electrical Code.
- Describe explosion venting, suppression, containment and isolation conceptually, and plan the emergency response to dust fires.
- Prepare a combustible dust management plan for a workplace that links the dust hazard analysis to daily practice.
Course content
12 lessons · 5 h 19 min total · final exam
- 1 Why dust explodes: lessons from major incidents 26 min · quiz
- 2 The dust explosion pentagon and secondary explosions 28 min · quiz
- 3 Explosibility properties and dust testing 28 min · quiz
- 4 Industries and materials at risk 25 min · quiz
- 5 Law, codes and standards for combustible dust 25 min · quiz
- 6 The dust hazard analysis 27 min · quiz
- 7 Housekeeping and fugitive dust control 27 min · quiz
- 8 Dust collection, ventilation and isolation 27 min · quiz
- 9 Ignition sources and static electricity 28 min · quiz
- 10 Hazardous locations and electrical equipment: CEC and NEC 25 min · quiz
- 11 Explosion protection and emergency response 26 min · quiz
- 12 Capstone: a combustible dust management plan 27 min · quiz
- E Final exam 20 questions
Requirements
Recommended background. You can start any course at any time.
Description
How dust explosions happen and how to prevent them: lessons from Imperial Sugar and the 2012 BC sawmill explosions, the dust explosion pentagon and secondary explosions, Kst, MEC, MIE & ignition temperature testing, industries at risk, the BC OHS Regulation, National Fire Code & NFPA 660, the dust hazard analysis, housekeeping criteria, dust collection & isolation, ignition sources & static (including FIBC types), CEC Section 18 zones compared with the NEC, explosion venting, suppression & emergency response, with a capstone combustible dust management plan.