For owners and operators in the agricultural and food processing industries, January 1, 2022 was the deadline for completion of a dust hazard analysis (DHA) for existing facilities in accordance with Chapter 7 of the National Fire Protection Association’s Standard 61 (2020), for the Prevention of Fires and Dust Explosions in Agricultural and Food Processing Facilities.
NFPA 61 and other related NFPA Standards detail essential strategies and procedures for the protection of people, processes and property from fire hazards and dust explosions in facilities handling, processing and storing bulk grains such as corn, wheat, oats, barley, sunflower seeds and soybeans, their by-products, as well as other agricultural related combustible dusts. All new processes and facilities handling and generating combustible dusts are now required to perform a DHA.