Stop a potential disaster—stay off the network news
While dust explosions grab the lion’s share of the network TV news because of their utter devastation and loss of life, an insidious calamity could be heating up in your facility, just waiting to put your plant on TV and out of business. Self-heating of materials—somewhat analogous to the spontaneous combustion of stored hay or grain—can start a fire that could even set off a dust explosion if the conditions are right in your plant. If your plant has had a “near-miss,” it’s time to investigate further and mitigate before a breaking-news event happens at your facility.
FE asked Vahid Ebadat, CEO of Chilworth North America, to explain the dangers of self-heating. Ebadat has worked as a process and operational hazards consultant for the chemical, pharmaceutical and food industries, and is a regular speaker at training courses on gas and vapor flammability, dust explosions and controlling electrostatic hazards. He is a member of the NFPA 77 Technical Committee on Static Electricity, NFPA 654 Standard for the Prevention of Fire and Dust Explosions from the Manufacturing, Processing and Handling of Combustible Particular Solids, and ASTM E27 Committee on Hazard Potential of Chemicals.