The fire in the manufacturing site’s main vent and piping was caused by a faulty extractor fan.
A firefighter who was at the scene called the incident a "close call" and said the blaze could have led to a "cloudburst" operation – declared after major accidents like chemical leaks.
Never heard about a “Cloudburst Operation," until now What sort of potential cloudburst situation are they referring to in the news article?
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fire began when a spark from a circular saw being operated by a staff member ignited sawdust and set fire to the extractor system.
Globally it is a regular occurrence at educational institutions of fires occurring in the dust collector systems. NFPA 664: Standard for the Prevention of Fires and Explosions in Wood Processing and Woodworking Facilities is an excellent resource in providing guidance of best engineering practices for minimizing the severity and reducing the consequence of future incidents. Would a spark detection and flame suppression system minimized the $300,000 of damage in this incident? News Video
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Transport of sparks through ducts. ...This spark and the hot gas associated with the spark can travel hundreds of feet in a duct... Spark suppressors are placed in the duct to change the laminar flow to turbulent (coarse) flow. This agitation or turbulence strips the air from around the ember and cools the spark below ignition temperature.
Gary Berwick, P. Eng. at Quality Air Management shares with readers his informative article, "Explosions and Fires; Baghouses, Cartridge Dust Collectors." Fascinating video on the QUENCHER™ in-line spark arrester device for spark Cooling and air blending for dust collection systems.
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Resources
Quencher spark arrester Video
Vacuum Cleaning = First Defense Against Dust
In nearly all industries, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) recommends vacuum cleaning as the preferred first defense method of controlling fugitive dust. NFPA 654 states “vigorous sweeping or blowing down with steam or compressed air produces dust clouds.”
Informative article on housekeeping and the importance of using a vacuum in cleaning accumulations of combustible dust. Housekeeping violations were the second most cited violation according to the recent OSHA Combustible Dust NEP status report.
Posted via web from ComDust
Resources
Housekeeping Solutions by Walter L. Frank, P.E. and Mark L. Holcomb, MS, CIH, CSP
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