NFPA 652 is a brand new document addressing combustible dust, and was written to be an “umbrella” standard over all the existing industry-specific dust standards. The Standard on the Fundamentals of Combustible Dust was published in August 2015. It provides a set of general requirements for the mitigation of fire and explosion hazards associated with combustible dusts and particulate solids across industries and processes. NFPA 652 states that “Operating and maintenance procedures shall address personal protective equipment (PPE) including flame-resistant garments in accordance with the workplace hazard assessment required by NFPA 2113.”
Many dusts are flammable. If you have one that is, do everything possible to reduce the area and population it affects, and provide your workers with high quality FR clothing. To learn more about combustible dust and for a list of combustible dust materials, click here.