35+ Years of industrial filtration experience
5 Safety Tips for Dust Collection Systems
During industrial manufacturing, products are created using machining processes that produce harmful dust. Dust can also be produced through the transportation or handling of materials or by cutting, sifting, or mixing applications.
By implementing dust collection systems employers can minimize the escape of dust from production equipment to protect workers from dangerous dust explosions and various health hazards.
Here are 5 ways to keep your dust collector safe and operating as efficiently as possible:
1. Stay Up-To-Date on Filter Changes
Dust collector filter changes will vary based on the application. It's important to change your dust collector filters as often as recommended by the manufacturer. Certain dust collector cartridge filters can operate for up to two years or longer. Applications with heavy dust loads will require more frequentl filter changes.
Our dust collector replacement filters are built to withstand high volume dust loads - providing a longer filter life and air that is cleaner than industry standards.
2. Utilize Pulse/Clean on Demand
Dust build-up causes a pressure drop across the cartridge filters. The drop in pressure is constantly being monitored by a photohelic switch/gage and when it exceeds a preset limit, the gage activates a cleaning cycle - the valves pulse. A higher impact pulse results in less frequent intervals.
3. Install Dust Collection Explosion Protection
Various NFPA standards require that dust collection systems have a way to prevent the transmission of energy from a fire or explosion to a building or work facility. Through extensive testing, BOSS developed High-Speed Abort Gates and/or No Return Valves to be installed upstream of the dust collector.
• High-Speed Abort Gates prevent hazardous air from returning into work environments by automatically venting harmful gases to the atmosphere, should a fire and/or explosion occur.
• Explosion Isolation Devices are required on all suction side ducts that transport material with a Kst value above zero. Installing No Return Valves protects employees and facilities from the damaging impact of a baghouse or filter explosion.
4. Keep the Hoppers Dust-Free
Hoppers are designed to funnel dust into a storage bin, not to store dust.
When dust accumulates in a hopper there is a potential risk of fire or deflagration. Storing dust in hoppers can clog dust collection systems and stop the pulse/clean on-demand feature from working.
5. Don't Forget to Protect Ducting Systems
Dust collection ductwork draws particulate away from industrial processing machines to filter and clean air that is either returned to the work environment or exhausted outside of the facility.
The NFPA, National Fire Protection Association, requires that dust collector ductwork is protected. Dampers and Isolation Valves safeguard ducting systems from the risk of fire or deflagration.
