Section 5.

12
Dust Producing Processes
5.12.1. Dust Collection
5.12.1.1.Dust Removal
General
Building and machinery surfaces shall be kept clean of accumulations of combustible
dusts, in an acceptable manner, using equipment suitable for use in atmospheres
containing combustible dusts.
Bonding/Grounding
Cleaning equipment and ancillary hoses and tools used to collect dust shall be
electrically conductive and shall be bonded to ground.
Vacuum tools
Tools for vacuum cleaning machines shall be made of materials that will not create
electrostatic charges.
Use of Compressed Air
Compressed air or other compressed gases shall not be used to blow dust from
surfaces inside buildings.
5.12.1.2. Collect System/Equip
General
Dust-collecting systems shall be installed where necessary to keep the accumulation
of dust at a safe concentration in the interior of buildings.
Construction
Dust-collecting equipment shall be made of noncombustible material.
Non Spark fan
Dust collecting systems shall be of a design which will prevent sparks due to
physical contact in the fan assembly. This is intended to prevent sparking caused by
contact between the fan blade and the casing or between a foreign object and the fan
assembly.
Air Velocity
Dust collector systems shall be designed and maintained for an air velocity in the
ducts of not less than 18 m/s (60 feet per minute).

Dust Control - B.C.Fire Code 5.12

5.12.1.3.Dust Collectors
General
Dust collectors shall be located outside buildings or shall be equipped with exhaust
stacks or ducts leading to the outside.
Exception 1
Dust collectors located inside buildings shall be designed in conformance with good
engineering practice such as described in the National Fire Protection Association
standards on dust explosion hazards.
Explosion Venting
Dust collectors within buildings shall be designed with explosion venting to the
exterior.
5.12.1.4.

Bonding/Grounding
All electrically conducting parts of duct systems, dust collectors and the machines
they serve shall be bonded and grounded.

5.12.1.5.

Explosion Venting.
Manufacturing activities that create significant concentrations of combustible dusts
shall be located only in buildings which have explosion venting to the outdoors of
2
not less than 650 cm for each cubic metre (1 square foot for each 50 cubic feet) of
room or building volume, with the vents designed to release at a pressure of not more
2
than 1 kN/m (20 pounds per square foot).

5.12.1.7.

Exception 1
Vent Stacks.
Permanently open vent stacks may be used to ventilate storage containers
where mechanical dust collector systems are not practical provided that the
vent stacks:
1.
have a cross-sectional area not less than twice that of all spouts
discharging into the container,
2.
are installed not more than 30 from the vertical,
3.
extend from the top of the container to a point not less than 1.2 m (48
inches) above the roof, and
4.
are designed to prevent the entry of snow and rain.

5.12.1.6.

Electrical Interlocks.
Equipment required to have a dust exhaust system shall not be capable of operating
until the dust exhaust system is in operation.

Dust Control - B.C.Fire Code 5.12

Dust Control - B.C.Fire Code 5.12

5.12.1.7.

Vent Stacks.
Permanently open vent stacks may be used to ventilate storage containers where
mechanical dust collector systems are not practical provided that the vent stacks:
1.
have a cross-sectional area not less than twice that of all spouts discharging
into the container,
2.
are installed not more than 30 from the vertical,
3.
extend from the top of the container to a point not less than 1.2 m (48 inches)
above the roof, and
4.
are designed to prevent the entry of snow and rain.

5.12.1.8.

Separators.
Magnetic or pneumatic separators shall be installed as necessary to prevent the
entrance of foreign materials that may cause sparks in equipment such as shellers,
crackers, crushers, grinding machines, pulverizers or similar machines which
produce combustible dusts.

5.12.1.9.

Ignition Sources.
Smoking, open flame and spark-producing equipment shall not be allowed in areas
containing combustible dust producing operations.

Dust Control - B.C.Fire Code 5.12