Dust Collectors...

Nov 03, 2005 22 Replies

" 'Our preliminary information shows that there have been 150 dust explosions resulting in more than 80 deaths over the past two decades,' CSB representative Dan Horowitz says. Hoyle, who is heading the investigation, traveled to Baltimore in October to attend a meeting of NFPA's Technical Committee on Handling and Conveying of Dusts, Vapors, and Gases, which has jurisdiction over NFPA 654."

You need to do something. It would seem half the explosions in the US are happening where you live.

The folks at NFPA will remind you that proper particle composition, size, dispersal but overall confinement, and the availability of oxygen don't guarantee an explosion. Even the ignition source has to fall within a fairly narrow set of parameters.

That's why dust explosions so rare. Now explosions resulting from "dust" off-gassing, like plastics and such are more common, but they're not really dust explosions, nor are they so picky in their conditions.

OK, let's get a look at that preliminary data. how many of those were in home shop dust collectors? how many of them were caused by static discharge?

I'll guess none.

Gents, I have no knowledge of static electric build-up causing explosions. However, please be advised that static electric in an ungrounded vacuum system can be substantial. Just last week, my son "fried" a Dewalt plunge router while using its dust collection connection in conjunction with his home vacuum system. He was running the router while connected to his operating home vacuum sytem. The plastic hose connected to the vac and the router was draped over his shoulder. After running the setup for only 10 to 20 seconds, he felt a tremendous shock in his shoulder at which time the router stopped running. Previously, he had used the router extensively with the home vacuum in another location where the vacuum outlet was grounded. The router was deemed not repairable by the Dewalt service center. The center personnel stated that the router had been damaged by an external electric source; the router checked out as properly insulated.

Please be careful.

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