How to Keep Your Industrial Business Safe from Dusting

Benjamin Franklin was an author, inventor, politician and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. He may also have had the uncanny ability to see into the future of the bulk material handling industry.

One of the most quotable figures in history, Franklin once famously said: “Write injuries in dust, benefits in marble.” That particular comment referred to focusing on the positives in life rather than the negatives. But the words “injuries” and “dust” are applicable to industrial material handling operations, which didn’t exist in Ben’s day.

Dusting is one of the most common challenges for bulk material processors, largely due to the safety risks that stem from ineffective dust collection. Identifying the causes of dusting, implementing fixes and understanding the huge impact dusting can have on safety are critical to addressing the issue before it becomes a major problem. Fortunately, proper dust control for bulk materials is achievable with the right equipment solutions from To.

The Danger of Dusting is Real
Compliance with Government regulations is always advisable for any industrial facility, but one word stands out above all: “combustible.” Airborne dust associated with the movement and handling of materials such as sugar, starch/flour and coal has properties that make it highly flammable, and in many cases, capable of causing an explosion.

Dust explosions caused by airborne dust or excessive dust accumulations, which have been responsible for much of the damage and many of the injuries resulting from major industrial explosions.

Additionally, employees who work in environments impacted by dusting are far more likely to experience safety concerns from coated surfaces. Airborne dust increases the risks to employees for injuries or other ailments caused by slip-and-fall accidents.

Equipped to Address the Industrial Dusting Issue
The threat dusting presents should not be taken lightly. Addressing it may appear to be daunting, but you don’t have to go it alone. Todd Augers offers a variety of dust control equipment that can help mitigate the threat and its impact on an operation. Our recommendations always depend on the specific needs of a particular application, but here are three equipment options that are commonly used to minimize dusting:

Conveyors
Tubular Drag, Screw Conveyor and En-Masse conveyor dust control solutions each feature a sealed design and are excellent choices for confining material to the process and eliminating dust particles. These systems are often even more effective with the introduction of dust hoods and dust collection systems at the entry and exit points along the line.

Central Dust Collection Systems
Comprised of larger, substantial dust control equipment, these systems are an obvious solution for capturing and removing particulates from the plant environment or larger processes. The primary disadvantage is that these systems remove the material from your process. They are not cost-effective for small operations and may not always adequately capture areas of concentrated dust particles in far corners of a facility.

Point-Of-Use Dust Collectors
These dust collectors are used, as the name suggests, at the point of dust creation. Assembled in a hood, which can fit on an existing mill or can be designed as part of the hammermill. When ingredient's are crushed, this integral dust collector immediately removes the airborne particulates by extraction or blowing the dust back into the mix. Blowing offer's the added benefit of containing expensive material that would be lost in a extraction collector.  

Dust control and risk mitigation go hand-in-hand for manufacturers who process dry powders and other bulk materials. Getting a handle on this challenge by implementing some of the innovative safeguards available from Todd Augers & Equipment North Island can improve employee safety without diminishing profitability. Because as Benjamin Franklin also said, “a penny saved is a penny earned.”

Trust Todd Augers North for Your Dust Control Needs
Keep your employees and company safe from the risks of dusting. Contact us today to learn more about our dust suppression equipment to fight issues associated with dusting.