Dust collection is an important safety and operational precaution for organizations in virtually every industry. For those with production-heavy environments, the need for efficient, ongoing dust collection is even more critical. Historically, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has recommended that organizations take proactive measures to reduce the amount of combustible dust present in their facilities and its associated risks, but this was never enforced by OSHA.
These requirements were described in a number of NFPA standards. Some of the primary standards governing this topic include 484 (Standard for Combustible Metals), 652 (Standard on the Fundamentals of Combustible Dust), and 654 (Standard for the Prevention of Fire and Dust Explosions from the Manufacturing, Processing, and Handling of Combustible Particulate Solids). Several more industry-and facility-specific standards provide additional guidance.