What You Need to Know About the New Edition of NFPA 652

The 2019 edition of the National Fire Protection Association’s NFPA 652, Standard on the Fundamentals of Combustible Dust was released in mid-2018, proving facility operators with an updated version of the document to help manage hazards.

Originally published in 2016, NFPA 652 is a unique standard separate from industry- and commodityspecific standards on combustible dust. The document is intended to be a first-step, “umbrella” standard that works in tandem with other NFPA combustible dust standards like NFPA 61, NFPA 484, and NFPA 654. To keep the standard up to date, revisions are issued on a three-year cycle.

According to the NFPA, some of the most notable features of the 2019 edition include shifting the dust hazard analysis (DHA) deadline for existing facilities and processes from Sept. 7, 2018 to Sept. 7, 2020; requiring DHA updates every five years; edits to the general requirements for managing combustible dust fire and explosion hazards; and additional information on the most recent versions of the organization’s combustible dust-related standards.

Powder & Bulk Solids Managing Editor John S. Forrester interviewed two prominent process safety experts — Martin Clouthier, P.Eng., director and practice leader for combustible dust testing and consulting services at Jensen Hughes, and Dr. Vahid Ebadat, chief executive officer of Stonehouse Process Safety — to gauge how the 2019 edition of NFPA 652 might impact facilities.

In the whitepaper, Clouthier and Ebadat share their views on how the standard changed from the 2016 edition to the 2019 edition, the most significant change in the document, and how the standard might change in future revisions. 

To view the Powder & Bulk Solids whitepaper, click here.

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