The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has developed a new occupancy standard, NFPA 652, for protection against dust/powder fires and explosions. This standard is based on older documents and will eventually become the de facto requirement for industry being adopted by model fire and building codes, as well as OSHA. The main difference between this new standard and its predecessors is the requirement to perform a Dust Hazards Analysis (DHA) on your existing and future processes and building structures. This article places the development of the standard in historical context and clarifies the DHA methodology specifications.