Short Communication: Dust Explosion Scenario Identification for Layers of Protection Analysis (LOPA)

This article describes a five-part methodology to identify dust explosion scenarios: (1) a preliminary combustible dust screening, (2) understanding the product and its particle size distribution, (3) gathering and understanding the relevant flammability data, (4) understanding the process steps in a given unit operation that can create dust clouds, and (5) identifying potential ignition sources with the unit operations. By identifying all the potential hazard scenarios, the designer will be better prepared to protect the people and the property involved in processing combustible dusts by incorporating the above safety analysis in the design and specification of the equipment.