|
Many powders used in the chemical industry and virtually all pharmaceuticaland food powders pose an explosion hazard.The severity of this hazard is often not appreciated until there is a tragedy, such as the 2008 Imperial Sugar disaster that killed 14 people and injured 40.As a result of this incident and several others, both OSHA and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) have revised laws and guidelines.Most recently, Dust Hazards Assessments (DHA’s) have become mandatory in industry.This presentation will review the fundamentals of dust explosions and methods to protect processes and people from such events.Key considerations for dust testing, process environments, and the application of venting, containment, suppression, and isolation will be discussed, as well as the current status of regulatory guidelines.
Presenter: Timothy A. Bell, P.E.
Prior to his May 2020 retirement, Timothy A. Bell was a Senior Engineering Fellow in DuPont’s Engineering Technology Center. He led DuPont’s competency in solids handling and provided consulting and laboratory testing to DuPont’s business units, central R&D, and key customers. That work took the form of new process design, equipment selection, troubleshooting, and particle product development. He is currently a consultant in private practice.Tim spent 9 years in DuPont plant operations and project engineering groups before joining DuPont’s engineering consulting organization in 1985. He has 11 patents issued and more than 50 conference, magazine, and journal publications. He is the past chair of ASTM committee D-18.24, governing the testing of bulk solids for handling purposes, and is a member of the European Federation of Chemical Engineers Working Party on the Mechanics of Particulate Solids. Tim is an adjunct professor for the University of Delaware’s master’s degree program in particle technology. He holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Michigan, a M.B.A. from West Virginia University, and a P.E. license in Delaware.
Date: Tuesday November 17, 2020
Time: 5:30 - 6:45 PM
Registration
|