The Potential Cost of Explosive Dust
There are several potential costs of explosive dust, up to and including expensive fines. However, while costly, fines aren’t the only issue with explosive or combustible dust. If left untouched for too long, explosive or flammable dust buildup can lead to fires or explosions within the facility. This leads to injured workers, damaged facilities, and a huge loss of production time (and revenue). The initial cost of removing combustible dust may seem pricey, but it’s worth it to prevent the even more costly event of a fire or explosion.
Many dust explosion events go unreported in the United States. On September 17, 2019, Powder & Bulk Solids reported a dust explosion at a cosmetics manufacturing plant in Carlstadt, New Jersey. This incident injured at least one worker at the facility. To prevent accidents like this, it’s important to take HVAC and duct cleaning seriously.
The Monetary Cost of Explosive Dust Removal
The cost of removing explosive or combustible dust will vary based on the size of the facility, the type of dust, any existing dust removal equipment, and initial installation and/or maintenance costs. Everything from the height of the ceiling to the time of day that the dust removal is completed are all calculated as part of the operation costs.
According to OSHA (2010), “To comply with NFPA standards, a small shop spends approximately $15,000 on dust collection equipment.” As for a standard HVAC duct cleaning project, the cost will be impacted by the following questions:
- What is the square footage of the building, and how high up is the ceiling?
- What time of day will the cleaning need to take place (Is it preferable at night so it doesn’t hinder daytime work)?
- What type of dust needs to be removed, and does it have the potential to be flammable or explosive (example: food particles like flour, raw materials like aluminum, etc.)?
- What type of equipment does the building already have in place to reduce or remove dust buildup?
- How accessible is the HVAC unit in the building? Does the HVAC company need to work around certain pieces of equipment?
The Difference Between Regular Dust and Explosive Dust
The reason that removing explosive dust is more expensive than “regular dust”, is due to several factors. Explosive, flammable, or combustible dust all require specific grounding equipment. Not to mention the increased risk of a fire or explosion hazard. The delicacy of dealing with such danger also requires more of a time investment to clean up.
Some notable raw materials are more prone to being explosive in dust (or powdered) form. This includes agricultural products, certain metals and chemicals, as well as certain plastic materials. For a full comprehensive list, visit OSHA’s website.
Contact PROAC for Dust Removal Today
PROAC technicians are trained to clean HVAC air ducts, whether the debris inside them is regular dust, explosive or flammable dust, dirt, mold, or other types of debris. Our technicians use specific grounding equipment to safely remove combustible dust from each HVAC unit. We also provide many other HVAC maintenance services for your building. Contact PROAC today to learn more!