Guidelines for Safe Handling of Powders and Bulk Solids

Powders and bulk solids, handled widely in the chemical, pharmaceutical, agriculture, smelting, and other industries present unique fire, explosion, and toxicity hazards. Indeed, substances which are practically inert in consolidated form may become quite hazardous when converted to powders and granules. The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board is currently investigating dust explosions that occured in 2003 at WestPharma, CTA Acoustics, and Hayes-Lemmerz, and is likely to recommend that companies that handle powders or whose operations produce dust pay more attention to understanding the hazards that may exist at their facility. This new CCPS guidelines boo…