Additive manufacturing has been greatly used in 3D printing and this has presented new challenges for process safety.

In the year 2013, OSHA released the resource “Firefighting Precautions at Facilities with Combustible Dust”. This was meant to give emergency responders the right set up for dealing with combustible dust fires.

There will be a dust explosion if dust is dislodged into the air, mixes with oxygen and there is a source of ignition. Safety measures aim to avoid the presence of the three modules.

By the year 2009, there were over 280 fires and explosions caused by dust in the United States. These incidents that occurred within a period of 25 years caused 119 deaths and 700 injuries. Damages were in millions of dollars.

A number of factors come into play during the ignition and propagation of fire in a dust cloud. These factors include; composition of the dust and moisture content, size, and shape of the particle and turbulence in the system.

The following is a 5 step risk assessment process:

Step 1: Identify the hazards