AIHA University Live Online PDC: Preventing Flash Fire and Explosion Hazards in Industrial Processes

Earn 7 Contact Hours

Day 1: Fire & Explosion Risks in Handling Flammable Liquids & Powders: Identify, Assess, Control – Thursday, September 11, 12:00-3:45 pm ET

Day 2: Managing Ignition Risks of Static Electricity: Identification, Evaluation & Practical Control Strategies – Thursday, September 18, 12:00-3:45 pm ET

Member $460 | Nonmember $600 | Student $460

Day 1: Fire & Explosion Risks in Handling Flammable Liquids & Powders: Identify, Assess, Control (Thursday, September 11, 12:00-3:45 pm ET)

The very flammable gas, liquid, and/or solid (powder) substances that are often the core components of a great number of industrial operations can under adverse conditions give rise to fire and explosion incidents. Such events can cause fatalities, injuries, and community and economic consequences. However, with proper understanding and the implementation of effective process safety practices, many of these incidents can be prevented.

This course will explore:

• The conditions that lead to fire, flash fire, and explosion hazards in manufacturing processes.
• Methods for systematically identifying and assessing these hazards.
• Strategies for selecting and implementing the most effective basis of safety in practice.

This course will also cover the requirements of NFPA 660 (hitherto NFPA 652) Standard for Combustible Dusts and Particulate Solids and its requirements for performing Dust Hazards Analysis (DHA).

Learning Objectives

After this online PDC, participants will have an advanced understanding of:

• Different types of flammable atmospheres (dusts, gases, liquid vapors, hybrid, etc.) and their pertinent “ignition sensitivity” and “explosion severity” characteristics.
• How and where flammable/explosible gas, vapor, and dust cloud atmospheres may arise.
• How to control flammable/explosible atmospheres including exhaust ventilation, and housekeeping.
• How to identify, assess, and control credible ignition sources including mechanical friction and sparks, arcs and sparks from electrical equipment, self-heating/thermal instability, and static electricity.
• How to select the most practical explosion protection and isolation measures.
• The requirements of NFPA 660 Standard for Combustible Dusts and Particulate Solids and what is involved in performing a Dust Hazards Analysis (DHA).

Day 2: Managing Ignition Risks of Static Electricity: Identification, Evaluation & Practical Control Strategies (Thursday, September 18, 12:00-3:45 pm ET)

Flammable gas and vapor atmospheres and/or explosible dust clouds that are routinely present during many operating conditions in many processing industries can be ignited if a sufficiently energetic ignition source is present. One significant ignition source that, in many cases, could be an inherent part of the process/operation, is a static electricity discharge (spark). This course shall:

• Explain how electrostatic charge generation occurs in industrial settings.
• Look at where in a plant an accumulation of electrostatic charge can take place and how this can result in the creation of different types of electrostatic discharges.
• Discuss how electrostatic ignition hazards can be systematically assessed.
• Discuss the measures that can be taken to control static electricity and thus mitigate the risk of flash fires and explosions.

This course will discuss and demonstrate how and where static charge is generated in industrial settings, how to analyze static hazards, and how to apply effective solutions. Practical static control techniques will be illustrated by examining case histories of explosion incidents investigated by the course instructor.

Learning Objectives

After this online PDC, participants will have an advanced understanding of:

• How electrostatic charge is generated in industrial environments.
• How to recognize those electrostatic hazards that can trigger industrial fires and explosions.
• How to evaluate and control electrostatic charge in order to reduce or eliminate fire and explosion hazards.

Schedule for Day 1 & Day 2 (Eastern Time)

• 12:00 PM – Course Starts
  
• TBD – 15-minute Break
• 3:45 PM – Course Concludes

Presenter

Vahib Ebadat, PhD
Vahid Ebadat has worked extensively as a process safety consultant for the chemical, pharmaceutical, food, paper/wood, and other process industries globally for over 30 years. Dr. Ebadat has published many technical articles and papers and is a regular speaker on process safety topics, including dust explosion, static electricity, gas & vapor flammability, and thermal decomposition/self-heating hazard assessment and control.

**This live event will be administered in our LMS through zoom meeting. Please view our FAQ for additional information.**