Project Synopsis
Perform a dust hazards engineering evaluation and facilitated DHA meeting for a grain storage elevator facility associated with ethanol production facilities.
Project Summary
The client operates a grain storage facility which is capable of receiving, storing, drying, and discharging the following grains: corn, canola, soy, and wheat. Process Engineering Associates, LLC (PROCESS) provided engineers experienced in process engineering as well as process safety and risk management who were part of a Dust Hazards Analysis (DHA) team for the client. The DHA helped the client meet the DHA requirements of NFPA 61. The following tasks were included as part of the DHA:
- Walkdown of the facility and generation of ‘as-built’ Piping and Instrumentation Diagrams (P&IDs) of the grain receiving, storage, drying, and discharging areas.
- An engineering review was completed that evaluated the fire, deflagration, and explosion hazards and provided recommendations to manage the hazards.
- The team then performed a hazard review meeting of the processes at the facility. The objective of the hazard review was to identify and evaluate the process or facility areas where fire, flash fire, and explosion hazards exist. PROCESS documented the hazard review to reasonably fulfill all pertinent regulatory requirements.
The following processes, equipment, and program evaluations were included in the scope of the DHA:
- Truck and Railcar Loading and Unloading
- Material Transfer Conveyors: including Bucket Elevators, Drag, Belt and Screw Conveyors, and Spouts
- Grain Bins and Clay Screener
- Grain Drying
- Building Design
- Employee Training
- Housekeeping
- Preventative Maintenance
- Hazard Monitoring and Alarms
- Emergency Response.
Industry Type
Grain Storage and Drying
Utilized Skills
- ‘As-Built’ P&IDs development
- Dust hazards process engineering evaluations
- Facilitated DHA meeting and participation.