What is a recommended safety practice when handling fine dust hazards?

What is a recommended safety practice when handling fine dust hazards?

• A. Eliminate ignition sources and control dust dispersion
• B. Ignore dust hazards
• C. Wet the dust to increase hazard
• D. Increase airflow to disperse dust

Answer: (A)

Fine dust can ignite or explode when it’s suspended in air, so the safest approach is to remove ignition sources and keep dust from spreading. Eliminating sparks, hot surfaces, and static, along with proper containment and ventilation to control dust dispersion, minimizes both the chance of a dust cloud forming and the possibility of ignition if one does form. Ignoring dust hazards, wetting the dust to increase hazard, or pushing air to spread dust only raises risk or creates new problems, so they’re not appropriate safety practices.

Fine dust can ignite or explode when it’s suspended in air, so the safest approach is to remove ignition sources and keep dust from spreading. Eliminating sparks, hot surfaces, and static, along with proper containment and ventilation to control dust dispersion, minimizes both the chance of a dust cloud forming and the possibility of ignition if one does form. Ignoring dust hazards, wetting the dust to increase hazard, or pushing air to spread dust only raises risk or creates new problems, so they’re not appropriate safety practices.