IEH Process Safety Tool
Combustible Dust Hazard Analysis Tool
A practical screening and document preparation tool to help workplaces organise combustible dust information, identify dust fire and explosion concerns, record credible scenarios, and prepare for review by IEH’s competent Dust Hazard Analysis consultants.
Prepare a combustible dust screening record
Complete the facility details, dust characteristics, screening checklist and scenario register. The tool will generate a practical report preview that can be printed or saved as PDF.
Facility and Process Details
Record where the combustible dust concern may arise and who prepared the screening record.
Dust Characteristics and Test Information
Use available SDS, supplier information and combustible dust test data. Unknown values should be treated as data gaps for competent review.
Combustible Dust Screening Checklist
Answer Yes, No or Unknown. The preliminary concern score is conservative and flags data gaps; it is not an engineering risk calculation.
Preliminary concern score
Complete the checklist to generate a preliminary concern band.
How to interpret this score
This score is intended to prioritise follow-up. A low score does not confirm that combustible dust hazards are absent. Unknown answers and missing test data should be resolved through competent review, testing and site verification.
DHA Scenario Register
Add credible dust fire, flash fire or explosion scenarios for process areas, equipment and abnormal conditions.
Tip: Include both normal operation and abnormal scenarios such as blocked filters, loss of extraction, accumulated dust, cleaning activities, maintenance, hot work and equipment malfunction.
The report tables are wide. Swipe horizontally to view the full preview on smaller screens.
Combustible Dust Hazard Analysis Screening Report
Prepared as a preliminary screening and document preparation aid for competent DHA review.
| Process / activity description | — |
|---|---|
| Main equipment involved | — |
| Available drawings / documents | — |
| Operating / housekeeping notes | — |
| Item | Information recorded | Item | Information recorded |
|---|
| No. | Screening question | Answer | Practical interpretation |
|---|
| No. | Process step / equipment | Dust source | Dust cloud / layer formation | Confinement | Credible ignition source | Consequence | Existing safeguards | Gap / recommended action | Responsible person | Due date | Priority |
|---|
What this tool helps you organise
A competent combustible dust review should consider material properties, dust cloud formation, confinement, ignition sources, existing safeguards, housekeeping and emergency planning.
Material combustibility
Record whether the dust or powder is known, suspected or unknown to be combustible, and identify missing test data such as Kst, Pmax, MEC, MIE and ignition temperatures.
Dust cloud and layer formation
Consider where dust may become airborne, settle on surfaces, enter ducts, accumulate in collectors, or be disturbed during cleaning and maintenance.
Confinement and escalation
Identify equipment, vessels, ducts, rooms and collectors that may confine a deflagration or allow a primary event to trigger secondary explosions.
Ignition source control
Review hot surfaces, static electricity, hot work, electrical equipment, friction, impact sparks, mechanical failure and other credible ignition sources.
Safeguards and design controls
Document existing safeguards such as housekeeping, bonding and grounding, LEV, dust collectors, explosion venting, suppression, isolation and safe work procedures.
Actions and competent review
Prioritise data gaps and control gaps for competent review, testing, engineering verification and implementation tracking.
Suggested DHA preparation workflow
Use this sequence to structure combustible dust hazard review discussions before, during and after a formal assessment.
Collect information
Compile SDS, material data, process descriptions, layouts, equipment drawings, ventilation drawings, cleaning procedures and previous incident records.
Characterise the dust
Confirm combustibility and relevant explosion properties through reliable supplier information or laboratory testing where required.
Walk the process
Inspect transfer points, equipment, collectors, ducts, surfaces, housekeeping conditions, ignition sources and abnormal operating scenarios.
Document scenarios
Record credible fire, flash fire and explosion scenarios, including initiating conditions, escalation pathways and consequences.
Evaluate safeguards
Review whether existing prevention and mitigation controls are suitable, effective, maintained and verified.
Track actions
Assign actions, responsibilities, due dates and review dates so that recommendations are implemented and verified.
Reference standards and guidance
This practical tool is developed with reference to Singapore combustible dust guidance and should be used together with site-specific professional judgement.
WSH Guidelines on Combustible Dust
These WSH Council guidelines introduce combustible dust hazards and provide guidance on identifying, evaluating and controlling the risk of fires and explosions due to combustible dust.
SS 667:2020
Singapore Standard SS 667:2020, Code of Practice for Handling, Storage and Processing of Combustible Dust, provides the key local reference for combustible dust hazard management, including hazard identification, DHA and risk controls.
Competent site-specific review
The output from this tool should be reviewed by competent persons familiar with the process, materials, equipment, ignition sources, dust controls, fire and explosion prevention measures, and applicable company procedures.
Professional limitation note
This tool is for practical document preparation and preliminary educational screening. It does not replace legal compliance duties, a competent Dust Hazard Analysis, combustible dust testing, hazardous area classification, explosion protection design, fire safety engineering, process safety engineering, occupational hygiene assessment, permit-to-work controls, company-specific procedures or professional judgement.
Need a competent Dust Hazard Analysis consultant?
IEH provides competent Dust Hazard Analysis consultancy support, including combustible dust sampling and testing coordination, dust explosion risk review, hazardous area classification, housekeeping assessment, LEV and dust collector review, and practical workplace safety improvement planning.