Don’t be left in the dust: Innovative solutions to dust collection problems

When you think of combustible wood dust and the danger involved, you don’t necessarily think about schools. You likely think of the two large lumber mill explosions that took place in Northern British Columbia early in 2012. It is a fact though that virtually every secondary and middle or junior secondary school has a wood shop that is governed by the same codes and legislation as the large lumber mills.

Every one of these shops is required by law to have a properly sized, functional, engineered, safe, dust extraction and ventilation system. Some examples of the requirements include:

• Connection of all dust-producing tools to an extraction system with controls to ensure that the tool is not operating unless the dust extractor is running.

• Ductwork constructed to industrial standards and sized to ensure proper air and dust velocities to prevent material settling at any point.

• A dust collector sized for capture from all dust-producing equipment simultaneously.

• Explosion and fire prevention, isolation, and mitigation features to reduce the likelihood of a fire or explosion and to prevent injury to users or bystanders while minimizing damage if an incident does occur.

Tool manufacturers have begun to put capture hoods on many of their tools and that is a good point to start with sizing a dust extraction system, but small hoods intended for use with vacuum systems do not typically work well with high volume/low pressure extractors required for larger tools. While it comes with a premium capital cost, a clamptogether duct system, such as the Nordfab QF is very quick and easy to assemble and modify; labour cost savings can offset the material cost. If you have an enclosureless collector, have you separated it from the work space by at least 20 feet? If you have a collector with enclosed filters, do you have a safe place to relieve an explosion in the collector? If not, you may need to look at either directed or even flame-absorbing vents such as the Rembe Q-box. A variable frequency drive can be used to maximize fan efficiency, but it must be controlled in such a way as to ensure that air velocity is not compromised. There needs to be balance between the pursuit of safety and the effect on cost. This is why it is important to work with a qualified professional mechanical engineer who is experienced in dust collection and able to navigate the codes and ensure you get exactly what you need.

Since 1981, ETP has been providing innovative solutions to dust collection problems for both industry and education. As members of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors National Association (SMACNA) we work hard to ensure that we are aware of all code changes. We are committed to work with mechanical engineers and contractors to ensure that each installation is as efficient and safe as it can be while being aware of costs. n

Rembe Q-box, a flame-absorbing vent.

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