NFPA Importance

The NFPA, OSHA, and other regulatory and industry groups are focused, increasingly, on fire prevention and safety related to dust fires and explosive dust. Mitigating the ignition source is an important consideration as it addresses one of the primary elements (heat) required in both fires and explosions. While thorough safety programs, dust management procedures, and extinguishing systems are indispensible components of effectively managing the explosion exposure, fire prevention and ignition-source mitigation are important
as well.

Extinguishing, isolation and containment systems seek to minimize the consequences of a fire or explosion, but do nothing to address the existence or frequency of deflagration (fire events). The Spark Cooler is an option that can be considered primarily for metal-dust applications, as part of a fire-protection program, and also as an adjunct to explosion-control systems. Properly applied, it functions to mitigate the frequency of fire-events for a specific application, and therefore warrants consideration for inclusion in protection efforts in non-explosive process environments. In addition, provided extensive extinguishing, isolation and containment systems are in place, it also warrants consideration for inclusion alongside such systems in explosive process environments. In short, in specific applications where the Spark Cooler reduces sparks, it is a simple, low-cost tool that can reduce incidents, and fewer incidents means improved safety and reduced cost and disruption.

Finally, because

NFPA guidelines require additional isolation equipment for secondary dust accumulation points.
The Spark Cooler, properly applied, is unique among spark mitigation devices in that it does not create a secondary
dust collection point, the Spark Cooler is a tool worthy of
serious consideration, provided it is otherwise a fit for a
specific application.