HazardEx honours BPE for dust explosion toolkit
27 Mar 2017
Chemical and biochemical engineering design firm BPE has won the HazardEx Contribution to Safety award for its work in targeting a reduction in the risk of dust explosions.
Mike Brown, managing director of BPE, said:
“We are thrilled to have won this award. We are constantly looking at how we can use our deep knowledge of the scientific principles behind engineering to improve safety and efficiency for our clients.
“We’re delighted that it’s been recognised by our industry peers.”
The company’s pioneering work began after it identified that, despite legal requirement to reduce the risk from explosive dusts and carry out a hazardous area classification, there was no basic guide on offer.
We’re delighted that it’s been recognised by our industry peers
Mike Brown, managing director, BPE
Its toolkit is intended to provide process engineers explore the risks to help to secure targeted reductions in the risk of dust explosions.
Unusually the guide focuses on sources of dispersion rather than release. In dust explosions the most hazardous zones are inside equipment rather than outside and therefore arise from dispersion mechanisms, not release mechanisms.
The toolkit has been used in a range of cases, including pharmaceutical solid dosage, and creams manufacturing plants as well as a site that produces equipment for shot blasting metal and plastic parts.
