What is NFPA 660?
In the past, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has issued several consensus standards governing the storage, handling, and generation of combustible particulates, along with many other Fire Safety documents. Recently the hard work of committees spanning the different combustible dust standards have fruited a new standard, NFPA 660 – Standard for Combustible Dusts and Particulate Solids. The effective date of the standard was December 6, 2024.
NFPA 660 was written to consolidate the requirements and guidance from the following standards:
- NFPA 652, Standard on the Fundamentals of Combustible Dust.
- NFPA 61, Standard for the Prevention of Fires and Dust Explosions in Agricultural and Food Processing Facilities.
- NFPA 484, Standard for Combustible Metals.
- NFPA 654, Standard for the Prevention of Fire and Dust Explosions from the Manufacturing, Processing, and Handling of Combustible Particulate Solids.
- NFPA 655, Standard for Prevention of Sulfur Fires and Explosions.
- NFPA 664, Standard for the Prevention of Fires and Explosions in Wood Processing and Woodworking Facilities.
The guidance, requirements, and explanatory statement from the different standards are now compiled as individual chapters in NFPA 660. By unifying the different standards into one concise document, the NFPA has eliminated redundancies and conflicting information/requirements, thereby simplifying the path to combustible dust safety and compliance.
One effect of this consolidation is that the definitions and terminology from each document have been standardized and are all found in Chapter 3. Additionally, many of the fundamental requirements that apply to all of the industries previously found mostly in NFPA 652, NFPA 654, and applicable commodity standards are located in the first 10 chapters of NFPA 660. The organization of this combined document and how to determine the requirements for a piece of equipment, building, or facility can be found in the Annexes of the standard.
Changes in NFPA 660
The roll-out of NFPA 660 will bring several key changes to the way combustible dust management is accomplished, including but not limited to the following:
- Dust Hazard Analysis (DHA)
The new standard includes further requirements and methodologies for conducting a DHA, including a more in-depth correlation between the process and any commodity-specific risks. Included in that, is a clarifying statement of who can conduct a DHA:
The DHA shall be performed or led by a qualified person who possesses documented experience and education regarding methods for performing a DHA and the assessment and identification of mitigation or elimination options for the fire, flash fire, explosion, and related hazards of the specific type or types of combustible dusts involved in the facility. - Housekeeping
The new standard emphasis regular maintenance and housekeeping expectations/ It lays out strict guidance on housekeeping method and tools, cleaning frequencies, and dust accumulation. - Terminology
One of the more time-consuming parts of working on these NFPA committees has been the goal of streamlining the terminology used throughout the document so that the phrases used in each section of standard are consistent. For example, terminology for types of sulfur size reduction machinery were updated, the terms “deflagration vent/venting” were made consistent, “AMS” vs “Dust Collector” were focused, and terms such as transient releases, management of change, operational readiness review, and explosive- and propellant-actuated devices have been defined.
What Does NFPA 660 Mean for Industry?
The arrival of NFPA 660, while mostly focusing on concise terminology, guidance, and requirements, will of course shine light on Combustible Dust Safety. We have already seen this come up with Insurance renewals, Fire Marshalls and Building Inspectors, and with OSHA Investigations. The best way to handle the new standard is that facilities need to continue to do the following:
- Know if your materials are combustible or explosible,
- Perform a DHA,
- Mitigate the identified risks through risk reduction measures identified in the standard,
- Train employees to the hazards related to combustible dust,
- Have safety management programs, housekeeping procedures, and a robust Preventative Maintenance (PM) schedule,
- Revalidate the DHA at least every 5 years.
If your facility handles or generates combustible dust, if you are unsure if you material is combustible, or if OSHA, your insurance carrier, or Fire Marshall are requiring you to test the materials at your facility and have a DHA conducted, please contact us at cti@conversiontechnology.com or call us at (770) 263-6330. We are here to help. Our services include:
- Combustible Dust Hazard Analysis
- Dust Sampling and Analysis
- Explosion Protection Design and Selection
- Hazardous (Classified) Location Determination
- NFPA and OSHA Compliance Review