Airborne dust creates a number of hazards for bulk material handlers. Under certain conditions, combustible dust can ignite and explode. Fugitive dust also can endanger personal health as inhalable dust (larger, heavier particles) or respirable dust (smaller, finer particles).

Yet another peril posed by fugitive dust is possible accidents and injuries. Excessive dust build-up at a bulk material–handling plant can reduce visibility, compromise walkways and decrease accessibility to conveyors and other process equipment. It also can lead to mechanical wear and more-frequent clean-up around conveyor belts, increasing the chance of accidents and injuries in those areas.

Storage piles and material conveyance and transfers are common sources of fugitive dust at bulk material–handling plants. Ensuring safety requires a well-designed and -executed dust-mitigation system. In addition to protecting personnel, a thorough and efficient system will achieve regulatory compliance and increase productivity.

Benetech: Dust Mitigation for Safe Material Flow

Benetech, Inc. provides specialized dust mitigation for a dust-free work environment. We help bulk material handlers keep their plants and communities clean and safe through customized programs including:

  • Dust Collection – applying a mechanized, engineered process to remove fine airborne dust particles from the material-handling system
  • Dust Containment – restricting and reducing airborne dust with engineered transfer chute technology that draws less air into the transfer point; seals leaks where dust can escape; and controls the material from the head box to the tail pulley instead of letting it ‘free fall’ through the transfer system
  • Dust Suppression – applying a solution to the fugitive dust through a mechanized process that increases the surface tension of the water in the solution to better capture dust particles and return them to the main material flow

Benetech dust-mitigation systems feature key components such as:

  • Inspection doors that give easy access to hidden areas
  • Belt cleaners that prevent carryback and spillage
  • Belt support and containment that restrict the escape of fugitive dust
  • GreenTarp™ dust control for inactive piles and ground covers
  • Washdown systems that make cleaning efficient and easy

We also evaluate your existing dust-mitigation system, troubleshoot for any defects and advise you on how to correct them.

Case Study: Metallurgical Coke Plant

Situation: Safe and environmentally sound operations are integral to the plant’s mission. Because this facility is located near residential areas, thorough and efficient dust mitigation is vital to its handling of metallurgical coal and coke.

Recognizing Benetech’s specialization in dust mitigation, the company contacted us to evaluate the plant’s dust control to ensure it was safe for staff and the community, as well as compliant with regulations and efficient for production.

Solution: After analyzing the plant’s system, Benetech’s specialists determined that controlling fugitive dust during coal handling could be achieved through five dust-mitigation points: rail unloader, unloader feeders, last transfer before stackout, reclaim feeders and crusher discharge. We would suppress the dust with our BT-205W system, which applies a concentrated wet surfactant with minimal water addition to the material.

For coke handling, we had to consider the facility’s strict limits on adding moisture. The coke is hot, so we fine-tuned the process during start-up to ensure efficient dust mitigation within the tight parameters. We then applied our BT-205W dust-suppression system at 0.5% moisture addition at transfer towers 1 and 2, both of which are belt to belt.

Customer Result: The fugitive-dust trouble spots we identified are under full control without concerns about excess chemicals and moisture during material handling. The plant is much more secure from airborne dust that can cause accidents and injuries among both employees and the greater community.

Fortify Safety with Complete Dust Mitigation Starting Now

Benetech gives you control of fugitive dust that can become a hazard. Contact us at (630) 844-1300 today to speak with a Benetech specialist about how you can establish safe material flow through a dust-mitigation system designed for your business.

Posted in Material Handling