Combustible dust kills people. Not often — but when it does, the investigations almost always find the same things: the facility didn't know their dust was combustible, didn't have a DHA, didn't have explosion protection on their dust collector, and didn't understand which standards applied to them.
The information they needed existed. It was buried in NFPA standards documents that cost hundreds of dollars, scattered across manufacturer blogs that all end with a sales pitch, and trapped in engineering-level technical papers written for process safety PhDs — not for the EHS manager who just got an insurance audit letter and has 90 days to figure this out.
DustRisk exists to close that gap.
We translate combustible dust regulations into plain English. Every guide on this site follows the same approach:
We cite the actual standard — not "NFPA requires..." but "NFPA 660, Section 7.1.2 requires..." If we reference a requirement, we give you the section number so you can verify it yourself.
We explain what it means in practice. Standards are written by committee for legal precision. We explain what the requirement actually looks like on your plant floor, in your documentation, and in your budget.
We stay vendor-neutral. We don't sell dust collectors, explosion vents, DHA consulting, or testing services. When we discuss equipment or service providers, we explain what to look for and what questions to ask — not which brand to buy.
We assume you're smart but not specialized. You run a manufacturing facility. You understand equipment, budgets, and regulatory compliance. You don't have a PhD in process safety engineering, and you shouldn't need one to understand whether your dust collector needs an explosion vent.
We are not engineers, consultants, or equipment manufacturers. We do not perform Dust Hazard Analyses, test combustible dust samples, design explosion protection systems, or sell any equipment. Nothing on this site constitutes engineering advice. Our guides help you understand the requirements and prepare for professional engagements — they do not replace them.
When your facility needs a DHA, hire a qualified engineer. When you need dust testing, use an accredited laboratory. When you need explosion protection, work with a manufacturer who can size the system to your specific Kst and Pmax data. Our job is to make sure you understand enough to evaluate those providers and hold them accountable.
DustRisk focuses on the U.S. regulatory framework for combustible dust safety: NFPA 660, NFPA 68, NFPA 69, NFPA 77, NFPA 499, the OSHA Combustible Dust NEP, the OSHA General Duty Clause, ASTM E1226, and FM Global Data Sheets.