
XIII.FireHazards-ReadBeforeInstalling and Operating
Donotuse thisproducttocollectothertypes ofdustorflammablevapors.
Fireorexplosion may occur!
Nevercollectsparks fromabenchgrinderintoawood dustcollector.
Neverintroducesparks orsourcesofignition intothe dustcollector.
Personnelshouldkeep atleast20 feetawayfromunit.
Check dustbinfrequentlyand beforeleaving the shop forsmoldering material.
Keep portableFireExtinguishershandy.
The ABCtype (drychemical)isgenerallyagood choiceforsmall wood shops.
Additionalinformation on portableextinguisherscan be found inNFPA10 (StandardforPortableFireExtinguishers).
Beespeciallycarefulwithsanding units.Theycan produceconcentrationsofdustinthe combustiblerange.Make
certainenough airvolumeisatthe suction pointtocaptureall the particulategenerated.
Thishigh airvolumewill dilutethe mixturebelowthe lowerlimitofflammability.Becarefulnottogeneratesparks into
the sanding dust.
Emptydustbinand clean filteroften,especiallywhen sanding.
Don’toverload woodworking equipment, especiallysanders.Excessivefrictionalheatcan spontaneouslyignitedust.
Sparks can be generated inseveralways:
High-speed sandersand abrasiveplanersmaystrikeforeign material
Sawsand edgersmaystrikeforeign materialand createared hotmetalfragment.
Knotsinhardwood can createfrictionalsparks.
Trampmetalwhen drawnintothe collectorcan sparkagainstductwork.
Check wood stock foroldnailsand screwswhichcan createred hotmetalfragments.
Avoidusing excessivelylarge wood wastestorage bins.
Always check storage binsforsmoldering materialbeforeleaving forthe day.
Electricallyground all equipmentand ducting.Staticsparks can ignitewood dust. (Avoidusing PVCdrainpipe)
Don’tallowaccumulation oflayersoffine duston horizontalsurfaces.(Especiallyoverhead lights,electricalboxes,
and fusepanelswhichcan ignitedust)
OneidaCollectorsaredesignedforWOODDUSTonly!!
Wood shaping and cutting processesgeneratewood chips,shavings,and dust. Thesematerialsareconsidered
combustible.Airborne wood dustbelow420 micronsinsize(.017 ofan inch)incertainconcentration rangeswhen
ignited can deflagrate(burnquickly).
Anignition sourcesuchasaspark,orember,can igniteadustmixtureresulting inan expanding flamefront, which
can causean explosion iftightlycontained.Adisturbancethatraisesacloud ofaccumulated fine dustcan raiseadditional
dustclouds,whichcan causeaseriesofexplosionsthatcan levelan entirebuilding.Until thistype offirehasbeen
witnessed,itisdifficulttobelievethe devastation.Thistype offireisrarebutworthsafeguarding against.
The bestwaytoavoidawood shop fireistokeep the shop clean.Ashop ankledeep industwithlayersoffine dust
everywhereisan accidentwaiting tohappen.Agood dustcollection systemreducesoverall firehazardsbutalsoadds
newconcerns.Afirehazardisstill present. Combustiblematerialisnowinthe dustcollectorand storage container.
It isthe buyer’sresponsibilitytofollowall applicablefederal,state,local,OSHA,NFPA,orauthoritieshaving
jurisdiction codesand regulationswhen installing and operating thisdustcollector.
FireMarshallsmaywantthe unitlocated outside ofthe building.If the collectorislocated inside the facility,
controlssuchassparkdetection,suppression,orexplosion venting maybe required.
MostlocaljurisdictionsconsultoradoptNFPA (NationalFireProtection Agency)codes.However,othercodes
mayapply.Localcodesmayvaryfromjurisdiction tojurisdiction.
NFPA664 Code book,“Standardforthe Prevention ofFiresand ExplosionsinWood Processing and Woodworking
Facilities”,appliestowoodworking operationsthatoccupyareasofmorethan 5,000 sq.ft. ortoareaswhere
dustproducing equipmentrequiresan aggregatedustcollection flowrateofmorethan 1500 cfm(CubicFeet
perMinute).Thisexemptssomesmall operatorsfromthe NFPA code 664,butothercodesmayapplyinyour
jurisdiction.ConsultyourlocalFireMarshall forhelp.Additionalinformation can be found inNFPA Code Book
664.
The following pointsareworthheeding:
O.A.S.2002
c
5-7.5HPDirectDriveOwner’sManual
The customerassumesthe responsibilityforcontacting theirinsuranceunderwriterwithregardtospecific
application requirementsofexplosion venting orifadditionalfireprotection and safetyequipmentmaybe
required.
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