Under pressure to reduce explosion risk!
Dear Powder Doctor,
With all the emphasis nowadays to reduce explosion risk in the workplace, we are reviewing all aspects of our processes and safety measures. One area of concern is our flexible sleeves held with hose clamps. Many of our sleeve connections fit poorly or have been installed incorrectly, and they are leaking powder. Also, if there was to be an explosion in a process line using these sleeves, the sleeves or the clamps would possibly fail, allowing the blast into the plant atmosphere. Sure we have suppression and venting systems, but what good are they if a flexible sleeve held with hose clamps is a weak link?I’m under pressure to improve our safety!
Sincerely,
Mr. F. Ike
Dear Mr. Ike,
Explosion mitigation has always been important. Recent emphasis on NFPA and OSHA has manufacturers scrambling to understand what is the right thing to do. It’s not an easy answer.
You are correct in identifying sleeves held by hose clamps as a weak link for at least two reasons:
- If a sleeve fails before your protection systems activate, the protection systems might be less effective.
- Long term dust leakage into your plant can be the fuel for a secondary explosion.
Consider the BFM® snap-in flexible sleeve to replace your old fashioned sleeves for several reasons:
- The snap-in design guarantees a perfect, dust tight seal, no matter who installs the sleeve. No tools required.
- Sealing on the inside, the snap bands seal even tighter from sudden internal pressure rise.
- In controlled explosion trials, an independent lab proved the BFM® sleeve seals at higher pressures (up to 100 KPa), when hose clamps failed (less than 50 KPa). A copy of the test results is available on request.
See the BFM® snap-in flexible sleeve in action by watching a brief video |
The BFM® sleeve is a key link in creating a safer plant environment!
JUST BFM® IT!
The Powder Doctor
PS Watch my latest video to see how you can mitigate risk of explosion in your bulk powder processing plant with the BFM® sleeve.
