Water Filtration Snuffs Hazards of Industrial Dust

The potentially explosive dust resulting from metal finishing operations is a major concern among fabricators today, not only due to safety hazards but also because recent changes in NFPA regulations have toughened compliance. The grinding and sanding of metal work pieces produces fine metallic dust that, even after filtration, can be exposed to sparks and result in smoldering, catching fire or even a dust explosion in circumstances when ordinary dry dust collection methods are used. The situation becomes even more hazardous when the dust from certain metals is "mixed" in a dry collection system. Mixing aluminum and steel dust, for example, is an accident waiting to happen.