Dryer Safety and Dust Explosion Training

• Option 1 (1/2 day training) – Dryer & Dust Explosion Training (non-unit standard). Also works well as a refresher.
  • On completion, learners will gain:
    • Certificate of Attendance based on Unit Standard 16311
    • A practical understanding of dust explosion (with a demonstration of the explosion pentagon)
    • Knowledge across all food sectors & geographic regions
  • This options offers learning convenience & flexibility (am & pm sessions)

• Option 2 (1-day training) – Dryer & Dust Explosion Training (unit standard).
  • On completion, learners gain:
    • NZQA Unit Standard 16311 Certificate of Achievement
    • A practical understanding of dust explosion (with a demonstration of the explosion pentagon)
    • NZQA Credits 5, Level 4 (registered with NZQA on completion) – NZ Dairy only

Pre-work: Not required for either option.

• Combustible Dust Explosion – Case Study Reviews
• Work Safe & Safe Work Australia, Approved Code of Practices & FENZ and AFAC – Requirements
• Prevention of fires and dust explosions in a processing operation
• Fire triangle & explosion pentagram (required for a fire/explosion to occur)
• Dust-to-air ratios and what this means in simple terms
• Explosive limits for different powders
• Minimum ignition temperature for powders
• Causes of fires and dust explosions in a processing operation.
• Potential sources of ignition to be managed include:
  • Self-heating: hot surfaces, friction, mechanical sparks, electrical energy, electrostatic discharges, powder dags.
• Managing conditions that could lead to explosive dust clouds
• Control methods & preventing sources of potential ignition
• Methods of preventing fires and dust explosions in a processing operation.
• Plant checks for safe and unsafe conditions, & corrective action, including:
  • Pre-start, correct nozzle or disk atomiser assembly (if applicable – relates to dairy dust explosion)
  • Hourly monitoring, daily shift checks, shift handover, shut-down or plant-on-water checks, pre and post cleaning-in-place, permit to work, carbon dioxide, and explosion suppression bottles
• The purpose of protection systems such as:
  • Explosion venting, deluge/sprinkler systems, fire detection, extinguishers & explosion suppression
• Fire and explosion protection systems access rules (ATEX food industry zoning, if applicable)
• The indicators and responses to impending fires in a processing operation.

Course Content Depth: The course content listed in both options is similar.

• In the case of option 1, topics will be covered as needed, and learners will not be required to complete a candidate book.
• In the case of option 2 (unit standard training), topics will be covered in greater depth, and learners will be required to complete a candidate book in accordance with NZQA requirements.

Optional value-added competency knowledge:
We provide Dairy, ATEX food industry, and grain mill safety-conscious companies with the option to customise training even further, enhancing operator understanding by incorporating the company’s own content.

• H&S Risk Matrix
• Internal Performance Framework reference (example: risk placement of powder explosions within the Internal Strategic Risk Management Plan – towards ‘Best in Class Operations‘)
• KPI metrics on H&S (used for reporting about Operational Excellence)
• Site-specific information about:
  • Risk zones and what powder is made where (skim milk, whole milk powder, and nutritional powders), as the minimum ignition temperatures for these vary across products
  • Product lines and plant layout, suppression bottles.
  • Inside towers: dryers, vibrating fluid beds, cyclones, baghouses, explosion venting panels
  • Temperature sensors, CO detectors, optical detectors, CO, C02, temperature, pressure sensor alert thresholds (if unique to site)
• Standard Operating Procedures:
  • Permit-to-work for Hot Work, Job Safety Analysis (JSA) templates/examples, nozzle or atomiser maintenance, and explosion suppression check, shift handover (H&S related), plant-on-water, pre-/post-CIP check
• Technical SOPs for:
  • Arming/disarming protection systems, manual isolation protocols, emergency evacuation, and deluge system

This SOP reinforcement & understanding at training helps elevate why some routine checks done regularly are critical for safe plant operations, minimising the risk from assumptions and confirmation bias.

Course content

Describe the prevention of fires and dust explosions in a dairy processing operation.

This theory-based unit standard is for individuals involved in milk product processing within a dairy processing operation. People credited with this unit standard are able to describe:

• Causes of fires and dust explosions in a processing operation;
• Methods of preventing fires and dust explosions in a processing operation;
• Fire and explosion protection systems, and access rules; and
• Indicators and responses to impending fires in a processing operation.

Course content

Describe evaporation and spray drying of dairy products in a dairy processing operation.

This theory-based entry-level unit standard is for individuals involved in milk product processing within a dairy processing operation. People credited with this unit standard can describe:

• The purposes of evaporation and spray drying, and common uses of the main classes of spray-dried dairy products in processing
• The main components and controls of the evaporation process in a processing operation
• The main components and controls of spray drying in a processing operation; and
• The properties and company food safety requirements of spray-dried dairy products in a processing operation.