n this issue of Ear to the Ground, we attempt to throw some light on a potentially confusing situation which exists in relation

to Static Dissipative Footwear, as well as highlighting the newly updated European Technical Report which offers a code of practice for the avoidance of hazards due to static electricity. Picking up on a topical theme, our feature article looks at the problems associated with controlling static electricity in powder handling processes. This has become a major issue for many organisations as they undertake risk assessments according to ATEX 137/DSEAR, with many applications previously considered as non-hazardous now coming under scrutiny.
Thanks to everyone who entered our competition in Issue 7 it attracted so many entries that we will be running another quiz in the spring of 2004 (Issue 9). If you have any suggestions and ideas for future issues, or if you require any further information, please use the attached fax-back form or contact us by telephone or email your comments are always very welcome.

New! New! European CODE

The CENELEC organisation has recently published the document CLC/TR 50404 Code of Practice for the avoidance of hazards due to static electricity. (June 2003) This is a revision of the similarly titled Technical Report of 1999 with up to date information and the added weight of a Code of Practice. It now seems unlikely that the 1991 British Standard 5958 on static control will be revised, so CLC/TR 50404 looks set to become the definitive guide for avoiding hazards due to static electricity in industries working with potentially explosive atmospheres. Besides re-stating the well known principles for the control of static electricity, the code of practice also gives much clearer detail on the use of up to date plant, such as flexible intermediate bulk containers (FIBCs or Big Bags). The types of FIBC are defined and the correct construction and safe use of the Type C bag are highlighted. This is also shown to be the most obvious type to select for safety in flammable atmospheres.

of Practice Published
The code of practice ties in with the design features of Cenelectrex equipment and some of the key points mentioned include: ! The recommendation to use interlocked static control systems when loading / off-loading road tankers. ! The use of 10 ohms as a suitable figure for monitoring earthing / bonding resistance. ! The need for earthing cables to be equipped with a strong clamp, capable of penetrating through paint and rust layers. Although the ATEX Directives do not point to a particular guide for static control, the need to take action in this area is highlighted and CLC/TR 50404 is the obvious point of reference. CENELEC Code of Practice CLC/TR 50404 may be obtained from the national standards organisations in electronic or hard copy formats.

Mr Roy Nixon of UNIVAR, Basildon, Essex was the lucky winner of our Static Competition in issue 7. Mr Nixon was pleased to receive the valuable reference book Electrostatic Hazards. Due to popular response, we will be running another competition in Issue 9.so next time, it could be YOU!

EXHIBITION
National Safety Congress & Exhibition Sept 8th - 10th - McCormick Place, Chicago, USA (Stewart R Browne booth). Great interest in Static Control in Hazardous areas from across all branches of industry, as well as many Government and Independent Safety Advisors. Eurocoat, Lyon, France 23-25th September 2003 in conjunction with our distributors ADF Systemes of Massy, France. Over 100 visitors, including up to 30% from other countries visited our stand during our first attendance at Eurocoat France. A very worthwhile show.

EXHIBITION
12-14th November 2003 ICE, Philadelphia in conjunction with our distributors Stewart R. Browne of Atlanta, USA.

This higher limit is also advocated by NFPA 77 (USA 2000) and ANSI Z41 (USA 1999). Being at a higher level, many users consider the EN345 limit to be less safe and would prefer to work to one of the other documents. In fact, the BGR 132 actually mentions that the 1 x 10 ^ 9 figure of EN345 is too high! However, the Euro Norm and US standards have been so widely adopted by footwear manufacturers, that it may be difficult for a user to obtain footwear which guarantees to have a resistance level of less than 1 x 10 ^ 8 ohms. When this kind of situation arises, the UK Health and Safety Executive takes the view that the use of an item can be justified if it has been shown to be safe over a long period of time. Hence it is generally accepted that footwear resistance levels of less than 1 x 10 ^ 9 are safe and that the three documents advocating the lower level are building in a good margin of error. Therefore, it is acceptable to use EN345 or US standard footwear, provided it was regularly tested to ensure it was within its prescribed limits. Footwear test devices, such as the Sole-Mate Footwear Test Station are available to test at either of the upper limits. However it is recommended that a user only considers purchasing a device to test at the BS / CEN / BGR level if they can be sure that the footwear they are obtaining is guaranteed to be below 1 x 10 ^ 8 ohms. Otherwise the unit may reject footwear which is within its manufacturer's tolerances (ie 1 x 10 ^ 9 ohms).

19-21st November 2003 EXPOSOLIDOS, Barcelona in conjunction with our distributors Euroasica, Barcelona, Spain. 29-30th January 2004 INTERPHEX, Puerto Rico in conjunction with our distributors Stewart R. Browne of Atlanta. 18-19th February 2004 - HazardEx, Coventry (Stand No.22) another opportunity to be at the heart of the hazardous area industry and maintain awareness of new issues and legislation. 16-18th March 2004 - ExploRisk, Nuremberg, Germany in conjunction with our distributor Peter Weber, WesiTec.

In order to allow static electricity to dissipate from the human body to ground, it is important that the person's footwear and the floor both have a certain level of conductivity. At the same time, the footwear should not be too conductive in order to give some protection against accidental contact with mains electrical current. Hence, there are recommendations for upper and lower resistance levels in footwear when it is to be used in a potentially explosive atmosphere. There are, however, four different reports / standards in use in Europe which make these recommendations, and some show slightly different levels from others: this has led to confusion! It is the upper level of resistance which is of interest when considering the footwear's ability to dissipate static electricity. Three of the documents describing the control of static electricity are the new Cenelec Code of practice CLC/TR 50404 (Europe 2003), the British Standard 5958 (UK, 1991) and BGR 132 (Germany 2003). These all suggest an upper level of resistance of 1 x 10 ^ 8 ohms (100 megohm). However there is a Euro Norm: EN345 which covers various aspects of safety footwear (such as its ability to withstand the weight of a falling object) and this includes a recommended upper limit resistance for static dissipation of 1 x 10 ^ 9 ohms (1000 megohm).

System Accessories Data Sheet

ighlights the full range of System Accessories including new type connectors, pins, plugs, sockets and leads, all suitable for use with Cenelectrex Static Grounding Systems or other purpose designed equipment.

tatic Electricity is capable of causing many undesirable effects during powder handling operations. The types of industries affected by these problems include chemical, pharmaceutical, paints, coatings, food and beverage, and the extent of the problem ranges from small scale unreported incidents, right through to devastating explosions causing injury or fatalities, lost production through plant downtime and other financial costs to the business.
In potentially explosive atmospheres, the amount of energy contained in spark discharges from plant, equipment and even people may be sufficient to ignite many fine dusts produced during handling loose solids such as powder, granules, pellets and flakes. The minimum energy required to ignite any given powder (MIE) depends on the fineness of the powder, with the lowest values tending to relate to very fine powder. If the MIE is above 10 J, and there are no flammable gases and vapours present, special measures to minimise static electricity are usually not necessary, however precautions could still be necessary with conductive plant and equipment capable of storing high levels of static charge, to minimise electric shock risks for operators. In the chemical and pharmaceutical industries the typical energies required for ignition can be relatively low (especially in flammable dust/vapour hybrid atmospheres), whilst in the food industry, MIEs are usually somewhat higher. Table A shows some typical MIE ratings of common generic powdered materials. Contact charging occurs extensively in powders, for example during mixing, grinding, sieving, pouring, micronising and pneumatic transfer. Buildup and retention of charge on the powder or equipment therefore creates a hazard if the charge is released in a discharge that is capable of causing an ignition. Some types of handling and processing equipment that are particularly susceptible to static charge accumulation during powder handling operations are as follows:-

meaning charge decay will not be instantaneous. In some cases, a detailed study of charge relaxation time may be necessary, taking into account the volume resistivity of the powder, and additional factors such as humidity and moisture content. It should also be recognised that in some processes it is not possible to completely avoid having an explosive atmosphere and a build up of charge. In these cases additional measures should be taken to protect against or prevent explosions, including inerting, explosion resistant equipment, explosion venting or explosion suppression. Conclusions To avoid incendive spark discharges from conductors and powdered materials which could become charged, all metal and static dissipative plant, low resistivity products and persons should be earthed. This should only be ignored if the object is never charged during normal operations and possible malfunction or the maximum energy that could be stored on the conductor is lower than the MIE of the explosive atmosphere. Fixed Plant - Special earthing connections across sections of fixed metal systems are recommended when the plant design or usage make it difficult to maintain a low resistance to earth. This could be where there are any insulating parts, seals or gaskets present, vibration or movement, and also wherever sections need to be taken apart periodically for maintenance or cleaning etc. Movable Plant - Special, purpose designed temporary earthing connections should be provided, with the absolute minimum requirement being that each item should be earthed whenever a flammable mixture could be present. Monitoring, Testing and Maintenance - It is necessary for all earthing and bonding measures to be tested periodically and in safety critical applications this will often take the form of constant monitoring via special certified Intrinsically Safe systems, which provide the additional security of continuous feedback, control and interlock. These may be used to monitor combinations of conductive and static dissipative plant, either as part of a complete machine structure or as discrete items. Any complete Static Safety Audit should also consider non-conductive materials (plastics etc) in use either as part of plant and equipment, or as packaging materials brought into the hazardous area. In a flammable dust atmosphere or in the presence of explosive gases and vapours with an MIE of less than 30mJ, persons should be earthed (usually via static dissipative shoes and flooring).

TABLE A Powder Paracetamol Magnesium Sugar Wheat Flour Zinc PVC MIE(mJ) < 10 20 30 50 200 1500

! ! ! ! ! !

Dryers Bulk Tankers Pneumatic Conveying Systems Conductive FIBC's, Kegs and Linings Filling and Discharge Systems Special Purpose Powder Handling Equipment

Eliminating all potential ignition sources in hazardous atmospheres is the obvious starting point for designing plant and machinery. The main areas for concern are what are often termed as isolated conductors. These are conductive objects that are either inherently or accidentally insulated from earth, so as to prevent any static electricity generated from safely discharging, resulting in accumulation of charge on the object. These isolated conductors may be any from a large list of commonly used items, including metal couplings, flanges, fittings or valves in piping and ducting systems; portable drums, containers, hoppers and even people! Isolated conductors are probably the most likely source of static ignition incidents in industry, ranging from small-scale fires through to major damage and injury to personnel. It is also important to note that charge can build up on the powdered materials being handled, so it is necessary to make sure that these are in sufficient contact with earthed, conductive containers, vessels, piping etc, thus providing a safe discharge path. In reality this may involve building periods of rest into the process, since many powders are highly resistive,

The new European ATEX 137/DSEAR safety directives cover all operations involving hazardous atmospheres, and are designed to increase safety for operators working within these areas.
Useful reference material

British Standard BS5958: Control of undesirable static electricity

! Cenelec Technical Report CLC/TR 50504: Electrostatics - code of practice for the
avoidance of hazards due to static electricity

ATEX 137/DSEAR regulations - http://www.hse.gov.uk/spd/dsear.htm

The advice contained in this article is designed as a general guide only - for more detailed information or for a specific discussion about any particular application please contact Newson Gale Ltd.

This issue of Ear to the Ground was compiled by the Editorial Team of Ellen Paul, Glynn Warren and Graham Tyers, and published by Newson Gale Ltd, Unit 6, C h u r c h i l l Pa r k , C o l w i c k , N o t t i n g h a m N G 4 2 H F U n i t e d K i n g d o m . t e l : + 4 4 ( 0 ) 1 1 5 9 4 0 7 5 0 0 F a x : + 4 4 ( 0 ) 1 1 5 9 4 0 7 5 0 1 e m a i l : n g @ n e w s o n - g a l e . c o . u k

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