Due to the tightening of air pollution laws and employee safety regulations, manufacturers are being forced to pay more and more attention to removing dust particles from the air released by their installations. This requires them to install large complex dust collection systems in all their facilities. Dust collection systems include collection points where air and entrained dust are drawn into a system of pipes that carry dust and air, fans that feed the movement of air, and dust collectors that separate dust from air. Dust collectors are mostly dry type. Dry-type dust collectors are divided into cyclones and bag-type dust collectors. As dust can create an explosive atmosphere, it is necessary to assess the risk of explosions and to establish appropriate measures to prevent the explosion or, as the case may be, to limit the effects of explosions. The paper presents aspects related to the evaluation of the risk of explosions at dust removal installations with emphasis on the risk of initiating the explosive dust / air atmosphere through electrostatic discharges.

In the case of use of the electric igniters, in various applications, depending on their field of use, there may be a risk of unexpected initiation by means of electrostatic discharges from persons, their clothing and / or objects isolated from the ground. Electrification and consequently the accumulation of dangerous electrostatic potentials on people and on their outerwear, generally takes place during the performance of work tasks, a situation in which due to the movements performed by the persons involved, there is the phenomenon of friction between different parts of clothing or between clothing and the person wearing the clothing. The presence of the risk of unexpected initiation of electric igniters by electrostatic discharge requires the adoption and implementation of measures to minimize their effects on the safety and health of workers and others. In view of the above, determining the performance of sensitivity of electric igniters to unexpected initiation by electrostatic discharge is very important as this depends on the safety and security of workers / persons involved in activities that require the use of these elements / products.