One of the biggest misconceptions we hear today is the idea that if your facility isn’t a hazardous or classified environment, you don’t need an NFPA-compliant vacuum cleaner. In fact, we hear this so often, we made a Myth Busters video about it! The truth is that if you collect dust in your facility using a vacuum cleaner, that vacuum must meet certain safety standards. If you have combustible dust in your facility (and if you’re in food, pharma, or most other industries, you do), your vacuum cleaner must comply with NFPA 652, which was released just last year.
What does it mean for a vacuum cleaner to be NFPA-652 compliant?
The standard identifies 7 specific requirements:- The materials of construction must be conductive, except in a few specific circumstances.
- Hoses must be conductive or static dissipative.
- All conductive components, including wands and attachments, must be bonded and grounded.
- Dust-laden air must not pass through the fan or blower.
- Electrical motors must not be in the dust-laden air stream unless listed for Class II, Division I, locations.
- Paper filter elements aren’t allowed for picking up liquids or wet materials.
- Vacuum cleaners used for metal dusts must meet the requirements of NFPA 484, which is the standard for combustible metals.
