Combustible Dust Compliance Engineering
Dust Hazard Analysis Consultant for Food & Industrial Plants
Hixson engineers combustible dust compliance to NFPA 652, 61 and 654, then designs the fixes into your plant. Serving manufacturers across North America.
- DHA aligned with NFPA 652, 61, 654 and OSHA's dust NEP
- Explosion venting, suppression and isolation design
- Process, architecture and EH&S engineers under one roof
Architecture and engineering for manufacturers since 1948. 20 in-house technical disciplines.
Prefer to talk? Call 513-241-1230
Request a Dust Hazard Analysis Quote
Tell us about your process and facility. A Hixson engineer will follow up to scope the work.
Why manufacturers bring Hixson in on combustible dust
Analysis and fix from one team
We run the dust hazard analysis and then engineer the changes. No handoff to a second firm.
Engineers who know your process
Our process engineers work daily in bakery, snacks, dairy powders, pet food and nutraceutical plants.
Built into the design, not bolted on
We address dust, NFPA and OSHA rules during design instead of as a costly retrofit later.
20 in-house disciplines
Process, mechanical, electrical, structural and architecture sit together, so solutions actually fit your building.
Work across North America
We serve manufacturing clients throughout the United States and Canada from our Cincinnati base.
What our combustible dust services cover
Hixson provides combustible dust hazard analysis and hazardous materials compliance engineering aligned with NFPA 652, NFPA 61 for agricultural and food products, NFPA 654 for chemical and pharmaceutical dusts, NFPA 484, and the OSHA Combustible Dust National Emphasis Program.
Because we are a full-service architecture and engineering firm, the same team can design the dust collection, conveying and housekeeping changes your analysis calls for, and carry them through construction documents and construction administration.
- Dust hazard analysis (DHA) for existing and planned processes
- Explosion protection design: venting, suppression and isolation
- Housekeeping and process design changes that reduce dust risk
- Combustible dust handling system specification
- Spray drying and powder handling: pneumatic conveying, silos, sifting, IBC storage
- Process safety management support: HAZOP, LOPA, PHA and OSHA 1910.119 programs
- Electrically hazardous area classification and NFPA 70E electrical safety review
- Integration with plant design for bakery, snacks, dairy powders, pet food, nutraceuticals and plant-based protein
Trusted by leading manufacturers
“Driving every facility design decision we made (with Hixson) was the question: How can we produce safe, high-quality products while operating the plant more efficiently and smarter?”
“This project (designed and engineered by Hixson) is big for our company’s growth because it will more than double our capacity when it is fully ramped to scale.”
“This facility (designed and engineered by Hixson) will enable Maple Leaf to meet the steadily growing consumer demand for premium, value-added poultry products, and strengthen Canada’s food system.”
What happens after you reach out
We talk through your process
Share your materials, equipment and facility. We ask the questions that define the scope of the dust study.
You get a written proposal
We outline the analysis approach, deliverables and the disciplines involved, with a fee proposal for your review.
We analyze, then engineer the fix
Our team performs the DHA and can carry recommended protection and process changes into design and construction administration.
Frequently asked questions
Which standards do you follow for a dust hazard analysis?
We align our work with NFPA 652, NFPA 61 for agricultural and food products, NFPA 654 for chemical, pharmaceutical and other dusts, NFPA 484, and the OSHA Combustible Dust National Emphasis Program.
What does a dust hazard analysis cost?
Pricing depends on the number of processes, materials and buildings in scope. Send us your details and we will prepare a written proposal for your project.
Can you also fix what the DHA finds?
Yes. Hixson is a full-service architecture and engineering firm. We design explosion venting, suppression and isolation, plus housekeeping and process changes, and can specify combustible dust handling systems.
Do you work outside food and beverage plants?
Yes. We serve food and beverage, pharma and biotech, laboratory and industrial clients. NFPA 654 covers chemical, pharmaceutical and other dusts, and we work in those environments too.
Where do you work?
We serve clients across North America, including the United States and Canada, from our office in Cincinnati, Ohio. We do not take projects outside North America.
Do you offer other process safety services?
Yes. We provide HAZOP, LOPA and PHA studies, OSHA 1910.119 PSM program development, EPA Risk Management Plan support, and OSHA compliance engineering such as machine guarding and lockout/tagout.
Get a dust hazard analysis scoped for your plant
Tell us about your materials, process and facility. A Hixson engineer will review it and follow up with a proposal.
- DHA aligned with NFPA 652, 61, 654 and OSHA's dust NEP
- Explosion venting, suppression and isolation design
- Process, architecture and EH&S engineers under one roof
Prefer to talk? Call 513-241-1230