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Combustible Dust Testing & Dust Explosion Risk Assessment

Confirm whether your dust is flammable, how easily it ignites, and what controls are required to protect people, assets, and compliance.
Combustible Dust Testing

Concerned about dust explosion risk?

If you handle powders, dusts or bulk solids in manufacturing or processing, combustible dust risk can be easy to underestimate. This service is relevant if you are unsure whether your materials are flammable or explosible, need to demonstrate compliance with NFPA 652, are introducing new materials or changing processes, or want independent confirmation of explosion severity and ignition risk. If any of the above apply, combustible dust testing is a critical first step.
What our combustible dust testing covers
  • Explosion screening
    Determine whether a dust is explosible and whether further controls are required.
  • Ignition sensitivity
    Assess minimum ignition energy (MIE) and ignition temperature.
  • Flammable limits
    Establish minimum explosible concentration (MEC) and limiting oxygen concentration (LOC).
  • Explosion severity
    Measure maximum explosion pressure (Pmax) and rate of pressure rise (Kst).

What you’ll know after testing

After testing, you’ll understand whether your dust presents a fire or explosion risk, how sensitive it is to common ignition sources, and how severe an explosion could be if one occurs. You’ll also gain clarity on which prevention or protection measures are appropriate, and what evidence is required for audits, insurers, and regulators. This testing provides clarity — not just data — so you can make defensible safety decisions.

Supporting NFPA 652 and dust hazard management

Our testing supports Dust Hazard Analysis (DHA) and dust hazard management in line with NFPA 652, helping organisations demonstrate a structured, defensible approach to combustible dust risk.
  • Input to DHA
  • Evidence for insurers and regulators
  • Basis for safety design and risk reduction measures
More than testing: a complete dust hazard solution
Our approach combines testing, consulting, and training to reduce risk at source and protect people and operations — from hazard identification and determining combustibility and explosibility, through Dust Hazard Analysis (DHA) and dust hazard management planning, to training, competence development, and ongoing NFPA 652 support. This ensures testing results are correctly interpreted and applied in practice.
Why choose DEKRA?
Global Expertise

Benefit from our worldwide presence and extensive knowledge.

Reliable Partner

We are the first choice for companies dealing with combustible dust challenges.

Accredited Laboratories

Our ISO 9001 accredited and GLP approved laboratories ensure the highest quality.

Process Safety Experts

Rely on our qualified experts with a passion for developing sustainable safety solutions.

Process Safety testing experts
Work with recognised process safety experts
At DEKRA UK, our team of experts is at the heart of our commitment to process safety. Comprised of highly skilled scientists with extensive experience in process safety testing, our team works diligently in state-of-the-art labs to ensure the highest standards of safety and reliability.
Get in touch with an expert
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