NAPLES, Fla., May 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Lehigh Technologies, a leading supplier of engineered rubber powders, announced the completion and commissioning of a sophisticated dust control and explosion prevention system in its Tucker, Georgia facility. The system combines proven powder capture equipment with state-of-the-art explosion mitigation technology and meets or exceeds all existing OSHA requirements for facilities that manufacture powder.

As part of its commitment to be at the leading edge of Environmental, Health and Safety performance, Lehigh began this project in 2008 and invested $0.5 million dollars in its successful completion.

"The Chemical Safety Board and OSHA have long considered dust explosivity a serious hazard from both a process safety and employee safety viewpoint. After several serious incidents over the last few years in other markets it is likely that regulations will be tightened for all powder producers in the future," said David Petroni, Vice President of Operations at Lehigh. "We want to stay ahead of regulation while ensuring the safety of our employees and running our operations with a focus on best practices in process safety."

Lehigh's Tucker facility began production operations in 2006 and is ISO 9001/14001 certified. The company has a nameplate annual capacity of 100 million pounds of engineered rubber powders in its Tucker facility. Lehigh worked with CV Technology of Jupiter, Florida for this project which was designed and built to NFPA standards. "CVT is an internationally recognized leader in dust protection systems-Lehigh has installed a protection scheme that has carefully considered each component to ensure safety and reliability," said Martin Cvetas of CV Technology.

"Because PolyDyne(TM) and MicroDyne(TM) engineered rubber powders are a strategic new technology for our customer base it is essential that we are able to provide security of supply. This investment in state-of-the-art engineering controls provides our growing customer base with the confidence to expand their usage and the comfort that they are doing so safely and securely," said Alan E Barton, Lehigh's Chief Executive Officer.

About Lehigh Technologies, Inc.

Lehigh Technologies manufactures engineered ultra-fine rubber powder that delivers enhanced performance, as well as cost savings and environmental benefits, at a price point that is affordable and sustainable for a wide range of applications. Unlike traditional rubber recyclers whose coarse products are only used in low-value applications, Lehigh produces engineered performance materials that can be used as substitutes or additives in the manufacture of various high-value products. Based in Tucker, Georgia, Lehigh is a privately held venture-backed company whose investors include Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Index Ventures, NGP Energy Technology Partners and Florida Gulfshore Capital.

**This article originally appeared at PR Newsire**