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Down Under Combustible Dust Fire
by John Astad | March 6, 2008 at 11:21 pm | 381 views | 2 comments | 10 recommendations
It appears that combustible dust fires and explosions are not limited to the United States as this news release from Australia informs us here on the other side of the equator.
Fire crews are confident they have extinguished a fire in recycled milk powder at the Fonterra Milk processing plant at Darnum in West Gippsland.
Fire investigators believed it was caused by spontaneous combustion in a four storey high hopper.
Since the Dixie Crystal sugar refinery explosion in Georgia last month, there has been quite a bit of dialog between a diverse group of stakeholders which includes government legislators, enforcement agencies, and labor unions concerning what preventive measures should be taken to prevent future incidents. So far there has been no word from business organizations concerning impending costly preventive legislation in preventing future catastrophic dust explosions.
Luckily in this incident the explosion prevention equipment was functioning properly and only a fire ensued. Back in February 1980, a powdered milk mill in Minneapolis, Minnesota was not so lucky when the mill was destroyed by an explosion when an employee lowered a drop cord into a bin of powdered milk to see if it was empty. A conveyor was running at the bottom of the bin. The drop cord got caught in the conveyor and caused the explosion. The explosion spread throughout the steel bins and the warehouse causing 1 fatality and 8 injuries.
Source:ABC Gippsland
March 6, 2008 at 11:21 pm by John Astad, 381 views, 2 comments
Crowd Power
John Astad
Santa Fe, Texas, United States
Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (2)
at 01:32 on March 7th, 2008
watermon, I like this story. I don't know much about dust fires, thanks for sharing.
at 01:53 on March 7th, 2008
David, thanks for the positive feedback.
Don't feel left out of the crowd because no one either knows about the hazards of preventable combustible dust explosions and fires. Until the tragic Dixie Crystal sugar Refinery exploded last month in Georgia resulting in 12 fatalites and countless injuries.
I hadn't a clue about so seemungly harmless sugar, non diary coffee creamer, powdered milk, etc. When the fire triangle is mixed with these under confinement and suspension the end result is more explosive than gunpowder with the resulting blast wave propagating to a catatrophic secondary explosion.
Prior to that event I didn't know a thing about combustible dust hazards either and I thought I knew quite a bit about hazardous products since I work at the petroleum refinery. Combustible Dust is more hazardous than flammable products because workers and plant manages do not understand the hazards.
So in the mean time in conjunction with news reporting I'm also attempting to educate and inform the public. If I can save one life and prevent one injury then I feel my extra effort will not be in vain.
Here is a link to a blog with additional information:
Combustible Dust Explosions/Fires Information