These images captured over decades illustrate the destructive force of combustible dust fires and explosions.
A dust explosion or fire is one of the worst things that can happen to operations that handle or process powder and bulk solids. While standards and new technologies have been introduced over the decades to reduce the likelihood of a combustible dust event, operations continue to face the risk of these incidents. Cameras have captured the destructive force of dust explosions and fires since the mid-1800s. This visual evidence continues to serve as a reminder that the powder and bulk solids industry must be ever-vigilent to protect their facilities from dust-related blasts and fires.