1. Introduction
“.combustible dust explosions are a serious hazard in American
industry, and . existing efforts inadequately address this
hazard” (ref. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) Investigation Report:
Combustible Dust Hazard Study Nov 9, 2006). The CSB study examined
the record and literature to assess the magnitude of the dust
explosion hazard and found that 281 combustible dust incidents
were reported in the 25 year period ending in 2005. These incidents
were responsible for 119 fatalities, 718 injuries and millions of
dollars in lost facilities and productivity. Some of the more recent
serious dust explosions in the US include: