This paper considers more than 2000 dust explosion accidents that occurred worldwide
between 1785 and 2012. The statistical features of these cases are first examined spa-tially and temporally. Accident frequencies at different levels of economic development
are further discussed. China and the United States are chosen as examples to represent
the differences in distribution features of dust explosions in countries with different eco-nomic development levels. Data for combustible dusts leading to dust explosions in both
China and the United States are also collected and categorized. The features of ignition
sources for dust explosions, the types of enterprises with high risk, and the critical equip-ment in such enterprises are also analyzed. The results could help identify hazards of dust
explosions in various industries, monitor the critical equipment, and further suggest safety
improvement procedures to reduce the probability and damage of dust explosions.
© 2015 The Institution of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved