Image Credit Reno Fire Department
The next time you’re cooking in the kitchen and want to add a little flavor to your food, remember that the spices you’re reaching for are a combustible dust. While being stored in small containers on a spice rack doesn’t create an explosion risk, when these spices are being processed in large quantities they do. One spice manufacturer near Reno, Nevada found this out the hard way when they had an explosion caused by combustible spice dust.
In the morning of Tuesday April 5, 2016 the High Quality Organics building was evacuated and production was suspended when a buildup of combustible dust in a grinding hopper came into contact with an ignition source and caught fire. Luckily, none of the 40 employees at the location were injured in the blast, and Reno firefighters were able to bring the fire under control quickly.
The fire was contained to the hopper with the buildup of combustible spice dust, as well as the ventilation from the hopper, where dust had been accumulating during manufacturing. The spice that was currently being ground in the hopper and caused the explosion was oregano, but the company supplies wholesale organic spices, teas, grains, dried fruit, and other food products. The warehouse was not damaged, and the company is working to fulfill orders while production is suspended for a fire investigation.
Concerned that your factory might be producing dangerous levels of combustible dust?
Contact a Hughes Environmental representative to learn how we can safely remove the hazard of a combustible dust explosion. Our technicians are OSHA trained and use explosion proof vacuum cleaners when handling combustible dusts.
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