Crisis Management Before the Crisis: Lessons for Food Companies Handling Combustible Dusts

While combustible dust fires and explosions more frequently take place in metal or chemical facilities, food manufacturers producing or using fine-grained or pulverized organic products such as coffee, cocoa, flour, milk powder, starch and sugar are also vulnerable. Small particles, generated in sufficient quantity and allowed to build on horizontal surfaces, if ignited in the form of a dust cloud, can release a catastrophic chain of events. Ignition sources can include welding, mechanical sparks, hot bearings, open flames, and electrical sparks.