Grain Dust Explosions--An Unsolved Problem

Of all the industrial dust explosions in the United States, those in grain elevators cause the most injuries and property damage. Between December 1977 and January 1978, several grain dust explosions occurred, killing 62 persons and injuring 53. Although the conditions that contribute to explosions are well known, the causes of most grain explosions are not known. Thus, a grain elevator operator could use many methods to prevent explosions without assurance of success. It has been suggested that grain dust, especially the finer dust collected by control systems, should not be reintroduced to the grain; however, the effectiveness of this method for reducing the possibility of an explosion has not been proven.