While the flammability of gases and vapors is more easily understood, the hazards associated with explosive dusts and hot surfaces are just as risky.
Dust clouds from any source shown in the chart below may explode including a layer or accumulation of dust. Dusts layers may ignite due to hot surfaces and cause a fire hazard. A wide variety of workplaces may contain activities that produce explosive or potentially explosive dust atmospheres. Dust explosion hazards are common in industries like coal mining, storage and processing of agricultural products (starch, flour, sugar, cocoa) and organic dusts (drugs, dyestuffs, plastics), and the manufacture of metal powders (aluminium, magnesium). Machining operations producing combustible dusts, such as grinding, drying and dust collection are always exposed to explosion risk.
