Combustible food dust is a serious hazard in food processing facilities. Without proper dust explosion prevention and protection systems, equipment like spray dryers and dust collectors can become ignition points. This article outlines key risks and expert strategies to ensure industrial safety and prevent deadly explosions.
In July 2025, a tragic incident occurred at Sigachi Industries, a prominent pharmaceutical manufacturer in India. A critical lapse in judgment resulted in an explosion that claimed the lives of more than 40 individuals.As a global leader in industrial safety solutions, Fike typically refrains from referencing such tragedies to highlight what should have been done. However, the scale of devastation in this case is too profound to overlook. In our capacity as experts in combustible dust explosion protection, we feel compelled to contribute to the conversation, in hopes that sharing this knowledge may prevent future loss of life.
We believe these deadly explosions of this nature are entirely preventable. This article aims to provide actionable insights for decision-makers within the food production industry to make informed, life-saving choices.
Understanding Combustible Dust Explosions
Dust explosions are more common than widely recognized, though they typically go unnoticed unless the outcome is catastrophic. In the context of food manufacturing, combustible dust includes materials such as flour, sugar, wheat dust, corn dust, and milk powder, among others.
Five critical elements must simultaneously exist for a combustible dust explosion to occur:
- Suspension: Dust must be dispersed into a cloud.
- Confinement: The dust cloud must be enclosed within a space.
- Oxygen: An oxygen-rich environment must be present to support combustion.
- Explosibility: The dust must possess combustible properties, which is frequently the case in food manufacturing.
- Ignition Source: Triggers may include sparks, embers, electrostatic discharge, overheated surfaces, or even discarded cigarette butts.
Evaluating and Managing Risk
The risk of a dust explosion should be considered along two axes: likelihood and severity. A comparison of two hypothetical food production facilities illustrates this point:
- Facility X maintains a clean production environment, monitors equipment temperatures, trains staff in explosion prevention, and has implemented explosion protection systems. This places it on the lower end of the risk spectrum.
- Facility Y, by contrast, permits dust accumulation, neglects equipment maintenance, lacks safety training, and has not consulted explosion protection experts. This facility sits at the high-risk end of the spectrum.
Even with preventive measures, the risk of explosion can never be entirely eliminated. For this reason, explosion protection systems are often recommended in areas where the consequences of an explosion could be severe.
