Where do we start?
Life is filled with hidden hazards—some of which, like explosive risks, are more common than you'd expect in our everyday environment. Whether it's filling up the car at a service station, turning on the stove at home, or even baking a cake, explosive atmospheres can form around us without us even realising it. Many organisations are unaware of the risks they face when producing, handling, and storing a range of liquids, gases, and dusts.
This article explores some surprising, un-intuitive facts about explosive hazards involving common materials like dusts, liquids, and gases. By comparing these materials, we’ll see just how close—or how different—they can be when it comes to hazardous properties.
Milk Powder Vs. Coal
You might be thinking, “What could coal and milk powder possibly have in common?” Surprisingly, when it comes to combustible properties, they are more alike than you’d expect.
Combustible dusts have two characteristics that hazardous area experts use for quick risk evaluation: Ignition Sensitivity and Explosion Severity. These scales were developed to simplify risk assessments. The higher the number on each scale, the greater the hazard the dust represents.
An experimental coal mine in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was used as the reference point for these scales. The black coal mined from this area has an ignition sensitivity of 1.0 and an explosion severity of 1.0. Interestingly, milk powder—something we consider harmless—has an ignition sensitivity of 1.6 and an explosion severity of 0.9. This means that milk powder is actually easier to ignite than coal, and its explosion severity is nearly as high.
Watch this video where a couple of DIY enthusiasts perform an experiment to demonstrate the explosivity of everyday cooking ingredients like milk powder.
Watch this video showing a deliberate ignition of 1.5kg of coal, kicked off by a small ignitor containing detrom powder.
Thanks to John Ioannou for the video.
So where does that leave us?
When it comes to dealing with flammable liquids or combustible dusts, there’s no room for complacency. It’s vital to engage with a hazardous area expert who can provide you with comprehensive advice and guidance specific to your situation. As we’ve seen, each material—whether it’s dust, liquid, or gas—comes with its own unique risks, requiring tailored safety measures.