Overview

In a recent IChemE Learned Society project focused on small-scale industrial explosions, it became clear that more education and training is needed on dust explosions. This webinar is an introduction to this broad and important subject area.

Most organic materials, many metals and some inorganic chemicals are combustible when they are in the form of a fine dry powder. Many of these have low ignition energies and in some cases, notably active pharmaceutical ingredients, have ignition energies comparable to flammable vapours. When contained, dust explosions can reach 10 bar and are as potentially lethal as vapour and gas explosions.

The risks from dust explosions are frequently over looked and when accompanied by poor housekeeping, a small-scale primary explosion can lead to a large-scale secondary explosion and total facility destruction with multiple fatalities.

Speaker

Keith Plumb, Process, Safety & Equipment Consultant, Integral Pharma Services Ltd

Keith is a Process, Safety and Equipment consultant with approaching 50 years experience of the process industries much of this pharmaceuticals but also other small-scale batch processing industries.

Keith has written dozens of articles and provided training programmes covering dust explosions. His work has included a considerable number of ATEX and DSEAR gap analyses, detailed reviews and risk assessments. Dust explosions have been a particular area of interest for Keith, who has developed his own tool ""DExToRR"" for analysing the risks. 

The material presented has not been peer-reviewed. Any opinions are the presenter’s own and do not necessarily represent those of IChemE or the Pharma Special Interest Group. The information is given in good faith but without any liability on the part of IChemE.

Time

12:30–13:30 GMT.

Software

The presentation will be delivered via Microsoft Teams. We recommend downloading the app from the Microsoft website, rather than using the web portal.