Nuri Bingöl Comments on the Explosion

Assistant Professor Nuri Bingöl, Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences at Üsküdar University and Occupational Safety Expert, provided assessments regarding the explosion that occurred at Kocaeli Soil Products Office.

"We are facing a combustible dust explosion"

Kocaeli Derince witnessed an explosion in the silo of Soil Products Office, injuring 12 people. Assessing the explosion, Faculty of Health Sciences Deputy Dean and Occupational Safety Expert Assistant Professor Nuri Bingöl stated: "Any flammable substance can create an explosion risk when necessary conditions are present. Vapors of flammable liquids, flammable gases and combustible dusts, when they achieve certain concentrations in air with oxygen and meet an ignition source, cause what we call 'explosive atmosphere' or, in short, ATEX (Explosive Atmosphere) explosions. That is, when such explosions meet with any spark or ignition source in an explosive atmosphere, we occasionally witness such incidents. The image here creates such an impression for us. Therefore, I can say we are facing what we call a combustible dust explosion. Terminology must be used correctly here. It would be incorrect to evaluate it as dust compression. Dusts do not compress, or even if they do, they cannot have explosion properties. Accumulated combustible dusts in layer form can burn and may cause fire but cannot explode. The effects of accumulated dusts in combustible dust explosions occur as follows: after the initial explosion resulting from the concentration created by suspended dust in air, accumulated layer dusts become airborne, causing secondary explosions and domino effects." he said. Stating that the explosion was relatively intense, Bingöl noted: "However, we can say it was not as intense as an explosive substance like dynamite. For example, dynamite would explode perhaps 500 times more powerfully than this explosion. The destructive effect would be much greater. These types of explosions occur at approximately 10 bar pressure. We encounter the same type of explosions when vapors of flammable liquids and flammable gases accumulate and meet oxygen in air." he explained. [caption id="attachment_155629" align="aligncenter"] Assistant Professor Nuri Bingöl[/caption]

Necessary precautions must be taken…

Stating that necessary precautions must be taken in high-risk warehouses, Assistant Professor Nuri Bingöl said: "Similarly, it is called natural gas compression but natural gas also does not actually compress. Natural gas accumulates, and when it does, it creates such an environment. We call this an explosive atmosphere. These are events we sometimes see in flammable liquids like gasoline vapors as well. That is, sugar dust, flour dust are in the literature. Although these explosions are rare, cocoa dust, textile dusts can create serious explosions in this manner. They say earthquake effect because the quantity is very large, so the intensity of the explosion appears somewhat greater. If the explosion had occurred in a smaller warehouse, it might not have been this intense. Therefore, in such warehouses, necessary precautions must be taken while loading, unloading, and emptying—in feed factories and sometimes flour factories." he said.

Ventilation is a serious precaution!

Emphasizing that the wetting technique is an important precaution for dusts, Assistant Professor Nuri Bingöl stated: "Since we do not frequently encounter dust explosions, compared to others, there may be a more neglected situation that we can call oversight. The precautions that can be taken here, of course I cannot say much specifically for wheat and grain, but generally the wetting technique is applied to dusts. Dust on the ground especially should not become airborne and remain suspended. Because when it remains suspended, even for 3–5 seconds, it creates concentration with oxygen in air. Against such explosion risks, explosion relief panels that reduce pressure in the explosion should be used in warehouses to minimize the effects of potential explosions." he said. Noting that dust accumulated in layer form on the ground does not create much risk, Bingöl stated: "Therefore, the wetting technique can be applied. Ventilation is a serious precaution. Measures can be taken to prevent the formation of very heavy dust in bulk form, especially during loading and unloading operations. After emptying a portion, one can wait briefly for the dust in the air to settle, then continue emptying, or various measures such as frequent cleaning of accumulated dust can be taken. It appears that some precautions were neglected here." he added.

Did hot air play a role in the explosion?

Calling attention to the question of whether hot weather had any effect on the explosion, Dr. Bingöl said: "Hot weather was not very influential in this explosion; the ignition temperatures of flammable materials are above 130 degrees Celsius. In fact, many flammable substances ignite at temperatures above 200 or 300 degrees. However, there are 13 different ignition sources mentioned in the literature, and these ignition sources can produce very high temperatures and have the capability to initiate explosions. Open flames, electrical tools, mechanical sparks, electromagnetic frequencies found in cell phones, and one of the most important, static electricity. That is, in places where ATEX or, in other words, explosive atmosphere may form, serious measures must be taken under regulations for all ignition sources." he said.