“Accidents are not due to lack of knowledge but failure to use the knowledge we have”
Trevor Kletz
A thorough independent investigation allows you to discover both the direct and indirect causes of the incident. The purpose of any investigation is not to apportion blame but to enable corrective actions to be identified to reduce the likelihood of the incident occurring again.
Our consultants have been providing advice and investigating incidents since the1990’s and have a broad range of experience in industry and in fire and explosion phenomenon, allowing us to provide you with a unique insight into the cause of any incident.
The following is a sample of the types of incidents that we have investigated over the years, covering a range of industries.
Fires and explosions in the food and drink industries
Frictional ignition within mills
Smouldering nests caused by self-heating, resulting in ignition within dust collectors and spray driers
Malt grain dust explosions caused by frictional heating within bucket elevators and roller mills
Spent grains dust explosions due to self-heating within driers
Chocolate crumb dust explosions due to frictional heating in mills
Dust explosions in flash dryers
Lagging fire caused by self-heating of contaminated insulation
Fires and explosions in the aerosol and cosmetics industries
Fires in rejected aerosols disposal systems
Electrostatic ignition of releases from gassed aerosols
Gas explosions in gas houses and water test baths on aerosol gassing lines
Explosion in product mixer due to electrostatic spark from a non-conducting liquid
Bursting aerosols / fires in shrink wrappers
Fires in aerosol warehouses, caused by impact damage to the aerosols
“For a long time, people were saying that most accidents were due to human error and this is true in a sense but it’s not very helpful. It’s a bit like saying that falls are due to gravity.”
Trevor Kletz
Fires and explosions due to self-heating in the food and water industries
Dust explosions in spray driers due to self-heating
Dried sewage sludge dust explosions in driers due to self-heating
Fires in ovens due to inadequate cleaning regimes resulting in self-heating
Self-heating of high oil content rework material
Self-heating of meat meal due to insufficient anti-oxidant
Oil soaked lagging fires as a result of self-heating
As independent consultants we can help you find the root cause of an incident and assist you in identifying suitable control measures and provide training to prevent its reccurrence
