WARNING – this video shows the ignition of the dust cloud and people within the dust cloud on fire and trying to escape. The sights and sounds of this video ARE VERY GRAPHIC in nature, but shows the hazards of Corn Starch and its ease to ignite.
Corn Starch has one of the lowest MIE’s in the Combustible Dust family. We do not yet know the ignition source, but a high wattage concert light bulb or a lit cigarette would be enough to ignite this cloud of corn starch.
As you watch this video, remember the five (5) things that have to be present for a COM DUST incident:
- Fuel to burn (Corn Starch is a COM DUST)
- Oxygen (this was an outdoor event so plenty of oxygen present)
- Ignition source (we do not yet know the ignition source and may never be certain as to what ignited, but corn starch has an MIE of ~30 mJ which is very LOW)
- Dispersion of dust particles in the right concentration (the video shows and you can hear it as well the corn starch and food color mixture being deployed using high pressure compressed air – their FULL intent was to deploy this “powder” so it would disperse over the crowd!)
- Confinement of the dust cloud (Although this was an OUTSIDE event and there was no actual “confinement” you can see in the video the density of the cloud as this power was being deployed and ignition of the cloud. It was at the moment when the cloud was so dense you can no longer see the dance floor in front of the stage when ignition occurred. Had this been an inside event, the outcome would have been more severe)
I STRONGLY suggest the volume be MUTED while watching this video! And if you plan to use this video in awareness or training I would NEVER show the point after the ignition of the dust cloud. There is just no occupational value in the sights and sounds after the ignition of the cloud. If you are brave and watch it with the volume on, good luck not hearing the sounds in your sleep tonight! May their God Bless those who are suffering from this incident.
UPDATE: 6/29/15 – This incident has claimed its first fatality. A 20-year old girl was removed from her ventilator. She was burned over 90% of her body in the incident. Here is a another video, different angle and right at the stage where the powder was deployed. You can CLEARLY see that those who were NOT in the dust were not burned.