Date: July 3, 2020
Location: Tilbury, Essex (UK)
Address: Port of Tilbury, RM18 7LA
Type: Dust Explosion
Fuel: Grain Dust
Industry: Logistics
Equipment: Grain Silos
Company: Unknown
Database Incidents: None Recorded
Loss: One Person Injured
Capital Cost: Unknown
Status: Open
Confirmation: Unconfirmed
Company Description:
The name of the company was not identified in any press coverage of the incident, although one report noted that ADM Milling and Allied Mills each have flour mills located in the Port of Tilbury, which was built in 1969 and is the country’s largest terminal for the import and export of grain. It has more than 200 silos and recently completed a storage expansion that increased its wheat capacity by an extra 16,000 tons.
Incident Description:
On July 3, 2020, TIME 107.5 reported a dust explosion at a grain silo at the Port of Tilbury in Tilbury, UK.
The explosion, which occurred shortly before 10:00 a.m., destroyed the roofs of several grain silos and damaged the grain terminal. Residents reported hearing a ‘huge bang’ that caused their homes to shake.
Smoke was seen coming from the silo while flames shot 75 meters into the sky. Arriving firefighters used nitrogen and foam to extinguish the fires while working at height in dangerous conditions.
They brought it under control by noon, but the grain was still smoldering, so two fire crews worked with site managers to remove unaffected grain from the silo so it would not ignite.
According to World-Grain.com, one person was sent to the hospital for treatment of smoke inhalation.
Firefighters were called back to the docks just two days later when more fires erupted. In total, 15 fire crews attended the scene in the days after the initial explosions. The fire service stationed crews there for 20 days afterwards as part of an effort to put out reoccurring fires in a number of grain silos at the docks.
On August 20, 2020, HazardEx reported that the Essex fire service confirmed that the incident was a dust explosion. The fire service had stationed crews at the scene for 20 days after the blast as part of its efforts to extinguish reoccurring fires in a number of grain silos at the docks.
Sources:
TIME 107.5
World-Grain.com
HazardEx
