Date: December 21, 2018
Location: Memphis, Tennessee (USA)
Address: 4272 S Mendenhall Road, 38141
Type: Dust Explosion
Fuel: Protein Dust
Industry: Protein Processing (Food Products)
Equipment: Drying Unit
Company: DuPont Nutrition and Health
Database Incidents: None Recorded
Loss: No Injuries
Capital Cost: Unknown
Status: Open
Confirmation: Unconfirmed
Company Description:
According to the company website, DuPont Nutrition and Health is a leading provider of food ingredients, dietary supplements, and pharmaceuticals. The company has been in business in various forms since 1802 and has offices and innovation centers across the globe.
Incident Description:
On December 21, 2018, WREG reported a dust explosion at a protein processing plant in Memphis, Tennessee.
According to firefighters, the incident occurred at around 6:12 p.m. inside one of four units at the plant. It was followed soon afterward by a small fire.
An officer with the Memphis Fire Department stated that dust from the protein triggered a chain reaction that led to the explosion. The affected unit reached a temperature of about 1,000 degrees but the built-in fire suppression system extinguished it and cooled it down.
The representative confirmed that the firefighters didn’t have to deploy their hoses. While they worked, police blocked off a large section of the street for hours.
Witnesses described the incident as “a big explosion, like fire roaring out.” Another witness said that it was “something like a movie.”
30 to 40 employees were forced to evacuate the premises for several hours. One employee said that the explosion “felt like an 18-wheeler hit the building.”
DuPont released a statement that said the plant experienced a “minor fire,” but no one in the plant or the area surrounding it was harmed.
There were no injuries. The cause of the explosion is under investigation.
Sources:
WREG
