Baghouse Explosion

Rapperport Associates was retained to investigate the cause of three separate explosions that occurred at Industrial Material Innovations in Fontana, CA. The plant was a newly commissioned asphalt roof shingle recycling facility that operated by pulverizing used shingles into a fine powder, about the consistency of talcum powder, which was then sold back to the shingle manufacturers. Unbeknownst to the owners, asphalt dust is extremely explosive, and the plant sustained three dust explosions before being permanently shut down. Miraculously, the explosions only resulted in physical plant damage, and no one was injured.