Inferno: Dust Explosion at Imperial Sugar on HackerTube: recommended by 1 Hacker News commenter across 1 month, 2018–2026.
explainer · evergreen
A US Chemical Safety Board video explaining how sugar dust explosions at the Imperial Sugar plant in Georgia killed fourteen workers in 2008.
Cited as a vivid example of combustible dust hazards and of the CSB's investigative work.
“Sugar dust is violently explosive.”
3 Hacker News comments link this video. Each one links back to its thread.
Once I learned that sugar dust can literally _detonate_ I stopped being a Libertarian. Also the USCSB is one of my favorite federal institutions: ▶ this video
in “CA declares state of emergency as fire crews race to contain toxic chemical leak” · View on HN
> It really doesn't take much. I always remember the Imperial Sugar Factory. _Dust_ is enough. Sugar dust is violently explosive. ▶ this video
in “Welders set off Beirut blast while securing explosives” · View on HN
Fires really scare me. They are one of the things that rapidly can get out of control, have devastating consequences, can happen in everyday conditions (as opposite to eg flying). Lots of highly flammable particles in the air is really a recipe for disaster, see eg ▶ this video (sfw) Locked or blocked exit doors is evil, see eg the Station fire, or the fire in Gothenburg disco fire of 1998: [link] A year back, I was eating breakfast with my 4-yo daughter, and we came up with the question of "what happens if we put hard bread in the toaster?". Don't do it. The fire started quickly, and the flames were surprisingly large (under a cupboard too). Luckily, despite the small fire extinguisher not working at all, I managed to put the fire out without any damage to anything but the toaster. Edit: Station nightclub fire (warning: scary, pretty graphic), [link]
in “Was History Fair to the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Owners?” · View on HN