ORGANIZATIONAL AND TECHNICAL CAUSES OF ACCIDENTS AT A HAZARDOUS PRODUCTION FACILITY FOR STORAGE AND PROCESSING OF PLANT RAW MATERIALS

This article discusses the key aspects of emergencies at explosive and fire-hazardous facilities for the storage and processing of plant raw materials, such as grain silos, elevators, flour mills, and feed mills. The  authors use data from the annual reports of the Federal Service for Environmental, Technological, and Nuclear Supervision (Rostekhnadzor) for 2019–2023.  Facilities for storage and processing of plant raw materials are characterized by increased danger associated with the formation of explosive dust-air mixtures, high concentration of combustible flour dust, as well as the operation of outdated equipment and non compliance with technological regulations.
It is found that the main factors contributing to accidents are insufficient qualifications and training of personnel, violation of technological processes, as well as the lack of timely maintenance and modernization of equipment. Special attention is paid to the properties of flour dust as a combustible gas-air mixture that can cause explosions and fires under certain conditions, making its concentration control a key element of safety in such production facilities.