Inherent in the nature of solid waste is a dust and dirt problem. An explosion at the Center Hill Incinerator, Cincinnati, Ohio, showed that incinerator dust was a problem. Although the recorded explosion damaged only property, another such explosion could result in injury or possibly loss of life. Therefore, the dust problem associated with incinerators took on a new dimension, and it was deemed important to study the explosibility of incinerator dust. The Bureau of Mines has conducted extensive research into dust explosions and the hazards associated with them. They have also developed the equipment to evaluate the explosibility of dusts and established the accepted standard in this field. The Bureau of Solid Waste Management developed an instrument similar to their Hartmann apparatus in order to evaluate the explosibility of incinerator dust.