The invention concerns a method for anticipating and/or delaying and/or preventing the risk of spontaneous combustion and/or explosion of an explosive atmosphere preserved in a confined or semi-confined medium, which consists in measuring the temperature of the mixing from the moment said mixture has been created and determining the critical moment of spontaneous combustion and/or explosion of said atmosphere by determining the unexpired inducting period, on the basis of the time which has elapsed between the creation of said atmosphere and the critical moment beyond which there is a risk of spontaneous combustion and/or explosion of said atmosphere.