DSEAR & ATEX | Maintaining Compliance in Hazardous Areas

Published 04 Feb 2021

Guest Article by Sigma HSE

Maintaining Compliance In Explosive Atmospheres

ISO/IEC 17025 Accredited Laboratory

The Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulation (DSEAR) 2002 has been a compliance requirement within industry for many years but one of the biggest issues is actually maintaining compliance.

Businesses do not change aspects of the process on one particular day every year, so why do we review our DSEAR compliance in the same way?

Staff switch roles, take holidays, go on shared paternity leave and sometimes, unfortunately, become ill and need extended periods of convalescence. Do you have support (a nominated stand-in) for every key person in your process and knowledge skills matrix? Is their knowledge recorded somewhere and is it easily accessible to process staff?

Here are just some of the reasons why you should be considering updating or maintaining your DSEAR / ATEX assessment:

Changes to the Process

Old equipment decommissioned with new plant/equipment being added or modified
Change of supplier for raw materials or new products being manufactured
Variability in the materials supplied for processing or requirement for new material flammability data
Changes in storage conditions, IBC or silo etc
Changes to conveyancing methods

Review and Audit

New product lines introduced through existing plant or new plant brought on-stream
Electrostatic hazards for low energy ignition risk dust, gas or vapour
Changes in the electrostatic properties of flooring, Personal Protection Equipment (PPE), process equipment
Earthing review of equipment, transfer pipes, IBC/FIBC, PPE, overshoes, etc
Dust / Powder hazards
Thermal decomposition hazards
Electrostatic properties
Dust extraction systems and explosion hazards (basis of safety)
Non-routine operations such as maintenance / cleaning, changes in production cycles
Suitability of maintenance / inspection equipment for hazardous areas
Waste containers and waste materials handling storage and disposal (often overlooked)
Recording of all changes and reviews. Allocation of responsibilities

Change of Personnel, Competence Management and Site Contractor Risk

Operator and supervisor competence and training review
Hazard and risk awareness of shutdown and start-up processes
Gap analysis of competence and expertise following loss of skilled personnel following retirement or staff reduction. Are site electricians CompEX certified
Assessment of on-site Contractor safety training.
Review of incident and near miss records.
Review of Contractors risk assessment prior to nonroutine repairs (probably the cause of more incidents in industry than any other process risk).

Decades of Combined Process Safety Experience

Benefits of Sigma-HSE Services

The service offered by our experienced Process Safety Consultancy team includes:

Over 100 years of combined testing and consultancy experience to ensure that our accurate and methodically generated test data is applied to your process safety applications correctly to protect your staff, your site and your brand reputation
Free technical advice to ensure the correct test package is selected for your needs
Complementary after sales support, to ensure you are happy with the data and understand the implications for you project

The SIGMA-HSE testing laboratory has state of the art equipment and is operated by senior laboratory staff with decades of testing knowledge. Internationally recognised standards are followed such as those adopted by the EU (BS & EN standards) and also ASTM standards as adopted within the USA.

Our laboratory testing quality is ISO/IEC 17025 Accredited so we can ensure that all results are accurate with traceable test data. However data alone is only one part of a process safety plan and must be used with both caution and expertise for it to be effective.

Interpretation and implementation is where Sigma-HSE Consulting Engineers can also bring a wealth of expertise from many years’ experience providing process safety solutions to national and multi-national companies. Our range of Process Safety Consultancy services extends to:

ATEX / DSEAR

• Hazardous Area Classification (HAC)
• Hazard & Risk Assessment
• Basis of Safety Definition
• Electrostatic hazards
• Data Interpretation
• Dust Vent Calculations
• Vapour Calculations
• Explosion Protection Document (EPD)
• Mechanical & Electrical Equipment Ignition Risk Assessment

DSEAR Assessment

Seveso III / COMAH

• Major Accident Prevention Policy (MAPP)
• Occupied Building Risk Assessment (OBRA)
• Safety Management Systems (SMS)
• Environmental Assessment
• Emergency Response
• Safety Report Assessment Manual (SRAM)
Specialist Safety
• Quantitative Risk Assessment (QRA)
• Hazards & Operability Study (HAZOP)
• Process Hazard Assessment (PHA)
• Hazard Identification Study (HAZID)
• Layers of Protection Analysis (LOPA)

Functional Safety

• Safety Instrumented Systems
• Safety Integrity Level (SIL)

Health & Safety

• Occupational Safety
• Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH)
• Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulation (PUWER)

Specialist Services

• Expert Audit Support
• Expert Witness
• Incident Investigation

Technical Training

• Bespoke in-house training covering:
o Dust Explosion Hazards
o Fire & Explosion Hazards
o Electrostatic Hazards
o Hazardous Area Classification (HAC)
o HAZOP
o Incident / Near Miss Investigation

For further information on how Sigma-HSE can partner with your company to create a safer working environment
call our Technical Team on +44 (0)1962 840570.
A full list of services can be found on our website at www.sigma-hse.com.

Contact Details

Sigma-HSE (UK) Ltd, Unit 2 Moorside Point, Moorside
Road, Winchester, Hants., SO23 7RX
Tel: +44 (0)1962 840570
Web: www.sigma-hse.com

About Sigma-HSE (UK) Ltd

Sigma-HSE

Sigma-HSE was formed in 2012 in Winchester, UK. Our vision is to provide a single source of expert knowledge regarding process safety in the work environment. Our broad range of consultancy services include, ATEX/DSEAR Assessments, HAZID/HAZOP Studies, SIL/LOPA Assessments. We have the expertise to facilitate COMAH needs and to meet Process Safety Management requirements.

Sigma-HSE is a fast-growing organisation in the fields of health & safety and the environment, with bases in Europe, Asia and the Middle East, and have associated partnership in USA.

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