DSEAR / ATEX Risk assessment

Our extensive experience in the industry allows us to deliver risk assessment to help you comply with the DSEAR / ATEX.

It is a requirement that all work premises undertake a risk assessment covering processes that may involve the use of materials that could cause a risk of harm to employees from fire, explosion or energetic releases.  This covers flammable gases, solvents, vapours, dusts, incompatible chemicals and self-heating (spontaneous ignition).  The risk assessment must cover a number of areas:

• Hazard identification of all the materials present that can potentially create a flammable atmosphere.
• Collation of fire and explosion information on the identified materials through test data and Material Safety Data Sheets.
• Determination of all potential sources of ignition for the processes where the substances are used.
• Evaluation of the risk of an ignition and the effects on personnel, plant items and the process.
• Identification and assessment of existing process hazard control measures and recommend any improvements required to comply with DSEAR.
• Identification and assessment of existing fire/explosion protection measures and recommend any improvements required to comply with DSEAR.

Many companies are aware of the explosion risks associated with gases and vapours. What is less understood is the explosion risk caused by airborne dust and powder igniting causing a so called ‘Dust Explosion’. BRE can assist in assessing this risk and can undertake dust explosion testing of your powders to enable suitable protection measures to be fitted to your process. This may take the form of explosion venting, explosion suppression or explosion containment.

Related services

• Dust explosion testing
• REACH services