Fires and accidents on industrial sites handling powders and dusts are still all too common in the UK. DSEAR, the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations, are designed to stop these accidents. Richard Ellis from our EXSolutions team talks about frequency.
If you are responsible for handling powders or dusts in bulk and you have not had a DSEAR Assessment in the last five years, it is time you get a DSEAR consultant in to discuss looking at your operation and the management of risk.
Official guidance states, that an assessment against DSEAR be carried out every 5 years or in the following scenarios: –
- When there are significant changes in the workplace
- Changes in processes or materials
- New hazardous substances
- Near misses or incidents
But if none of these scenarios apply, factors that influence more regular DSEAR risk assessments will include the nature of the operations and the level of risk.
And when dust and powders are concerned, the risks could be significant.
Unlike flammable gases or liquids, powders and dusts are often overlooked.
Most health and safety professionals and business managers will understand dusts and powders can create a flash fire or explosion when dispersed into the air and ignited. If this happens the initial ignition can lead to a significantly larger secondary explosion.
The pressure wave of the first smaller ignition disturbs the accumulated dust layer, and a much larger explosion then occurs, which is often the reason dust risk presents much more catastrophic results than a local small event, and conventional understanding of the need to good housekeeping and cleaning regimes.
Combustible dust can include; flour, sugar, wood, charcoal, soot, cotton, metal powders, welding dust and any combination of particles less than 500 microns.
There are other hazards that powders may inherently have, making them a risk to personnel.
For example; dust layers can become exothermic and develop hot spots. They can heat up, smoulder, and propagate a flame or can produce flammable or toxic gases. A DSEAR risk assessment followed by a Hazardous area classification (HAC) and subsequent material testing will define these risks and provide a route to measures that can prevent them. This being a route to compliance with UK law for all employers under DSEAR and the Health and Safety at Work Act.
Not understanding these hazards can result in inadequate facility design and equipment selection, or processes that pose risks to personnel.
Why do you need a DSEAR risk assessment for handling powder?
The HSE requires all employers with dangerous substances to have covered the following (in line with the Health and Safety at Work act):
- Find out what dangerous substances are in their workplace and what the risks are. Would you expect flour and sugar to be on the list? Yes!
- Put control measures in place to either remove those risks or, where this is not possible, control them.
- Put controls in place to reduce the effects of any incidents involving dangerous substances
- Prepare plans and procedures to deal with accidents, incidents and emergencies involving dangerous substances
- Make sure employees are properly informed about and trained to control or deal with the risks from the dangerous substances
- Identify and classify areas of the workplace where explosive atmospheres may occur and avoid ignition sources (from unprotected equipment, for example) in those areas
And it’s not just about explosions. Are you keeping your employees safe from inhalation too?
EXSolutions can help you stay in tune with HSE guidance on DSEAR with the following support for Zone 21 and 22 hazardous areas:
- DSEAR inspections and site assessments
- Hazardous Area Classification (HAC)
- Ignition hazard assessments (IHA) / continued use/site assessments
- ATEX Annual Safety Audits of Ex equipment
- Training – User and equipment Directives – new employee or process – Hazardous area training
At EXSolutions, we support health and safety managers (HSEs / QSHEs) and operations managers on their journey to DSEAR compliance. Whatever the frequency needed for a DSEAR assessment, we provide expert support, guidance and Ex engineering, to help keep your staff safe and your business compliant.
Contact Richard Ellis richard.ellis@pyroban.com.