DSEAR
What is DSEAR?
Here at Projex Solutions, we work to the Approved Code of Practice (ACOP) L138, second edition 2013, when carrying out DSEAR projects. The Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002 (DSEAR) are concerned with protection against risks from fire, explosion and similar events arising from dangerous substances used or present in the workplace.
Dangerous substances can put peoples’ safety at risk from fire and explosions. DSEAR puts duties on employers and the self-employed to protect people from these risks to their safety in the workplace, and to members of the public who may be put at risk by work activity.
What does a DSEAR assessment consist of?
A DSEAR assessment identifies the presence of dangerous substances along with any potential risks that can occur because of these substances. These dangerous substances can consist of dusts, vapours, gases, chemical exothermic reaction, and liquids handled in any factory or plant within the United Kingdom.
Projex Solutions have the extensive experience and inhouse capability when it comes to carrying out or reviewing DSEAR Assessments; whether it be site-wide or one area, our team will identify any risks so that they can be controlled or removed, ensuring the site is prepared for future and present dangers. Our DSEAR Assessments assure our clients that they are compliant within the necessary DSEAR regulations, reducing the risk of fatality or danger from an explosive substance and ensuring site safety, by:
- Conducting a thorough site visit and investigation.
- Generating/ Reviewing a HAC to identify if explosive substances are handled.
- Generating/ Reviewing Zoning Drawings in line with the completed HAC report.
- Conducting a full area assessment.
- Basis of safety (usually generated from a HAZID.)
- Equipment selection.
There are many potential areas which may require a DSEAR assessment, namely (but not limited to):
- Spray booths.
- Flammable stores.
- Extract systems.
- LEV
- Bulk storage facilities.
- Process mixing vessels.
Anything that could store, process, generate or transport an explosive substance.
Where we carry out DSEAR assessments. Most of this work is on chemical and pharmaceutical sites, but flammable and combustible materials are just as common in FMCG and food manufacturing and across energy projects. See all the sectors we work in.
How we approach it
We start with the substances and with how the plant is actually run. Before anyone comes to site we ask for safety data sheets, P&IDs, layout drawings, ventilation details and the routines around the process – cleaning, sampling, filling, decanting and maintenance. That preparation means the walkdown is spent on real conditions rather than on collecting basic information.
On site we work outwards from the release sources. What can escape, in what quantity, where it goes, what could ignite it, and what is already in place to stop that happening. We talk to operators and maintenance teams as well as engineering, because the assessment has to reflect the plant as operated, not as designed. Scenarios are ranked so you can see which findings need action now and which can be planned into a budget cycle.
Our engineers hold CompEx certification and the work is delivered under our ISO 9001:2015 quality system, so recommendations on equipment, installation and inspection are practical rather than theoretical. We write findings for the people who have to act on them as well as for auditors, and we stay involved while actions are closed out.
What you get
- A written DSEAR assessment covering one area, a process line or the whole site
- A risk register of fire and explosion scenarios, ranked, with the safeguards already credited
- An ignition source register covering electrical, mechanical, thermal and static sources
- A basis of safety recorded for each area assessed
- Zone schedules and marked-up zoning drawings where classification is needed
- An equipment review identifying items that are unsuitable for the zone they sit in
- A prioritised action plan with clear owners and workable control measures
- Recommendations covering procedures, training, signage and equipment labelling
When clients typically call us
- A new process, product or plant modification brings a flammable solvent, gas or combustible dust onto site
- The existing assessment is several years old and no longer matches the plant
- An insurer, auditor or HSE visit has raised a question about explosive atmospheres
- A near miss, flash fire or small deflagration has prompted a review
- Throughput has increased or a substance has been swapped for one with different properties
- A site is being acquired and the inherited risk needs to be understood
Frequently asked questions
How often should an assessment be reviewed?
Review is driven by change rather than by the calendar. A modification, a new substance, a change in operating conditions or an incident should all trigger a review. Most sites also set a periodic refresh so nothing drifts between projects.
Can you review an assessment somebody else produced?
Yes. We carry out gap reviews regularly. We confirm what still stands, identify what is out of date or unsupported, and set out what needs redoing, rather than starting again for the sake of it.
Who needs to be available from our team?
An operator and a maintenance representative for the areas being assessed, plus a process or engineering contact. Access to safety data sheets, current drawings and ventilation information makes the survey considerably quicker.
Will you tell us what equipment to buy?
We identify equipment that is unsuitable for its location and specify what a replacement needs to meet for that zone. We do not sell equipment, so the specification is written on technical grounds alone.
Related: Part of our process safety services. See also ATEX and CompEx compliance, hazardous area classification and CIRIA C736 compliance.
Talk to us about your project. Request a call
