The Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations

Flammable substances used and stored in the laboratory are also subject to further risk assessment and control in UK law under the the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, the COSHH Regulations 2002, the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002 (DSEAR), and the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. 

Requirements for their safe use and storage were contained in the Highly Flammable Liquids and Liquified Petroleum Gases Regulations 1972 which have been revoked by the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002. However, they did lay down sound precautions to be taken where highly flammable materials are used and potentially explosive atmospheres arise. Their contents are summarized below ... 

Newly introduced regulations The Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002 (DSEAR) deal with those substances -whether solids, dusts, liquids, vapours or gases - that, when present in the atmosphere, can ignite and cause injury or damage by explosion, fire or other event . The Regulations apply to all premises where such circumstances can occur but with certain listed exceptions. 

Before electrical equipment is installed in any location where flammable dusts vapours or gases may be present, the area must be zoned in accordance with the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations and records of the zoned areas must be marked on building drawings and revised when any zoned area is changed. The installation and maintenance of electrical equipment in potentially flammable atmospheres is a specialized task. It must only be undertaken by electricians or instrument mechanics who have an understanding of the techniques involved. 

The Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations apply to the use and storage of highly flammable substances. See Chapter 20 for a summary. Proper precautions include ... 

The Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmosphere Regulations 2002, SI 2002, No 2776 ISBN 0 11 042957 5... 

Operators of Buncefield-type sites should review the classification of places within COMAH sites where explosive atmospheres may occur and their selection of equipment and protective systems (as required by the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002). This review should take into account the likelihood of undetected loss of containment and the possible extent of an explosive atmosphere following such an undetected loss of containment. Operators in the wider fuel and chemicals industries should also consider such a review, to take account of events at Buncefield. 

Recommendation 11 of the Buncefield MIIB report addresses the connected issue of the classification of places within CXDMAH sites where explosive atmospheres may occur and their selection of equipment and protective systems (as required by the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002). 

Substances that represent a danger of fire or explosion are described as Dangerous substances. The storage, handling and transportation of dangerous substances in the workplace is controlled by the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmosphere Regulations 2002 (DSEAR) (see Chapter 8). 

The principles of explosion management can be broken down into two discrete areas those of control and mitigation, each will be dealt with separately. The Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations (DSEAR) require the application of a hierarchy of control measures to manage the risk of accidental explosion. 

Under the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002 there is a requirement to identify hazardous contents (containers and plant) to ensure that the selection of the correct equipment and systems can take into account the level of and likelihood of there being an explosive atmosphere. 

The vast proportion of chemicals used in the workplace are classified under CHIP and therefore fall under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (COSHH). These chemicals together with liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) may also fall under the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations (DSEAR), each of which requires the effective management and control of risk. 

Dangerous Substances and Explosives Atmospheres Regulations, SI 2002/2776. The Stationery Office ISBN 0110 429 57, 2002. 

In many cases, identifying a standard that can be adopted to measure workplace performance is straightforward. For example. Regulation 7 of the UK Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002 requires certain places at workplaces to be classified in relation to the subject of the regulations as per Schedule 2, and to further divide the places classified as hazardous into different hazard zones. By referring... 

Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002, SI 2002 No 2776 Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006, SI 2006 No. 2739 AH published by The Stationery Office, London. 

DSEAR An abbreviation for Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002 of the UK s Health and Safety Executive (HSE). The regulations are intended to protect people from dangerous substances by putting particular duties on employers and self-employed people to protect workers in the workplace as well as members of the public. The regulations require that employers identify the substances that present a risk and put control measures in place to remove the risks or to control them. 

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