What is DSEAR?

DSEAR stands for the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002. Dangerous substances can put workers’ safety at risk from fire and explosion. DSEAR puts duties on employers to protect them from risks to their safety from fires, explosions and similar events in the workplace, including members of the public who may be put at risk by work activities. What are dangerous substances? Dangerous substances are any substance used or present at work that could, if not properly controlled, cause harm as a result of a fire or explosion. They can be found in nearly all workplaces and include such things as solvents, paints, varnishes, flammable gases, such as those released from LPG, dusts from machining and sanding operations and dusts from foodstuffs. Employers must reduce the risks associated with the dangerous substances by:

• Identifying all dangerous substances produced, used or stored onsite, including potential mixtures of incompatible substances.
• Assessing the risk in the workplace due to dangerous substance.
• Classifying those areas where explosive atmospheres may be present.
• Introducing control measures to eliminate or reduce the risks.
• Ensuring control measures are in place to mitigate the effects of any incident.
• Ensuring procedures/training are in place to deal with incidents involving dangerous substances.

We can help with the following services:

• Hazardous Area Classification, in accordance with the relevant standards/code.
• Detailed risk assessment of your workplace against the requirements of DSEAR.
• Work equipment surveys to check suitability for use in the specific classified area.
• DSEAR awareness training.
• Review of DSEAR specific documentation and procedures.
• Design and implementation of measures to reduce the risk in the workplace due to DSEAR, e.g. equipment selection, fire engineering, inventory etc.