DSEAR risk assesment

[Guest]

I am caring out a FRA including the DSEAR, within the guidelines of DSEAR it asks that an assessment should be made on any dangerous substance no matter how small the amount may be.

The problem is that one of the areas under assessment is a small lab, which uses small amounts of highly flammables all of the time, assuming that all correct procedures are in place to the risks found, is there a maximum limit on the amounts that can be used safely before other procedures and requirements would come in force.

Does anybody know if more than 50ltrs of HFL's must be stored outside the workplace and more than 50ltrs of FL's is acceptable to be stored inside, as long as procedures and measures are still in place, or does the new DSEAR replace the old requirments.                  

Thanks for any help.

[Guest]

I guess were all not upto speed yet, with the new DSEAR.

[Ken Taylor]

Are you using HSE document L135 for your assessment?

A number of factors need to be considered - including a need to minimise HFL storage as far as reasonably practicable but, for example, the guidance for stored flammables with a flashpoint below maximum ambient temperature is for a maximum of 50 litres in process areas and workrooms.

[afterburner]

The problem I find with DSEAR is not simply determing the quantities of HF materials, but how they will interact with each other during a fire. e.g. the fire may not start in the HF materials but affect the containers or exposed materials ... then comes the tricky bit of trying to decide what will happen if the materials mix and become fuel!
The advice already given regarding your storage to minimums is the way to go. DSEAR is very precise about reducing the risk through reducing, replacing or substituting the cause of the risk