FIRE SAFETY > Fire Risk Assessments

Dangerous Substances

(1/7) > >>

BLEVE:
How many people encounter or consider the issue of dangerous substance,explosive atmospheres, associated control measuresand emergency arrangements as a part of the fire risk assessment process.

Do assessors in general have the competence to either carry out this work firts hand or to evaluation the information provided by other parties?

nearlythere:

--- Quote from: BLEVE on July 30, 2010, 08:37:54 AM ---How many people encounter or consider the issue of dangerous substance,explosive atmospheres, associated control measuresand emergency arrangements as a part of the fire risk assessment process.

I do.

Do assessors in general have the competence to either carry out this work firts hand or to evaluation the information provided by other parties?

In general no but I would recommend that the RP use the services of a DSEAR person same as I would recommend they employ the services of electrician if I came across what I condsidered an electrical fire risk.


--- End quote ---

Midland Retty:
Article 12 of the Reg Ref.(Fire Safety) Order (in England and Wales) states that dangerous substances should be eliminated or reduced, so I would expect to that addressed in the fire risk assessment.

For the most part all competent risk assessors I've dealt with on DSEAR / COMAH sites. or similar, do address the issue of dangerous substances properly, and I think there is good reason for that.

Most responsible organisations dealing with dangerous substances atleast seem more on the ball than your average RP, and employ competent assessors / risk managers on their sites to keep a good eye on things.

(Remember Im only talking about assessors I have dealt with - other members may have come across something to the contrary )

To answer you second question, most of the assessors I have dealt working on COMAH sites seem to have the required competence to manage the risk under the RRO, COMAH, and DSEAR. Only a few have brought in outside specialists to assist them.

Mike Buckley:
Fine for the big sites, what about the little firms that do some paint spraying etc? It is quite possible for an assessor to walk into a DSEAR situation and the owner of the company not even know (or care) what DSEAR is.

BLEVE:
MB
Thanks, thats exactly the subject I was trying to raise. You would expect the majority of COMAH sites to have a handle on DSEAR but there will be plenty of ordinary run of the mill premises where explosive atmospheres and dangerous substances will be a factor and there will be cases where the fire risk assessor has not identified these issues.

I would not mind trying to expand and discuss DSEAR on the new thread covering that subject but there does not seem to be much activity to date. :(

How many firerisk assessors recognise that a three dimensional explosive atmosphere exists under DSEAR around a bolted flange and that a protracted zone will exist when that pipe line contains a flammable liquid as opposed to a gas?

Again, how is this captured in the proforma type risk assessment?

Similarly, taking account of the FSRRO, how often do we encounter acetylene cylinders and maybe overlook the possibility of replacement for less hazardous agents?

Same goes for conventional or even lithium type battery charging activities, how are we capturing these in our assessments?

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page