Getting to know DSEAR

As a business owner, Office Manager, Health & Safety Officer or employer, there are many factors that you have to consider to both take the very best care of your employees and be compliant with UK law.

One such legal requirement is that employers must assess the risk that explosive gases and dangerous substances may pose to their employees. This law is captured in something called the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002 (or DSEAR for short).

Dating back to June 2015, DSEAR also covers the risk caused by gases under pressure and substances that are corrosive to metal. They are goal-setting regulations and are supported by an Approved Codes of Practice (ACOP) that provides practical advice on how to comply with them.

They set minimum requirements for the protection of workers from fire and explosion risks related to dangerous substances, potentially explosive atmospheres, gases under pressure and substances corrosive to metals. 

As well as assessing the risks of these things, DSEAR also requires employers to control the risks to the safety of employees and others from these hazards.

This involves: finding out what dangerous substances are in their workplace and what the risks are; putting control measures in place to either remove those risks or, where this is not possible, control them; putting controls in place to reduce the effects of any incidents involving dangerous substances; preparing plans and procedures to deal with accidents, incidents and emergencies involving dangerous substances; making sure employees are properly informed about and trained to control or deal with the risks from the dangerous substances; identifying and classifying areas of the workplace where explosive atmospheres may occur and avoiding ignition sources (from unprotected equipment, for example) in those areas.

As with many areas of health & safety, that list sounds a bit scary when you read through it. And the last things that employers need is one more complex thing to add to their seemingly never-ending list of things to do.

So, why not get in touch with WT Consultancy (a local and trusted Chartered Health & Safety Consultancy) who can assist you with fulfilling your DSEAR responsibilities and assessments. You can email them at [email protected] or call them on 01884 675101.

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