DSEA Regulations and the ATEX Directive

DSEA Regulations and the ATEX Directive

1. Introduction to The Dangerous Substances & Explosive Atmospheres Regulations (DSEAR)

The DSEA Regulations enact the ATEX Directive in the UK, and were fully implemented in 2006, throughout the EU.

Every Employer/ landfill Site Owner that requires employees to work on a gassing landfill should have a completed and up to date, DSEAR Risk Assessment and have zoned any areas/plant or equipment which is assessed to be at risk from a dangerous substance and/or an explosive atmosphere, in accordance with the regulations.

Image of a Methane stripping leachate storage tank

There is always an ATEX explosion risk zone associated with any leachate storage tank (see ESA ICoPs att www.esa.org ) . Do you know where it is, and how far it extends from the tank?

2. What Needs to be Done for ATEX Directive Compliance (England and Wales)

DSEAR risk assessments should be carried out on all methane stripping plant installations due to the fact that a (normally low) gas explosion risk is present and these risk assessments are required for all plants new and existing.

It is necessary to zone all explosion risk areas within the Methane Stripping Plant, provide information and labelling to identify the zones, train all employees in the safe working methods for the operation of the plant where explosion risks exist, and keep records (possibly as a formal Explosion Protection Document*).

* Requirements vary between EU Member States.

3. ATEX Directive Compliance Requirements Outside England and Wales

Similar Regulations exist in Scotland and Northern Ireland. In the Irish Republic the requirements of the ATEX Directives are implemented under the Safety, Health and Welfare Act (Explosions).

IPPTS Associates offer a DSEAR risk assessment service. Steve Last (Principal of IPPTS Associates) has carried out numerous DSEAR compliance projects for a wide range of clients.

4. Resources for Further Information About ATEX Compliance for Landfill Owners/ Operators

We have a web site which is dedicated to ATEX compliance and DSEAR (UK) at www.atexanddsear.co.uk .

Visit our ATEX and DSEAR web site for the latest information on this subject.

5. Conclusion

The DSEA Regulations enact the ATEX Directive in the UK, and were fully implemented in 2006, throughout the EU, so contact us for a quote if you have not carried out the necessary risk assessments and zoning work for any part of your landfill, already.

The necessary ATEX compliance work is available for our MSPs as part of the CH4 S package, for those that order a Methane Stripping Plant from us.