By Isabel Limrick, Consultancy Manager, EHS International
When I talk to organisations about process safety, one of the first things I often hear is:
“We don’t work with explosives.”
My response is usually the same.
“You don’t have to.”
Many of the workplaces covered by ATEX legislation don’t manufacture explosives or chemicals. In fact, some of the highest risk environments I visit are food manufacturers, timber processors, recycling facilities, distilleries and pharmaceutical plants.
The risk isn’t the industry.
It’s whether your processes can create an explosive atmosphere.
That might be combustible dust from flour or wood. It could be solvent vapours during cleaning or maintenance. It might be gases used as part of a manufacturing process.
Most of these substances are handled safely every day.
The problem arises when the conditions are right for ignition.
We’ve Seen What Can Happen
Over the years, Europe has experienced several devastating dust explosions in food production, agriculture and manufacturing. Entire buildings have been destroyed and lives have been lost because combustible dust was allowed to accumulate or an ignition source wasn’t identified.
Closer to home, Ireland has also experienced serious industrial explosions that have resulted in fatalities, serious injuries and lengthy Health and Safety Authority investigations.
While every incident is different, the findings often have something in common.
It is rarely one catastrophic failure.
More often, investigators uncover a series of smaller issues that, on their own, didn’t seem significant.
A ventilation system that wasn’t performing as intended.
Equipment that wasn’t suitable for the hazardous area.
A process that had changed over time without the risk assessment being reviewed.
None of these problems appeared critical in isolation.
Together, they created the conditions for a major incident.
It’s Not About Tick Boxes.
One of the biggest misconceptions about an Explosion Protection Document is that it’s simply something you create to satisfy a regulatory requirement.
It isn’t.
A good Explosion Protection Document should tell the story of how you’ve identified explosion risks in your workplace, how you’ve reduced those risks and how you’ll continue to manage them as your business changes.
Just as importantly, it should still reflect what’s actually happening on site.
I’ve seen examples where an Explosion Protection Document had been completed correctly at the time it was written, but it hadn’t been reviewed for years.
Since then, production had increased.
New machinery had been installed.
Different raw materials were being used.
Layouts had changed.
Yet the Explosion Protection Document still described the workplace as it had existed several years earlier.
That creates risk.
When documentation no longer matches reality, important risks can be overlooked. Regular reviews help ensure that the Explosion Protection Document remains relevant, practical, and effective in supporting workplace safety.
Your Legal Duties
In Ireland, employers have clear legal responsibilities where explosive atmospheres may be present.
The Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 places a duty on employers to identify hazards and manage workplace risks. Those duties are supported by Part 8 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations 2007, which implement the European ATEX Workplace Directive (1999/92/EC).
Where an explosive atmosphere may occur, employers are required to assess the risk, classify hazardous areas, put suitable control measures in place and prepare an Explosion Protection Document (EPD).
Those requirements apply to far more businesses than many people realise.
It Starts with Understanding the Risk
Before you can control an explosion hazard, you need to understand where it exists.
That’s where an ATEX Hazardous Area Classification Assessment comes in.
It identifies where explosive atmospheres could occur, how often they’re likely to occur and what controls are needed to reduce the risk.
Without that information, it’s very difficult to know whether the equipment you’re using is appropriate or whether your existing controls are sufficient.
Ask Yourself a Few Questions
When was your Explosion Protection Document last reviewed?
Has your production process changed?
Have you introduced new materials or chemicals?
Has new equipment been installed?
Would your current hazardous area classification still be accurate today?
If you’re unsure of the answers, you’re probably not alone.
Many organisations completed these assessments when facilities were commissioned and haven’t looked at them since.
Good Process Safety Protects More Than Compliance
The best organisations don’t carry out ATEX assessments because legislation tells them to.
They do it because they understand what’s at stake.
An explosion doesn’t just damage equipment.
It affects people.
Families.
Colleagues.
Communities.
It can stop production overnight and take months, sometimes years, to recover from.
Good process safety isn’t about creating another document for the shelf.
It’s about understanding your processes well enough to prevent an incident before it ever has the chance to happen.
How EHS International Can Help
At EHS International, we work with organisations across a wide range of industries to help them understand and manage explosion risks before they become incidents.
Our process safety specialists can support businesses with:
- DSEAR and ATEX compliance reviews
- Process safety risk assessments
- Dust explosion risk assessments
- Identification of hazardous substances and explosive atmospheres
- Review of existing ATEX documentation and zoning
- Practical recommendations to improve compliance and reduce risk
Whether you’re commissioning a new facility, introducing a new process or reviewing existing operations, we provide practical, proportionate advice that reflects how your business actually operates.
Our aim isn’t simply to help you comply with legislation. It’s to help you understand your risks, protect your people and give you confidence that the right controls are in place.
If you’re unsure whether your workplace requires an Explosion Protection Document or an ATEX Hazardous Area Classification Assessment, our team would be happy to have a confidential, no obligation discussion about your operations and how we can help.
Cork: 021 206 6006 | Dublin: 01 905 8899
Email: [email protected] | [email protected]
