We have seen a huge demand in the past few years for DSEAR Risk Assessments to determine ATEX requirements for whisky warehouses.
Typically there has been a reluctance from operators to consider “de-zoning” warehouses storing distilled spirits, however the cost of upgrading electrical systems such as lighting to ATEX rated equivalents can be prohibitive.
Adequacy of Ventilation
There has also been a deep running debate with industry bodies and the regulators what constitutes “adequate” ventilation in warehouses. Assessing ventilation is part of the DSEAR requirements, as well as having a bearing on the ATEX rating of an area. Guidance such as HSE HSG 51 indicates that wall openings equivalent to 1% of wall and roof surface areas should be provided, and typically none of the legacy warehouses comply with these requirements. In the past SWA guidance on ventilation openings has been used, with no scientific basis for why this is considered adequate.
As part of our offering to help clients manage their design and operating risk through practical and pragmatic process safety, we regularly assess achieved ventilation rates within warehouses through wind driven ventilation calculations. In combination with our hazardous area classification studies calculating worst case release rates for failure scenarios, we can demonstrate whether the current ventilation rate of a warehouse is adequate.
Our DSEAR Offering
By engaging our DSEAR and ATEX expertise early in a design process, we are able to save clients significant costs. If this is left until later equipment selections might need to change or buildings might need significant structural changes to accommodate ventilation openings.
In line with the DSEAR Regulations and the Hazardous Area Classification study which accompanies this, we must also consider other operations in warehouses. These can include regauging, tanker deliveries and blending operations. OTECSA have experience with all stages of the distillation process and can assist clients navigate the complexities of DSEAR.