Risk assessment of explosive atmospheres

We assess the risk from Explosive Atmospheres to ensure the safety of workers, safeguard the company and the environment.

What is an Explosive Atmosphere?

An 'explosive atmosphere' is defined as 'a mixture with air, under atmospheric conditions, of flammable substances in the state of gases, vapours, mists or dusts in which, after ignition, combustion spreads throughout the unburned mixture' (Legislative Decree 81/08, Art. 288). In reality, commonly used materials can, under unfavourable conditions, give rise to explosions in the form of dusts: flour, sawdust, sugar, household waste dusts, not to mention widely used fuels such as liquefied petroleum gas, natural gas and motor fuels.

Why is Explosive Atmosphere Risk Assessment important?

To implement the minimum safety requirements for equipment-components and protective systems intended for use in potentially explosive atmospheres
To implement minimum requirements for the safety of workers and the protection of their health, which can be endangered by working in potentially explosive atmospheres

To whom is Explosive Atmosphere Risk Assessment addressed?

Explosive Atmosphere Risk Assessment is a compulsory activity required of all companies that carry out activities or have installations where such a risk is potentially present.

Specifically, the risk from explosive atmospheres is considered specific to the chemical or energy industry, due to the presence of numerous materials (gases, vapours, mists or dusts) recognised as flammable or unstable, and particularly concerns suppliers of equipment and components, manufacturers, operators and maintenance staff of plants working in potentially explosive atmospheres.

Employer's obligations

In order to prevent explosions, the employer is obliged to take technical and organisational measures appropriate to the activity performed. The first step is to identify the possibility of an explosion and understand how to prevent it.

It is therefore necessary to draw up an explosion protection document, which forms an integral part of the Risk Assessment Document (DVR). The document identifies all the measures required to secure the area concerned and requires an explosive atmosphere risk assessment, which must contain a classification of the zones where there is a potential risk of explosion.

Risk assessment of explosive atmospheres

The evaluation is carried out following a number of sequential steps:

Classification of zones where there is a potential explosion hazard;
Assessment of explosion risks;
Detailed risk analysis with specific calculation programmes and/or measurements;
Elimination or reduction of risk through specific prevention and protection measures;
Standardisation of equipment to be used in areas where explosive atmospheres may occur.

Classification of zones where there is a potential explosion risk - This involves identifying the areas of the plant where there are emission sources that may give rise to explosive atmospheres and quantifying the type of emission (continuous, first, second). Thanks to these techniques, it is possible to systematically assess any possible deviation from the operating regime conditions, and to identify the initiating causes and failures of protection which, linked together, can lead to the occurrence of an accidental hypothesis.

Explosion risk assessment - This involves estimating a probability of occurrence of the explosion and the possible damage caused to both the health and safety of workers.

Detailed risk analysis with specific calculation programmes and/or measurements - The classical tools for exposure risk assessment are analytical techniques for identifying accidental events, i.e. operability analysis (HAZOP) or failure mode identification (FMEA).

Elimination or reduction of risk through specific prevention and protection measures - The measures necessary to prevent risk may include organisational measures (e.g. training of personnel, work authorisations, creation of written procedures, etc.), protective measures (optical warning devices, means of diverting atmospheres to a safe place, etc.), measures on the emission of the substance (reduction of concentration, emission rate, etc.) or measures on the ventilation of the area.

Standardisation of equipment to be used in areas where explosive atmospheres may occur - Provides for the adoption of ATEX equipment, specifically designed to work in areas where an explosive atmosphere may be present.

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What we offer

Explosive Atmosphere Risk Assessment
Classification of hazardous areas, for dusts, vapours and gases
Definition of actions necessary to prevent explosions
Definition of actions necessary to protect against the consequences to persons
Definition of necessary measures to protect against the consequences to buildings and the environment

Normative references:

The laws governing the world of work in the field of health and safety against the risk of explosive atmospheres are:

Legislative Decree 81/2008, also known as the Consolidated Occupational Health and Safety Act, amended by Legislative Decree 106 of 3 August 2009
Product Directive 2014/34/EU (which replaced Directive 94/9/EC) containing provisions for equipment and protective systems intended for use in potentially explosive atmospheres (also known as ATEX 95)

The standards of good engineering, the application of which constitutes a presumption of conformity with legislation, are:

The technical standards applicable to explosive atmospheres caused by mixtures with air of gases, vapours and mists are as follows:

- CEI EN 60079 - 10: Electrical apparatus for explosive gas atmospheres - Part 10: Classification of hazardous locations - Classification CEI 31 - 30
- CEI 31 - 35: Electrical apparatus for explosive gas atmospheres. Guide to the application of standard CEI EN 60079 - 10 (CEI 31 - 30). Classification of hazardous locations
- CEI 31 - 35/A: Electrical apparatus for explosive gas atmospheres. Guide to the application of standard CEI EN 60079 - 10 (CEI 31 - 30). Classification of hazardous locations. Application examples

The technical standards applicable to explosive atmospheres caused by mixtures with air of combustible dusts are as follows:

- CEI EN 50281 - 3: Constructions for explosive atmospheres due to the presence of combustible dust. Part 3: Classification of places where combustible dust is or may be present
- CEI 31 - 56: Constructions for explosive atmospheres due to the presence of combustible dust. Guide to the application of standard CEI EN 50281 - 3 (CEI 31 - 52) "Classification of places where combustible dusts are or may be present".

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