Potable Alcohol Industry Regulations

MINIMISING RISK AND ACHIEVING COMPLIANCE IN THE UK

The Scotch Whisky and other Potable Alcohols Industries are required to be compliant with a number of UK Regulations including the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 (HASAWA), the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002 (DSEAR) and the Control of Major Accident Hazards 1999 (COMAH).

These regulations relate to the management of risk and hazards including the safe storage and handling of potable alcohol and combustible dusts in the industry.

The Scotch Whisky Association has published a document “The Management of Flammable & Explosive Atmospheres” (Purple Book) to provide industry advice in achieving the required compliance with the HASAWA and DSEAR and the specific elements contained within COMAH including Functional and Electrical Safety.

Our qualified engineers have been delivering compliance support to our clients for decades and are fully conversant with all of the above Acts and Regulations. We have extensive experience in delivering the relevant compliance for clients within sectors from the Food Industry to Petrochemical and Oil and Gas.

We can offer Potable Alcohol clients our expertise to achieve their compliance needs, and can also provide further assistance relating to the management and storage of Flammable Materials, Functional Safety and also Electrical Systems Management on their premises. Our engineers have undertaken Food Safety Training.

GSE Solutions and Support DSEAR Risk AssessmentWe offer client assistance in carrying out risk assessments (Regulation 5) on their premises, in order to provide information relating to;

• The hazardous properties of the substance, Work activities, The likelihood of an explosive atmosphere, The likelihood of ignition sources & The scale of anticipated effects of fire or explosion.

The result of this assessment provides the client with a written report, comprising of;

• A summary on the assessment findings, the identified hazards – categorised in terms of severity and likelihood & a list of actions (where applicable) which the client needs to complete in order to comply with the respective regulations.

Hazardous Area ClassificationWe offer assistance to our clients in carrying out Hazardous Area Classification (Regulation 7) in order to provide information relating to;

• Areas where flammable atmospheres can exist

• Guidance on instrument and electrical equipment for use in hazardous areas

• The extents and concentration of both gaseous and dust environments.

Potable Alcohol Industry RegulationsMinimising risk and achieving compliance in the UK

Visit www.GSES.com/engineering for more information

Food Industry Silo Management System – Case Study

We were tasked with providing a system that minimised the chance of an explosive dust being ejected from a vent system following a tanker offloading operation. This automated system had to be integrated into the existing procedures to minimise the risk of the hazard but also to ensure that it did not create an additional burden for Operators. Compliance with all relevant standards including the DSEAR related series of documents that make up BS60079, was necessary to ensure to fulfil the remit.

We successfully designed and implemented a system incorporating offloading interlocks, silo overpressure protection, Castell Key-based personnel access interlocking to the silos and a touch screen display for monitoring operation mounted local to the offloading point.

The client now has an integrated offloading raw material system providing improved safety and compliance.

The result of this process provides the client with a written report comprising of;

• Flammable materials and their properties

• A list of equipment used for Area Classification purpose (potential release points)

• Plot Plan of the zoning extents

• The classifications of each zone (gas and dust).

Mechanical Ignition Risk AssessmentWe offer our clients assistance in carrying out Mechanical Ignition Risk Assessments in order to provide information relating to;

• Mechanical equipment with the potential to create an ignition source

• Guidance in mitigating any potential ignition risks.

Electrical Systems Management and Compliance

In the UK the HSE aims to prevent electrical injuries by enforcing Health and Safety Law. This includes the Electricity at Work Act 1989 (EAWR), Management of Health & Safety at Work Regulations (1999), Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 (HASAWA) and the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994.

We can offer assistance to our clients in carrying out Electrical Systems Management and Compliance activities to ensure full compliance with the above regulations.

• Full systems audit and gap analysis for compliance with the Electricity at Work Act 1989 (EAWR) including review / assessment of clients Electrical Operating Procedures

• Distribution system records enhancement

• Power System analysis

– Fault Level – ensuring switchgear capability under short circuit complies with the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 (EAWR)

– Protection Co-ordination to minimise reduction to operating plant and to reduce potential Arc Flash levels – Arc Flash - Ensuring Safe Protection for your operators and maintenance engineers from Arc Flash effects,

caused by faulted switchgear in accordance – Load Flow – System Quality and Harmonics

• Training & Competency Assessment

• Safe Working Procedures

• Hazardous Area Classifications Inspections and Records

• Security of Supplies and Contingency Planning.

Functional SafetyWe can provide businesses with a systematic review and assessment in line with the appropriate standards to indicate where, if any, shortfalls in Functional Safety are apparent. This will form a comprehensive analysis of areas of improvement and we provide tangible recommendations and practical solutions to rectify any shortfalls.

The standards and guidance documents are:

• BS EN 61511

• EEMUA Publication No. 191.

The types of systems that these documents relate to are:

• Safety Instrumented Systems (SIS)

• Basic Process Control Systems (BPCS)

• Alarm Systems

We are able to offer a full life cycle approach covering the design, specification, installation and commissioning of these systems along with the requisite supporting documentation.

Worldwide Locations

www.GSES.com | info@gses.com

About GSE Systems

GSE Systems, Inc. is a world leader in real-time high-fidelity simulation, providing a wide range of simulation, training and engineering solutions to the power and process industries. Its comprehensive and modular solutions help customers achieve performance excellence in design, training and operations. GSE’s products and services are tailored to meet specific client requirements such as scope, budget and timeline. The Company has over four decades of experience, more than 1,100 installations, and hundreds of customers in over 50 countries spanning the globe.

Information about GSE Systems is available at www.gses.com.

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