Learn how to conduct a fire and explosion risk assessment for your project, and how a testing and certification service can help you improve your process safety.

Finely divided materials such as dust or powdered raw materials may be hazardous, or at least hazardous under certain circumstances. Often these are explosive, or accumulations of dust on the floor can be explosive if kicked up into the air by a primary explosion or other event. Keep dust under control. Avoid maintenance issues by using lubrication, work permits, hazard analysis. Keep sensitive processes (dust, vapor, solvents) electrically grounded or use other explosion prevention methods.

How do you conduct a fire and explosion risk assessment for a new project?

Fire and explosion testing and certification services are essential for ensuring the safety and reliability of your process equipment, facilities, and products. They help you identify and mitigate the hazards and risks associated with flammable and explosive materials, and comply with the relevant standards and regulations. In this article, we will explain how to conduct a fire and explosion risk assessment for a new project, and what benefits you can gain from using a professional testing and certification service.

1 Identify the sources of fire and explosion hazards

The first step in conducting a fire and explosion risk assessment is to identify the sources of fire and explosion hazards in your project. These can include any materials, processes, equipment, or systems that can generate, store, handle, transport, or release flammable or explosive substances, such as gases, liquids, solids, dusts, or vapors. You should also consider the potential ignition sources, such as sparks, flames, hot surfaces, static electricity, or friction, that can trigger a fire or explosion. You should document all the sources of fire and explosion hazards in a hazard inventory or register.

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Brian H Rutledge

Chemical Engineering Specialist at Firma-Terra
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Finely divided materials such as dust or powdered raw materials may be hazardous, or at least hazardous under certain circumstances. Often these are explosive, or accumulations of dust on the floor can be explosive if kicked up into the air by a primary explosion or other event. Keep dust under control. Avoid maintenance issues by using lubrication, work permits, hazard analysis. Keep sensitive processes (dust, vapor, solvents) electrically grounded or use other explosion prevention methods.

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Jose Luis Aguirre londoño

Químico Industrial- Esp. en Gerencia de Riesgos Laborales-Bombero
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Siempre quw se va a realizar un proyecto nuevo, independiente del área o sector que sea se debe de conocer a cabalidad como se realizará físicamente la operación, para esto es crucial indagar y preguntar con expertos y personas que han realizado actividades similares por un buen tiempo, ya cuando se tiene una idea clara de como se realizará, donde y con quien empleando que, ahí tendrás las herramientas e información necesaria para preveer y estimar todos los riesgos a los que se expone el personal y operación por tener ciertos peligros en sus tareas o equipos

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2 Evaluate the likelihood and severity of fire and explosion scenarios

The next step is to evaluate the likelihood and severity of fire and explosion scenarios that can result from the identified hazards. You should use a suitable method or tool, such as a qualitative or quantitative risk matrix, a fault tree analysis, or an event tree analysis, to estimate the probability and consequences of each scenario. The consequences can include injuries, fatalities, property damage, environmental impact, business interruption, or reputational damage. You should rank the scenarios according to their risk level, and prioritize the ones that require immediate attention or action.

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Todd Shilling, PhD, NRP

Safety, Academia, Paramedicine, Offshore
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This is a bit of a broad and ambiguous statement. If you are speaking to persons educated on the subject, this is a bit basic. If you are speaking to a lesser knowledgeable audience, then I think you need to expand on why or how you might you the various risk assessments. My subjective pinion is that the verbiage shows the lack of clarity of intended audience.

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3 Implement the appropriate fire and explosion prevention and protection measures

The third step is to implement the appropriate fire and explosion prevention and protection measures to reduce the risk level of each scenario. These measures can include engineering controls, such as designing, installing, or maintaining the equipment or systems to prevent or limit the release or ignition of flammable or explosive substances; administrative controls, such as developing, implementing, or enforcing the policies, procedures, or training to ensure the safe operation or handling of the materials or processes; or personal protective equipment, such as providing or wearing the suitable clothing, gloves, goggles, or helmets to protect the workers from the fire or explosion hazards. You should document the measures in a risk control plan or report.

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Brian H Rutledge

Chemical Engineering Specialist at Firma-Terra
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Sometimes nonhazardous materials can become a fire hazard when allowed to dry so that moisture is removed. Dried liquid ammonia can create explosive nitrates when exposed to oxygen in the air.

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4 Monitor and review the fire and explosion risk assessment and control plan

The final step is to monitor and review the fire and explosion risk assessment and control plan on a regular basis, or whenever there is a change in the project scope, design, operation, or environment. You should check the effectiveness and adequacy of the measures, and update the hazard inventory, risk evaluation, or risk control plan accordingly. You should also conduct audits, inspections, or tests to verify the compliance and performance of the equipment or systems. You should document the results and findings in a risk management report or record.

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Brian H Rutledge

Chemical Engineering Specialist at Firma-Terra
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It is not adequate to have a plan. The crew must be aware of it, be trained in it, believe it is important, and audit it so that it functions as planned and has the supplies and conditions needed to make it successful.

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Todd Shilling, PhD, NRP

Safety, Academia, Paramedicine, Offshore
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100% agree with Brian. A plan sitting on a shelf in contrast to a plan that has been practiced/drilled and personnel who are trained on and comfortable with the plan are two totally different things altogether.

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5 Choose a professional fire and explosion testing and certification service

One of the best ways to ensure the quality and validity of your fire and explosion risk assessment and control plan is to choose a professional fire and explosion testing and certification service. A testing and certification service can provide you with the expertise, experience, and equipment to conduct the fire and explosion tests and analyses according to the relevant standards and regulations. They can also provide you with the certification or accreditation that can demonstrate your compliance and competence to your stakeholders, customers, or authorities. A testing and certification service can help you improve your process safety, reliability, and reputation.

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Todd Shilling, PhD, NRP

Safety, Academia, Paramedicine, Offshore
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If you are going to pay a third party to provide "certification" services, why would you not have them conduct the assessment to begin with and then you can simply provide oversight/job scope/guidance?

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How do you conduct a fire and explosion risk assessment for a new project?

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1 Identify the sources of fire and explosion hazards

2 Evaluate the likelihood and severity of fire and explosion scenarios

3 Implement the appropriate fire and explosion prevention and protection measures

4 Monitor and review the fire and explosion risk assessment and control plan

5 Choose a professional fire and explosion testing and certification service

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