Introduction

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This HSA Guide is aimed at helping employers who have responsibilities associated with workplaces containing potentially explosive atmospheres. Correct application of this Guide will help ensure that workplaces have been designed and constructed safely (from an explosive atmospheres perspective), and are maintained in that condition for their operational life. This can only be achieved after a thorough initial detailed inspection, followed by regular systematic inspection, testing and verification.

The Guide’s purpose is to ensure consistency and transparency on managing risk in relation to accident hazards associated with the Electrical, Control, Instrumentation & Mechanical (ECIM) installation and preparing for relevant inspections (e.g. HSA, insurance audits, safety audits).

The Guide includes a list of non-exhaustive benchmark standards that should be used to assess how Employers manage risk. They represent a consensus between regulators, technical experts and other stakeholders on what constitutes proportionate action to control a given hazard.

There is a comprehensive range of guidance documents available from professional institutions and trade associations, which can be beneficial to the Employer in achieving the minimum requirements, set down in the benchmark standards. The Guide does not list these guidance documents specifically as there are many such documents available from various organisations, often addressing the same subject matter.