scope:

Introduction and Scope

Potentially explosive atmospheres occur in many industries, not only in onshore and offshore petrochemical processing and refining plants, but also in places such as petrol filling stations, garage workshops, liquor distilleries, paint spraying plants, flour mills, woodworking plant, coal handling plant, the water and waste treatment industries, etc. Failure to adopt correct and safe working practices could result in ignitions of explosive gases and dust clouds, not necessarily at the time the work is done but possibly at some future date.

This Publication is concerned solely with ignition caused by electrical sources and is based on the requirements of international and European standards. It is divided into 12 chapters. The first six are relevant to places where flammable gases may exist. The seventh extends the training into areas where combustible dusts may be present. The eighth chapter is specific to installations in garage forecourts and similar places where flammable materials are stored, used or dispensed. The ninth chapter gives details relevant to the water and wastewater industry. The final chapters give references, definitions and information on the CompEx scheme.

This Publication is not intended to be, and can never be, a full treatise on all facets of working in potentially explosive atmospheres, but fulfils an important need, as explained in the Foreword.