5.1.1 Step 1 - risk assessment

Undertake a risk assessment to identify the hazards and the measures to be implemented to eliminate or mitigate their effects.  The principal hazards will be fire and explosion ones (see 4.6 and 4.7), but other hazards, e.g. electrical, pressure and weather (for outdoor installations) related, also need to be considered.  The hazards arising throughout the lifetime of the installation have to be covered by the assessment. This would include those hazards associated with the installation of the equipment, start up and shutdown of the equipment, delivery of consumables (e.g. gas cylinders) and the maintenance and repair of the equipment. Guidance on how to undertake a risk assessment can be found in Appendix A8.

For workplaces it is a legal requirement, under the ATEX Workplace Directive, for the employer to prepare an Explosion Protection Document that includes identification of the fire and explosion hazards, classification of areas where explosive atmospheres may exist, an evaluation of the risks and specification of measures to prevent, or where this is not possible mitigate the effects, of an ignition.