Businesses that store, use or produce flammable liquids, gases, vapours or combustible dusts need a clear understanding of fire and explosion risk. The Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002, known as DSEAR, require employers to assess risks from dangerous substances and put suitable controls in place.
A document alone does not create control. A poor assessment can miss substances, overlook how people work and leave managers with recommendations they cannot apply. This creates risk for employees, visitors, contractors and nearby people who may face harm from work activities.
This blog explains where a dsear risk assessment can fail, how those failures affect future operations and what organisations can do to build a more accurate and useful approach.
Why do DSEAR assessments fail?
DSEAR assessments usually fail when they do not reflect the site in its current condition. Many businesses change materials, production volumes, storage layouts, contractors, maintenance routines and equipment over time. If the assessment does not keep pace with those changes, it can give managers a false sense of control.
A useful assessment needs to look at the substances present, how people use them and how an explosive atmosphere could form. It also needs to consider ignition sources, ventilation, storage, transfer points and maintenance activity.
The aim should be practical. Managers need findings that help them make decisions about plant, storage, procedures, inspection and future changes.
Failure 1: Missing dangerous substances
The first common failure involves incomplete identification of dangerous substances. Many businesses focus on obvious materials such as petrol, solvents, LPG or flammable paints. They may miss combustible dust, aerosols, waste residues, cleaning chemicals, gases under pressure or substances created during a process.
This matters because DSEAR can apply when a dangerous substance creates a risk to people from fire, explosion, similar energetic events or corrosion to metal. A site cannot control a hazard it has not identified.
A competent DSEAR risk assessment should review safety data sheets, purchasing records, storage areas, process materials and waste streams. It should also involve people who understand day-to-day work, because they often know where substances move, where containers build up and where temporary storage occurs.
Failure 2: Reviewing paperwork without checking real work
A recent HSE prosecution shows why assessors must compare written procedures with actual working practices. At Puratos Limited’s Buckingham factory, inspectors found dust escaping from machinery, employees using compressed air to clear deposits and workers dry sweeping with brushes and brooms. Monitoring later confirmed exposure to inhalable dust above the relevant Workplace Exposure Limits, and the company received a £120,000 fine. Although the prosecution concerned hazardous dust exposure rather than a specific breach of DSEAR, the findings remain relevant to sites handling combustible powders such as flour. Leaks, accumulated deposits and unsuitable cleaning methods can allow combustible dust clouds to form, so a DSEAR risk assessment should examine extraction, housekeeping, maintenance and routine cleaning as they occur in practice.
Some assessments rely too heavily on procedures and drawings. Those documents help, but they do not always show how work happens on site.
Operators may decant liquids in a different place because the usual area has limited space. Maintenance teams may use flammable sprays during breakdowns. Contractors may bring materials onto site for short projects. Production teams may change batch sizes or run equipment for longer periods.
A site walk-through helps identify these details. It allows the assessor to observe tasks, ask practical questions and understand how substances move from delivery to storage, use and disposal.
This improves the quality of the findings. It also helps the business plan controls that fit real operations instead of written assumptions.
Review Your Current DSEAR Arrangements
If your site handles dangerous substances and your assessment has not kept pace with operational change, Safety First Group can help you review the position.
Our team carries out DSEAR assessments for manufacturing, industrial, commercial and processing environments. We review dangerous substances, site activities, hazardous areas and existing controls, then provide practical recommendations that your team can use for compliance planning and risk reduction.
Failure 3: Weak hazardous area classification
Hazardous area classification helps identify locations where explosive atmospheres may occur. These classifications influence equipment selection, maintenance standards and control measures.
Problems arise when assessments apply generic zones without considering the process. A release point, ventilation pattern, transfer method or operating temperature can change the extent of the hazardous area. If the classification does not reflect those details, controls may not match the risk.
A reliable DSEAR risk assessment should consider release sources, likelihood of release, ventilation, substance properties and operating conditions. The outcome should give the business a clear view of where controls need attention.
This supports future investment. If the site plans new equipment, storage changes or production increases, managers can understand how those changes may affect hazardous areas before work begins.
Failure 4: Control measures that lack detail
Some assessments identify hazards correctly but then provide weak recommendations. Phrases such as “improve ventilation” or “reduce ignition sources” do not give operational teams enough direction.
Managers need clear actions. A recommendation should explain the issue, the reason for action and the practical control required. That may include revised storage arrangements, inspection routines, equipment checks, ventilation changes, permit controls or maintenance procedures.
Clear actions help businesses allocate responsibility and plan work. They also make future reviews easier because the team can check progress against specific points.
A DSEAR risk assessment should help the business move from identification to control. If the report does not support action, it will have limited value during audits, inspections or internal planning.
Failure 5: Treating DSEAR as a one-time task
DSEAR management needs review when the workplace changes. A report that matched the site two years ago may no longer reflect current operations.
Changes can include new substances, higher stock levels, altered production methods, new plant, changes in ventilation or different waste handling arrangements. Maintenance activities can also introduce risk if teams use flammable products or create ignition sources near dangerous substances.
Regular review helps organisations keep controls aligned with the site. It also helps managers plan future work with fewer assumptions. If a business intends to expand production or change storage, the DSEAR review can support better decisions at the planning stage.
How can a competent assessment support future operations?
A competent assessment gives businesses usable information. It identifies dangerous substances, explains how risks arise and sets out practical control measures.
This helps health and safety teams, operations managers and engineering teams work from the same evidence. It can support decisions about equipment, storage design, ventilation, maintenance and inspection. It can also help the business avoid reactive spending by identifying control issues before they affect planned work.
For multi-site organisations, a consistent assessment method can also improve oversight. Managers can compare findings across sites and prioritise work based on risk.
A strong assessment does not remove the employer’s legal responsibility. It supports the duty holder by giving them a clearer basis for action and review.
Speak to Safety First Group About DSEAR Compliance
Common failures often come from incomplete information, outdated assumptions and reports that do not reflect real working conditions. These gaps can make it harder to demonstrate control and can increase fire and explosion risk across changing operations.
A competent DSEAR risk assessment helps organisations identify dangerous substances, assess actual site activity and implement controls that support safer future operations.
We provide DSEAR support for businesses that store, handle or process dangerous substances. Contact our team to discuss your current assessment and review the next steps for your site.
Common Failures in DSEAR Risk Assessments and How to Avoid Them
Where processes, plant or protective equipment create hot working conditions, thermal exposure may require separate assessment alongside DSEAR controls. Visit our Thermal Environment Survey service page to learn how Safety First Group evaluates workplace temperature risks.