Dangerous substances are defined in the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002 (DSEAR) as:
- substances or mixtures that are explosive, oxidising, extremely flammable, highly flammable or flammable, irrespective of whether they have been classified as such under supply regulations
- materials produced in the workplace, even transiently, that create a comparable risk
- any dust that can form an explosive mixture with air, eg coal, wood machinery work or flour grinding.
Since 1 June 2015, the definition of a dangerous substance in DSEAR also included these physical hazards:
- gases under pressure
- corrosive to metals.
What does DSEAR require?
Employers must:
- find out what dangerous substances are in their workplace and what the risks are
- put control measures in place to either remove those risks or, where this is not possible, control them
- put controls in place to reduce the effects of any incidents involving dangerous substances
- prepare plans and procedures to deal with accidents, incidents and emergencies involving dangerous substances
- make sure employees are properly informed about and trained to control or deal with the risks from the dangerous substances
- identify and classify areas of the workplace where explosive atmospheres may occur and avoid ignition sources (from unprotected equipment, for example) in those areas