Explosive atmospheres

Preventing explosive atmospheres in the workplace

Discover how standards help organizations avoid potentially explosive scenarios

Article

Hazard detection: Flame and gas safety standards for explosive atmospheres

Those who manufacture, sell or distribute flame and gas (F&G) detection devices and software should always be supporting consultants and end-users with system design. This is simply because the stakes are very high when it comes to explosive atmosphere sites. These are places where people, the environment, and the future of businesses are at risk. The highest possible levels of safety are crucial. For that reason, of course, it’s increasingly been the case that F&G detection devices incorporate software mapping tools. Manufacturers design these tools in order to help system designers know how many devices to deploy and where to put them. Standard BS 60080:2020 Explosive and toxic atmospheres: Hazard detection mapping – Guidance on the placement of permanently installed flame and gas detection devices using software tools and other techniques was published in August 2020 to address these issues. What Does BS 60080:2020 Do? As its name suggests, it gives guidance on the placement of permanently installed F&G detectors. It also covers the setting of performance standards for coverage, placement of devices, and technology selection. The standard also provides guidance on the most commonly used methods of mapping and/or modeling, these being: prescriptive, volumetric, and scenario-based. It also gives guidance on operations, maintenance, and the availability/reliability of the system to complement relevant standards. It defines permanently installed detection systems as including optical flame detection (including ultraviolet, infrared and visual), flammable gas/vapor detection, and toxic gas detection. The standard is relevant to applications where optical flame detection is used as a means of detecting flaming fires in internal and external environments; where a gas detection system is used as a method of explosion protection; where the hazard arises from the release or accumulation of explosive gases and vapors and where the hazard arises from the release or accumulation of toxic gases. BS 60080:2020 use will increase the level of safety in explosive atmospheres, particularly in gas and oil environments. Importantly, the standard supplies a benchmark requirement against which to review a hazard detection system. As such it will increase the confidence and reputation of those organizations that demonstrate they’re doing everything they can to safeguard people in the vicinity of their sites. Its development has been a rare opportunity for a new British Standard to pave the way for hazard detection mapping, greatly decreasing the risk in many explosive atmosphere sites and their vicinities and filling a gap in the market for guidance in this area. As such it will be an essential tool for all F&G device manufacturers and sellers wanting to work with consultants and end users on optimizing system design. In your safety-critical industry, get everyone in your business involved in embedding a culture of health and safety. A BSI Knowledge subscription gives you instant access to the resources you need to improve your health and safety processes. The flexibility and visibility it provides of the best practices guidance enable you to get the most from your standards. Build your own custom collection of standards, or opt for access to our GBM07 Occupational & Personal Safety module and keep up-to-date with any relevant changes to your standards strategy. Request to learn more. Other Key Explosive Atmosphere Standards Standard BS 60080:2020 complements and supports existing related explosive atmosphere standards: Standard BS EN IEC 60079-17:2024 is the latest international standard on how to inspect and maintain electrical installations for use in explosive atmospheres. It’s for use wherever there’s a risk from the potential presence of explosive gas or dust mixtures with air or combustible dust layers under normal atmospheric conditions. Standard BS EN 1127-1:2019 specifies methods for the identification and assessment of hazardous situations leading to explosion and the design and construction measures appropriate for the required safety. This is achieved by risk assessment and risk reduction. It is applicable to any equipment, protective systems, and components intended to be used in potentially explosive atmospheres, under atmospheric conditions. These atmospheres can arise from flammable/combustible substances processed, used, or released by the equipment, protective systems, and components or from materials in the vicinity of the equipment, protective systems, and components, and/or from the materials of construction of the equipment, protective systems, and components. BS EN IEC 60079-10-1:2021 is concerned with the identification and classification of areas where explosive gas atmospheres are present, in order to permit the proper assessment of ignition sources in such areas. Whilst part BS EN IEC 60079-15:2019 examines equipment for use in explosive atmospheres and part BS EN 60079-2:2014 contains specific requirements for the design, construction, marking, and testing of electrical equipment intended for use in explosive gas atmospheres or explosive dust atmospheres. It also includes requirements for pressurized enclosures containing a limited release of a flammable substance. To ensure you are protecting your staff from risks that working in environments with explosive atmospheres may pose, add these standards to your collection today.