Posted By James Midlake All, We have just purchased a ready made metal flammable store ( about the size of a small garden shed ). What seperation distances are recommended from buildings and ignition sources when items are stored within the store rather than in the open air? Midlake

Posted By David Bannister Hi James, your insurers are likely to give you good fire control advice but you should also consider that the further away you site the store, the more likely it is that the users of the stuff will stockpile it inside, particularly on wet, cold days. So whilst the property insurers may ask for a sensible clearance to avoid the spread of fire from the store to the building and vice versa, human nature is going to lead to a build-up of flammable liquids at the workplace, which you were trying to avoid in the first place. Try to reach a reasonable compromise between separation and convenience. Also consider the possibility of tampering in the yard, spillage control and siting of any external smoking areas, particularly after mid-year in England & Wales. Hope this helps.

Posted By Mike Draper James If you need something this big then you ought to start with DSEAR. You should do a hazardous area classification and an ignition risk assessment. Based on these, you will then have a clearer idea of which guidance to refer to with regard to separation distances, segregation, control of ignition, fire detection, suppression, emergency preparedness, etc. Mike