To all of you guys out there, I have query regarding the Implementation of the DSEAR 2002 regulations on Petrol retail sites, specifically the warning signs to warn of explosive atmospheres (yellow triangle with "EX" inserted).

regulations; specifically regulation 7 and schedule 2 & 4, also as stated in Local Authority Circular (LAC) Number: 27/16 dated June 2009.

I am wondering as to why petrol retail sites do not or are not enforced to comply with this regulation; they do have specific hazardous areas (Zones 0, 1 & 2 ) as stipulated by schedule 2 of the DSEAR 2002 regulations.

The HSE stated that this regulation is enforced by the environmental health divisions of the local authorities but have added that the petrol filling station forecourt is inherently not a workplace and that the knowledge that would be had by All persons upon entering that area is that it by nature is a dangerous place, therefore it is not required to be signed".

The local petroleum officers and trading standards have intimated the same by stating that they have a local agreement in place? Some have even said that the public do not need to know about the Hazardous areas!!!!!!!!

There is also the issue of the hazardous area diagram being displayed on site - DSEAR regulation 7 reference places where explosive atmospheres occur, the L138 ACOP regulation 7 item 232 references the drawing and the need to keep/display it on site - most of the time locked away in the managers office!


If this is so, my arguement is
1. It is a work place, not only for till staff but for maintenance engineers.
2. One should never assume that people operating on the sites know of the hazardous areas and the implications of conducting certain operations.
3. Regulations under the HSAWA are generally there to protect the workers, not just the public.

Your thoughts please?

There's an interesting film on the HSE website at:

http://links.govdelivery...segen&cr=9/14-feb-11

They don't seem to know about DSEAR either...

Thanks for your replies, much appreciated. Bob,
I have attempted to implement change to the regs! If industry is flouting the regulations and creating there own independent versions up and down the country then the regulations need to be amended to reflect this. Each petroleum office seems to have their own viewpoints but they're all different!


I contacted the HSE who swiftly sideswiped me to the Local authorities, the Trading standards people then referred me to the Ombudman, who then stated that I must state a complaint to each individual counties ombudsman - Red Tape Red tape and no ownership.

Irrigardlous of whether people actually read the signs, it is currently laid down that the signs should be in place - end of. If certain orgainsations do not comply then this has to be addressed other wise everyone will naively think they can change or interpret the statutes?

Agree with Jay here, if forecourts were zoned under DSEAR Area Classificiation our vehicles diesel powered vehicles would need spark arrestors, etc.

However, to add more fuel to the fire (so to speak) - I remember when working for a waste management company we had to fit safety devices such as spark arrestors to our artic-vacuum tankers in order to meet the safety requirements to work in a petro-chem refinery in central scotland. The risks were obviously greater than those on a forecourt though - some tanker work in localised areas of the site was high risk areas where fuel and other process vapour was or could be present at explosive levels.