Need to know?
Each issue, we answers a selection of members’ most frequently asked questions, providing expert guidance and tips. Here, Giuliano Digilio of the ECA covers electrical and electronic work in petrol stations and other hazardous area premises
Do I need any training to work in safe areas in petrol fi lling stations? Although you are working in a safe area, you will generally need to pass through, mount access
equipment or have trailing leads, and so on, in the hazardous area. In order to comply with the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, you will need to demonstrate that you have at least had awareness training for working in and around hazardous areas. Such training is available from APEA (see
www.apea.org ). Contractors sometimes overlook the fact that their access scaffolding and trailing leads are in a hazardous area when working on petrol fi lling station canopies.
When inspecting a hazardous area, must the installation comply with the latest version of BS
EN 60079? About the author
Giuliano Digilio Giuliano Digilio is the head of ECA Technical Services. He has extensive experience in the electrical and electronic engineering building services industry, and sits on numerous technical committees for the ECA in the UK and Europe.
No. Generally, the rule of thumb is that the installation must comply with the standards that were in place at the time of installation, unless changes have been made for safety reasons or legislative reasons.
What equipment should I install in a premises – I think that it may be a hazardous area? Prior to commencing any work in an existing or new premises, you must ask your client for their risk
assessments. Despite the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations, Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations (HSWR) and Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations (DSEAR), many clients fail to provide contractors with the information required in order to select and install the correct equipment for a location. If you think that there is any chance of anything creating a hazard of any kind, including fi re or explosion, always raise the matter with your client.
Can I write a risk assessment for a client who has a hazardous area in their premises – they had no
idea that they had a problem and know nothing about hazardous areas. Our recommendation is no. Under Management of HSWR, it is the requirement of the owner/operator
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ECA Today January 2012
SHUTTERSTOCK/ ARTHUR EUGENE PRESTON
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