How To Ensure Your Hazardous Area Electrics Are Safe

How To Ensure Your Hazardous Area Electrics Are Safe

Tuesday 20 September

Hazardous areas are present in various businesses with important operations requiring or creating hazardous substances. The risks surrounding electrics in these areas cannot be ignored and workplaces have an obligation to keep their employees safe and their site compliant.

There are several essential points to address and apply to any hazardous area, this includes:

Knowing your workplace

A workplace must identify the risk of a fire or explosion occurring in an area where gas, vapour, mist or dust are present. This zone classification and any relevant temperature classifications then influence the measures that need to be taken and the electrical equipment used in this area. There are numerous control measures which pertain to earthing, lighting, vehicles and more. These measures are outlined in The Control of Major Accident Hazards guidance, however a qualified professional will also be able to advise on any issues.

One of the leading causes of accidents in hazardous areas is improper training and knowledge. This can be easily prevented by keeping employees informed by providing up-to-date information, risk assessments and training surrounding your hazardous area and the electrics within it.  

Guaranteeing regular inspections

Regular inspections are highly beneficial and carry the following advantages: 

• The ability to identify any potential danger
• Compliance with the relevant requirements
• Health and safety assurance from a professional

Hazardous area electrical inspections are essential in providing your business with peace of mind and should never be skipped. They should be carried out in intervals, not exceeding 3 years to allow the inspector to identify any immediate rectification work that needs to be carried out.

Having a maintenance plan in place

Maintenance is a measure that keeps your site running as smoothly and efficiently as possible. Whether it is general, proactive or reactive maintenance, these steps go a long way in reducing any electrical breakdowns. Breakdowns can cause a hazard to your workplace and cause costly downtime.

By sticking to a regular maintenance plan a business can save costs in the long run. Here at SR Electrical Services, we specialise in Planned Preventative Maintenance services that are bespoke to your specific hazardous areas and orchestrated to increase the lifespan of your electrical equipment. Read more about our services here.

Keeping installations up to date

Any electrics that are old, damaged or unsafe for that particular hazardous area needs to be addressed and dealt with accordingly. If a discrepancy has been identified through an electrical inspection, then an installation by an accredited electrical contractor must be carried out immediately. It is also important that the contractors carrying out these works are specialists and qualified to work in hazardous areas.

We have years of experience in helping businesses with hazardous area installations and all of our engineers are CompEx certified. Our knowledge also spans across a variety of installations including lighting, earthing, alarms, emergency lighting and more.

Get assurance from the experts

Where hazardous areas are concerned it is always important to get extra assurance and advice from experts, which is why we provide quality electrical services that keep your business compliant and safe. For any queries or questions do not hesitate to get in touch with us, here.