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Balancing Safety & Efficiency: DSEAR Compliance in Whisky Distillation

Balancing Safety & Efficiency: DSEAR Compliance in Whisky Distillation

Sector

Food and drink

Capabilities

Process Safety Management

Service

Consulting

The before

Finch was approached by a leading whiskey distillery based in the Lake District to assess and provide safety management advise around their potential to generate explosive atmospheres. They had previously had a DSEAR assessment completed some time ago and were not confident around their DSEAR risk management.

The during

It is known that Ethanol-rich vapour can be generated in the production of whisky due to the distillation process and have the potential to form potentially explosive atmospheres within and around equipment at mixtures in air between 3.3 & 19%. Hence, accumulation of vapours can occur from leaks around process equipment, during spirit handling, and storage (maturation) operations. Therefore, these areas will be subject to DSEAR risk assessment. A common issue in distilleries is the overly conservative classification of hazardous areas, which can result in unnecessary operational restrictions. In some cases, entire rooms are designated as hazardous zones, requiring all electrical and mechanical equipment—such as switchboards and control panels—to be ATEX-rated.

This approach often leads to excessive costs, as compliant equipment must be relocated or replaced, even when the actual risk does not justify such measures.

Finch adopted a pragmatic, evidence-based approach to determine the true extent of explosive atmosphere risks. Instead of applying blanket hazardous zoning, we conducted a detailed assessment to identify areas the extent of the hazardous areas and determine where ATEX-rated equipment was genuinely required. This method ensured compliance without imposing unnecessary costs or operational disruptions.

The result

By refining the hazardous area classification, Finch enabled the distillery to maintain safe operations while avoiding unnecessary expenditures on ATEX-rated equipment. Our logical and tailored approach ensured that safety and regulatory compliance were met without compromising efficiency, ultimately providing the client with a cost-effective and practical risk management solution.

If you need any help with DSEAR or combustible dusts, please don’t hesitate to contact [email protected]

Associated People

Sohail Khan | Finch Consulting

Sohail Khan

Consultant

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