The Hidden Danger Lurking in the Cellar
The Confined Spaces Regulations came into force on 28th January 1998. They require a ‘suitable and sufficient’ assessment to be made of the foreseeable safety hazards for a range of ‘specified risks’.
A major risk for licensees is in the cellar, where the accidental release of dispense gas into the atmosphere could cause loss of consciousness or asphyxiation to anyone working in the area.
Is completing a risk assessment a legal requirement?
Yes. The Confined Spaces Regulations 1997 together with the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations require that a ‘confined space’ be suitably and sufficiently assessed for all specified risks that constitute a potential safety hazard to persons entering or working in the area.
What are a licensee’s duties under the legislation?
• Identify and assess specified risks
• Devise an action plan to reduce such risks
• Create a safe system of work for all those who work in or have reason to enter the confined space
• Train all personnel who might enter the confined space
• Record risk assessment findings and actions and review at regular intervals
• Devise a contingency plan in the event of an incident
Failure to comply could result in the Environmental Health Officer applying a prohibition notice on the outlet, prosecution of the licensee and also any insurance policy may be invalidated.
Who carries out the risk assessment?
A competent person should carry out the assessment and it should be documented. Health and Safety Executive (HSE) guidance on competency states this is ‘someone with sufficient experience of, and familiarity with, the relevant processes, plant and equipment so that they understand the risks involved and can devise necessary precautions to meet the requirements of the Confined Spaces Regulations’. This could be a licensee or appointed expert, for example, a BOC Sureserve expert on dispense gas safety.
Know how to spot a gas leak
You can check whether a gas cylinder or gas equipment is leaking by applying an ammonia free leak detector solution to any cylinder connections. Any frothing or bubbling indicates that gas is leaking. Frost or condensation on a cylinder or where the ‘o’ ring on the cylinder connecting hose is missing or damaged can also indicate a leak, as can loss of pressure on the regulator gauge when the gas is turned off. If you suspect a leak has occurred report this to a manager immediately, if safe to do so ventilate the cellar and make sure someone knows you’re going into the cellar and how long you are likely to take.
Train your staff in gas safety
To ensure staff are aware and fully trained in safety with dispense gases BOC Sureserve has produced Cellawise – a gas safety DVD detailing health and safety regulations, changing and handling of gas cylinders, how to recognise and avoid safety risks – including gas leaks.
Safety with dispense gases is a priority for BOC Sureserve. Every day our account managers and team of technical experts throughout the UK are working with customers to ensure that they and their staff are fully aware and trained in the safe storage and handling of CO 2 and other dispense gases.
For further information or advice, please contact:-
The Route Organisation
2 Winmarleigh Street, Warrington
Cheshire WA1 1NB
Tel: 0870 112 6623
Fax: 0870 112 6624
E-Mail info@routeorg.co.uk
Who will be monitoring compliance with the Confined Spaces Regulations?
Environmental Health Officers are responsible for checking that cellars are safe working environments and that all reasonable measures have been taken to comply with the requirements of health and safety legislation.
How do I assess the risk level of my cellar?
• Identify the volume of your cellar by measuring the length, width and height. Multiplying each of these measures gives you the cellar volume.
• From this figure, subtract the cubic space taken up by equipment in the cellar – for example beer kegs or refrigeration units. This will give you your ‘free air space’.
• Find the volume of the largest gas cylinder used. This information will be on the cylinder label or safety data sheets or can be downloaded free from www.bocsureserve.co.uk
• Divide the volume of gas in the cylinder by the free air space then multiply by 100. BOC classes results greater than 1.5% as ‘high-risk’.
With BOC Sureserve’s Cellar Gas Management Service a full Confined Spaces Risk Assessment is carried out free of charge. If licensees are confident of doing the assessment themselves, BOC Sureserve have a self-assessment pack for just £13.70. A full cellar assessment for confined spaces conducted by a BOC Sureserve expert will cost £136.35.
What else can I do to ensure my cellar is safe?
Fit a CO 2 monitor
Where the cellar risk is high, as many cellars in the UK are, BOC Sureserve recommends that a Cellaguard CO 2 monitor with repeater alarm is fitted. The Cellaguard monitor gives a visible and audible warning of high CO 2 levels in the cellar. The repeater alarm is fitted outside the cellar so that anyone about to enter can quickly and safely check CO 2 level.
