Who Can Carry Out A DSEAR Risk Assessment? A Guide To Choosing A Competent Assessor
If your business stores, handles, or uses dangerous substances, you may need a DSEAR risk assessment to identify and control risks from fire, explosion, and other dangerous events. But who can carry out a DSEAR risk assessment, and does the person completing it need specific qualifications?
DSEAR doesn’t require a particular job title or certificate. The assessment must be carried out by someone with sufficient knowledge, experience, and understanding of the dangerous substances, processes, and associated risks involved.
For straightforward workplaces, this may be a competent person within the business. More complex sites, particularly those involving flammable propellants, bulk fuel storage, or potentially explosive atmospheres, may require external specialist knowledge.
Who can carry out a DSEAR risk assessment?
A DSEAR risk assessment should be carried out by someone who can understand the dangerous substances present, how they are stored or used, the associated risks, and the measures required to control them.
No single statutory qualification automatically makes someone competent to carry out every type of DSEAR assessment. Competency depends on the work's nature and complexity.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) expects employers and self-employed people to ensure risks from dangerous substances are properly assessed and controlled. The level of assessment should be proportionate to the risks involved.
What makes someone competent to carry out a DSEAR assessment?
DSEAR risk assessment competency isn’t just about ticking boxes or completing a training course. A competent person needs enough knowledge and experience to understand the substances, activities, and associated risks in the workplace. Depending on the assessment, this may include knowledge of:
the properties and hazards of dangerous substances
storage, transfer, processing and use
leaks, releases, and ignition sources
ventilation and explosive atmospheres
hazardous area classification
suitable equipment and protective systems
control measures and emergency arrangements
relevant DSEAR regulations and standards
They should also understand how these factors interact in real operating conditions, including foreseeable failures and adverse conditions.
Can an employee carry out a DSEAR risk assessment?
Yes, where they have the necessary competence. A suitably trained and experienced employee may be able to carry out an assessment for a straightforward workplace.
However, being responsible for general health and safety doesn’t automatically make someone competent to assess DSEAR risks.
Specialist issues such as hazardous area classification, potentially explosive atmospheres regulations, ignition sources, and explosion protection may require additional knowledge. As such, businesses should consider the individual's actual knowledge and experience against the site's risk profile.
When should you use a DSEAR assessor or consultant?
An external DSEAR assessor or DSEAR consultant can provide specialist knowledge where the risks are too complex to assess confidently in-house. This may be appropriate for sites involving:
large quantities of flammable liquids or gases
bulk fuel storage and dispensing
LPG or other flammable gases
manufacturing processes involving flammable substances
combustible dusts or flammable wastes
hazardous area classification
potentially explosive atmospheres
complex process plant
specialist explosion protection or protective systems
multiple dangerous or incompatible substances
What should a competent DSEAR assessor consider?
A suitable DSEAR assessment should look beyond identifying dangerous substances. The assessor should consider how substances move through the workplace, from delivery and storage through to handling, use, and disposal. This can include:
substances present and their quantities
storage arrangements and containers
transfer methods
potential leaks and releases
ventilation and areas where a dangerous atmosphere could collect
ignition sources
equipment and plant
temperature or control settings
employees and others who could be exposed
existing control measures
emergency plans
potential consequences of fire or explosion
Where explosive atmospheres are present, hazardous area classification may also be required. This helps identify areas where flammable atmospheres could form and determine appropriate equipment and controls.
Who is responsible for DSEAR compliance?
Using an external DSEAR consultant doesn’t transfer the employer's legal responsibilities. Duty holders are still responsible for making sure dangerous substances are properly assessed and that appropriate measures are in place to protect workers and others who could be affected to ensure compliance.
The assessment is only useful if you act on the assessment findings through appropriate control measures. If you employ five or more employees, you must record the significant findings of the risk assessment. The amount of information recorded should be proportionate to the risks present.
Choosing the right DSEAR assessor for your business
Choosing a DSEAR assessor is about more than finding someone who offers DSEAR assessments. The assessor needs to understand the specific substances, processes, equipment, and working conditions at your site, as well as how these factors could create or increase the risk of fire, explosion, or other dangerous events.
The right level of expertise will depend on your business and its risk profile. A relatively straightforward workplace may be assessed by a suitably competent person within the business, while sites involving bulk fuel storage, flammable gases, hazardous substances, or complex process plant may require a specialist DSEAR assessor with relevant technical and industry experience.
Before appointing an assessor, businesses should look for relevant experience with:
the dangerous substances used at your site
your industry or process
fuel storage, if applicable
hazardous area classification
explosive atmospheres
the equipment and processes being assessed
relevant control and mitigation measures
Ask about their qualifications, training, and practical experience, and whether they have assessed comparable sites. The assessment should reflect the actual activities and conditions at the workplace rather than being based on a generic template.
DSEAR assessments for fuel storage systems
Fuel storage is an area where specialist knowledge can be particularly valuable. Petrol, diesel, LPG, and other flammable substances can create fire and explosion risks if released and exposed to an ignition source. A fuel storage DSEAR assessment may consider:
above-ground fuel tanks and bunds
fill points and vents
pumps, pipework and dispensing equipment
delivery and refuelling activities
electrical equipment and other ignition sources
ventilation
hazardous area classification
emergency shutdown and spill response
A fuel storage compliance expert doesn’t necessarily replace a specialist DSEAR assessor, but practical knowledge of fuel tanks and associated equipment can help identify real-world risks and assess proposed control measures.
How often should a DSEAR assessment be reviewed?
Review a DSEAR assessment when it’s no longer valid or when significant changes could affect the risks. This may include introducing new substances, increasing storage quantities, installing new equipment, changing processes or ventilation, introducing new ignition sources, or following a leak, fire, explosion, or near miss.
Why choosing the right DSEAR assessor matters
The quality of a DSEAR assessment depends heavily on the competence and experience of the person carrying it out. The important question isn’t whether someone can carry out a DSEAR assessment, but whether they can understand your specific risks and recommend effective control measures.
For straightforward workplaces, a competent person within the business may be appropriate. For complex installations involving flammable substances, fuel storage, or potentially explosive atmospheres, specialist external support may be more appropriate.
Why choose The Petrol Tank Company?
At The Petrol Tank Company, we specialise in fuel storage compliance for commercial operators across the UK. Our experience with above-ground fuel storage gives us practical insight into tanks, pipework, filling, dispensing, and containment arrangements that can contribute to DSEAR risk.
For businesses storing petrol, diesel, or other fuels, we can provide practical support around DSEAR assessments, helping identify risks within the fuel storage system and areas where additional control measures may be needed.
Our approach focuses on the actual storage installation and how it is used, rather than treating DSEAR as a paperwork exercise. We help businesses understand and manage the fire, explosion and environmental risks associated with fuel storage.
Frequently Asked Questions
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DSEAR doesn’t specify one universal qualification for everyone carrying out an assessment. The person must have sufficient knowledge, experience, and competence for the particular risks involved.
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Potentially. A suitably competent employee or self-employed person may carry out an assessment if they have the necessary knowledge and experience. More complex sites may require external specialist support.
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A DSEAR assessor is a competent person who assesses risks associated with dangerous substances and explosive atmospheres, and identifies suitable control measures. Their experience should match the workplace's complexity and risk profile.
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Not every fuel storage site will require the same level of specialist assessment. However, significant quantities of petrol, diesel, LPG, or other flammable substances may involve hazardous area classification and other technical considerations.
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As a legal requirement, the business must take appropriate action to eliminate or reduce risks so far as is reasonably practicable. Measures may include preventing releases, improving ventilation, controlling ignition sources, using appropriate equipment, and strengthening emergency arrangements.
