Unpacking the new British Standard 60080 for Auditors, Local Authorities (Inspectors / Fire Authorities) and responsible person (company and managers).

The Management of Health & Safety at Work Regulations 1999 requires that any gas detector location design be undertaken by a competent person with sufficient training and experience or knowledge. These are the legal obligations of the ‘Responsible Person.’ 

The recent publication of BS60080 provides some guidance on to the challenging activity of designing flame & gas detection systems by deciding the quantity and location of the field detection. In many cases the Responsible Person (the person who is in control of the facility) will not have the training, skills or experience to design or review the Gas Detection Locations as required by HSE. 

So, the question remains, how can an external inspector or fire safety auditor review the safety at a site and determine that the responsible person (company and managers) have done all that is reasonably practicable to protect any operatives at risk? In the UK the legislation is clear. On the 1st February 2016 the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) in the UK released new guidelines regarding sentencing for Health & Safety breaches responding to; ‘concern that previous fines for serious and fatal corporate health and safety offences were too low in relation to the harm caused.’  Included in the guidelines rated as ‘High’ culpability it states; ‘failing to put in place measures that are recognised standards in the industry.’ The Sentencing guidelines define culpability as high when the ‘Offender fell far short of the appropriate standard; for example, by: failing to put in place measures that are recognised standards in the industry’ 

As part of the committee that drafted BS60080, the author will unpack the practical application of the standard and how to demonstrate compliance to enforcement authorities and support the Responsible Person. In detail the paper will cover:

• Hazardous Area Safety System Cycle 
• Risk Assessment
• Gas and Flame Detection Mapping
• System Design & Specification
• System Installation & Service
• Periodic Reviews.

Randall Williams

Randall Williams (BSc, GIFireE) has been working in the fire safety industry since 1988 as a Fire Alarm Engineer and Fire Risk Assessor.  Randall was a member of the BSI Committee which drafted BS 60080 and he leads the Fire & Gas Team at Proeon Systems Limited in Norwich, (UK).

Randall is an experienced Fire Risk Assessor specialising in Industrial Fire and Gas Risk Management.   He is a Graduate of the Institute of Fire Engineers (GIFireE) in 2013 and graduated with BSc Fire Protection Management & Technology from California State University, Los Angeles, California in 1986.