At Hazardex Live 2025, David Rees from TÜV Rheinland Risktec Solutions will be presenting on DSEAR and Hazardous Area Classification (HAC) for hydrogen road vehicles.

Society’s drive to move away from fossil fuels has led to transport service providers seeking ways to future proof their fleet. Whilst electric vehicles are filling the market for private and light vehicles, hydrogen vehicles are leading the way in the decarbonisation of heavy vehicles, including public road transport. This has resulted in a large number of companies and sites being exposed to risks they previously would not have faced with diesel vehicles, and regulations that until now they may not have had contact with. One such statute is the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations (DSEAR).

Implementation of DSEAR and Hazardous Area Classification (HAC) for hydrogen road transportation is not especially different from any other industry.  However, the inherent mobility of a road going vehicle, and hence the hazard, poses a new kind of risk for hydrogen vehicles. Once a vehicle leaves site and enters onto public highways, DSEAR doesn’t strictly apply. But DSEAR is applicable on site, so how can you apply it to a mobile hazard?

This presentation will discuss the application of DSEAR and HAC at a facility not originally intended for hydrogen, considering not just the storage of hydrogen vehicles but also their maintenance, refuelling and cold venting.

About the author:

David Rees is a Principal Engineer at TUV Rheinland Risktec Solutions and has over 17 years’ experience providing safety and risk consultancy for high hazard industries. He leads safety and risk studies including facilitating HAZID, HAZOP, Bowtie and ALARP assessments, and has extensive knowledge of producing safety cases to recognised standards including COMAH and the Offshore Safety Directive. David is also experienced in DSEAR and ATEX compliance and the development of hazardous area classification calculations and drawings for a range of industries within the UK and Europe.