How do you define work in an explosive atmosphere? It is an environment where there is a mixture of potentially harmful substances in the air, either in the form of vapour, gas, dust or mist. If ignited, burning can spread throughout the unburned air, causing an explosion.

A large number of workplace activities can result in potentially explosive atmospheres. It could be a place where activities make gas or flammable vapours, such as a garage or vehicle paint spraying factory or handling organics, such as flour or wood.

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Potential explosives occur when mist or vapours mixes with air. The amount of the substance needed to make this risk depends on the type of substance involved. These conditions can be found in food processing plants, pharmaceutical plants, power plants and chemical industry. Some industries may not traditionally be regarded as potentially explosive, such as sawmill for example. However, if a large amount of dust is left to accumulate, this then creates the risk of becoming potentially explosive. Such an environment must ensure that the monitoring and air quality is of the highest standard. For industries that require local exhaust ventilation components, such as a Spiral Duct, Find spiral ducts here

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It is important to recognize the danger by doing a risk assessment. Factors that should be considered in the risk assessment include:

The nature of the substance involved

The quantity of hazardous substances involved

The types of work processes to be carried out, such as cleaning, maintenance or repair

The pressure and temperature that the substance will be stored in