Egan Safety Solutions,
Unit 14, Lee Park,
Sitecast Industrial Estate,
Pouladuff, Cork.
Tel: +353 21 4966560
Fax: +353 21 496 6576
Email us
Engineering Consultancy
Certain aspects of Health and Safety Management requires detailed knowledge of engineering standards.
Specialist Services:
Machinery Directive Compliance
Machinery Directive Compliance
The Machinery directive is a piece of legislation which was initially introduced to harmonise
the essential health and safety requirements for a machine which is to be placed on the marked
within the European Community. This piece of legislation has been revised and the changes
made during this revision are effective as of the 31st December 2009. The Machinery Directive
places responsibilities on manufacturers, suppliers and end users of machinery. The duties
placed upon end users or employers are quite extensive.
These duties require employers to examine all aspects concerning workspace including:
- How equipment is selected and determined to be the correct equipment for use
- How risks which may be introduced through the ongoing use of the machine are minimised
- How employers provide adequate instruction and training to their employees regarding the use and ongoing maintenance of machinery
- How employees interact with the machinery
- How the machine complies with all applicable European technical standards
In order to comply with the above regulation employers must have a structured approach to
assessing all of the issues, which surround the supply, and use of machinery.
Egan Safety Solutions offers its clients its expertise in developing this structure. We achieve
this through working with a client’s representative and doing the following:
- Auditing the workplace and identifying machinery and work equipment which is present and which is required to comply with the directive
- Examining any existing procurement policies, and modifying these to ensure that the safety of machinery is considered prior to procurement
- Examining the training requirements as set out by the manufacturers of machinery which is currently in use within the workplace, and identifying any areas where further training is required
- Examining the current risk assessments which are in place, and ensuring that ergonomic risk assessments concerning the use of machinery have been completed as necessary
- Examining the systems which are in place concerning the ongoing inspection and maintenance of machinery
- Identifying any additional sources of information which should be made available to employees, and bringing this to the attention of our clients
- Developing a procedure or policy document to incorporate any changes along with existing control measures to ensure that measures necessary for compliance with the machinery directive are being complied with within the company
Should you require any further information or wish to make an enquiry regarding the above,
please do not hesitate to contact us using our contact form.
Fire Safety Compliance
Fire Safety Compliance
Current Fire Safety Legislation place specific duties on building occupiers with regard to
managing the ever-present hazard that is fire. This combined with each employers statutory
obligations under various elements of legislation to undertake their activities in a safe manner
means that every employer must be in a position to demonstrate clearly how fire safety is
being managed within their company.
Employers who fail to do this may find themselves subject to the issuing of a fire safety notice,
which will oblige them to carry out changes to the building prior to continuing with their
activities. Complying with such a notice will normally entail additional finance might have been avoided through proper planning and safety management.
Fire Safety Management steps
In order to assist our clients in complying with their responsibilities, Egan Safety Solutions
offers its expertise in doing the following,
- Carrying out fire safety risk assessments
- Achieving certification of new or recently modified buildings
- Assessing existing safety measures such as fire detection and suppression systems and making recommendations for any necessary improvements
- Developing and carrying out fire safety audits
- Developing a fire safety management policy, to ensure that fire safety is actively managed and that all necessary checks and tasks are scheduled, completed and tracked. Such a policy would also set out the management of extraordinary events such as hot work during construction activities.
Should you require any further information or wish to make an enquiry regarding the above,
please do not hesitate to contact us using our contact form.
Pressure Equipment Directive Compliance
Pressure Equipment Directive Compliance (PED)
The European pressure equipment directive, was initially implemented in Ireland in
2002 and subsequently amended in 2012. This directive covers the safety of pressure vessels and assemblies. Vessels, which are
affected by the directive, are those, which are designed to have an operating pressure of greater
than 0.5Bar. Typical vessels, which fall into this category, include air handling units, boilers,
air receivers and auto-claves.
The vast majority of the obligations under the pressure equipment directive are placed on those
who are manufacturing such equipment. However, it is an employer’s responsibility to do the
following at a minimum:
- Be aware of equipment within their organisation which is required to comply with the PED
- Ensure that when selecting or procuring equipment for use within their organisation that it complies with the PED
- Ensure that where they modify equipment within their workspace, that the equipment continues to comply with the PED
- Ensure that statutory inspection of pressurised equipment and systems is carried out as required by the regulations
In order to comply with the above regulation employers must have a structured approach to assessing all of the issues, which surround the supply, and use of such machinery.
Egan Safety Solutions offers its clients its expertise in developing this structure,
We achieve this through working with a client’s representative and doing the following,
- Auditing the workplace and identifying any vessels, which are present and which are required to comply with the directive
- Examining any existing procurement policies and ensuring that these specify the necessary standards which the vessel must adhere to when supplied by the vendor
- Ensure that any subsequent modification of the equipment has been re-evaluated to ensure that it continues to comply with the PED
- Examining the current inspection and maintenance regime for the equipment and ensuring that this is in compliance with requirements as set out by regulations or the manufacturers of such equipment
- A full report of the work carried out above will be developed and any necessary improvements will be outlined and classified in accordance with their importance
Should you require any further information, or wish to make an enquiry regarding the above, please use
our contact form.
Seveso Directive Compliance
SHWW (Control of Major Accident Hazards involving Dangerous Substances) Regulations
2006 (Seveso) Compliance
The purpose of the Seveso regulations is to outline what companies must do in relation to the
storage and use of dangerous substances or mixtures to ensure that they do not pose a threat to
employees and the public at large. There are many criteria included in the legislation, which
distinguish these “major” accidents from what might be considered accidents that are more
normal. Such criteria include:
- Accidents which arise because of normal operations involving dangerous substances and where the uncontrolled event (being, Fire, Explosion or Emission) is likely to cause either danger or injury to the Health and Safety of persons within or near the facility
- The regulations also stipulate that if the event is likely cause environmental damage that it then meets the criteria of a major accident
- The regulations do not cover normal planned emissions, which may occur during the normal operation of a facility
So seriously are accidents of this type regarded that the HSA on becoming aware of such major
accidents must report these to the relevant section of the European Commission.
In order to comply with these regulations the managers of such facilities are required to develop a
Safety Report and a Major Accident Prevention Policy document. Egan Safety Solutions offers its
clients its expertise in developing this report. The normal schedule of events undertaken is
described below:
- A competent consultant will visit your site and meet with your representative
- We will assist you in carrying out an audit of your site and identifying all existing major accident hazards
- In conjunction with you we will classify these hazards taking into account the likely casualties or environmental effect
- We will examine the existing control measures which are in place and make recommendations regarding the provision of additional control measures where necessary
- We will assist you in compiling the appropriate documentation as is required by legislation
Should you require any further information or wish to make an enquiry regarding the above,
please do not hesitate to contact us using our contact form.
ATEX Directive Compliance
ATEX Directive Compliance
The ATEX directive was introduced in 1992. The intent of this legislation is to limit the
potential for explosions occurring within the workplace. Such explosions are likely to
occur where explosive atmospheres are routinely or inadvertently created due to the use
of flammable substances at an employers premises.
The ATEX directive places significant responsibilities on employers. In particular
employers must:
1. Determine whether there is a potential for explosive atmospheres to be created within their organisation.
2. Prevent the formation of explosive atmospheres where practicable.
3. Eliminate all potential sources of ignition which may be created by work practices or work equipment.
4. Put in place emergency systems to control any explosions should they occur.
5. Provide training to employees whom may have to work within EX rated zones
Egan Safety Solutions assists its clients in meeting the requirements of the ATEX
directive by helping our clients to do the following:
- Developing risk assessments of activities involving flammable substances
- Developing the explosion protection document and classification zones for the employers premises
- Advising our clients as to any technical or organisational measures which may be utilised by them to minimise the risk posed by explosions
- Advising clients as to the appropriate types of plant or equipment to be used within EX zones
- Developing and delivering appropriate training for employees working within EX zones
Should you have any queries regarding any of the above please don’t hesitate to contact
us or to use our contact form.
Process Safety/HAZOP Consultancy
HAZOP
A Hazard and Operability study or HAZOP is a written design risk assessment used to identify
and resolve potential hazards and operability problems in new and existing process plants.
Legislative Requirements:
Section 19 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005, requires every employer to
identify hazards at the place of work, access the risks and document the risk assessment
process.
Regulation 11 of the Construction Regulations 2013, calls for the co-ordination of design risk
assessments across the various disciplines and one such methodology cited for the process
industries is the HAZOP.
Under regulation 28 of the General Application Regulations 2007, Part 2 ‘ Use of work
Equipment’, the employer has a duty to minimise risks where it is not possible to eliminate
the source of the hazards. The HAZOP process can be used to minimise risks through the
detection of dangerous situations and the subsequent design of controls, provision of safe
systems of work and the specification of protective equipment.
ESS Methodology:
ESS offers clients expertise in organising, conducting, chairing, and reporting HAZOPs in
compliance with best practise techniques as recommended by the Institute of Chemical
Engineers.*
ESS has developed an inhouse software notation system for the taking of minutes otherwise
known as scribing. The soft copy scribing system allows minutes and action items to be
issued within 24 hours of a HAZOP session.
ESS can also offer a ‘Chairperson only’ service for client’s who have their own HAZOP
system methodology and require an independent third party Team Leader.
* Tyler, B. Crawley, F. & Preston M. (2008). Hazop, Guide to Best Practise. 2nd Ed. IChemE
ESS Consultants:
Pat Kennedy BE FIChemE CEng CMIOSH MIEI
Pat has 20 years experience in the Chemical Manufacturing Industry with
such companies as Jacobs, PM, Roche, Pfizer. Lecturing in Chemical
Engineering in CIT. Pat has extensive experience on chairing Hazops in
chemical electronic, Waste water utility systems.
Peter Costelloe BE MSc MIEI AMIOSH
Before joining ESS in 2007, Peter worked for 15years in process and project
engineering roles in the pharmaceutical industry with Pfizer, Schering Plough,
Novartis, Kvaerner and Fluor. Peter has acted as HAZOP chairman on a wide
range of processes including chemical, biochemical process, waste water and
utility systems.
