Food & drink
Food & drink DSEAR risk assessment expertise
We have provided DSEAR risk assessments for a wide range of food and drink businesses, including bakeries, breweries, distilleries, ingredient manufacturers, chilled food producers and large-scale food processing sites across the UK.
These environments often involve combustible powders, flammable liquids, gases and refrigerated systems, with risks arising during handling, storage, transfer and production. Our work focuses on identifying where hazardous atmospheres may form, confirming hazardous area classifications and providing practical actions to support safe, compliant operations.
Ellers Farm Distillery
The challengeEllers Farm Distillery Ltd commissioned a full DSEAR Risk Assessment and Compliance Review for its distillery operations in Stamford Bridge, North Yorkshire. The assessment focused on the production, storage and handling of high-strength alcohols, …
Burn Stewart Distillers
The challengeBurn Stewart Distillers Limited is a leading producer of Scotch whisky brands for the global market and operates in several different locations. Their headquarters is based at the East Kilbride site in Scotland where …
R&R Ice Cream
The challengeR & R Ice Cream Limited is a leading producer of frozen confectionery products for the European market and operates in several different locations. Their headquarters is based at the Leeming Bar site in …
Jamie Oliver Restaurant Group
The challengeJamie Oliver restaurants required an independent review of the plans for the pasta making facilities at the new restaurant planned to open at Gatwick Airport in June 2012. The key objective of this visit …
Memory Lane Cakes
The challengeMemory Lane Cakes Ltd. is part of the Finsbury Food Group plc and operates from purpose-designed premises in Cardiff. This facility has been established for a number of years and incorporates large-scale bakery, warehouse …
Moy Park
The challengeMoy Park Ltd, Grantham plant has been food processing since 1982 . Hazardous activities in the process areas were based around the application of dry product; heating, cooking and cooling processes. Other areas with …
Warburtons
The challengeAt the request of management a DSEAR survey at the Warburton site, Enfield was completed. The site has various processes but this DSEAR assessment was focussed upon a newly installed crumpet making process; being …
Lightbody of Hamilton
The challengeLightbody Celebration Cakes are part of the Finsbury Foods Group and manufacture an extensive range of products at their site in Hamilton, Scotland. An independent survey of operations associated with this site was undertaken …
Ashbury Chocolate
The challengeAshbury Chocolates had a visit from the HSE who wanted to see an up to date DSEAR assessment for the sugar silo at the site in Corby. The business had previously had an assessment …
Victoria Foods
The challengeAware of the need for a DSEAR risk assessment due to the large volumes of dust being released into the environment when handling dry powders during several stages of the manufacturing process; Victoria Foods …
Bernard Matthews
The challengeA visit was made to Bernard Matthews Limited at Halesworth in June 2015 to consider compliance in respect of the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002 (DSEAR). This was identified as a gap …
Our Vodka
The challengeA visit was made to the Our/Vodka site in Hackney, London in June 2015 to consider compliance in respect of the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002 (DSEAR). The ‘Our/Vodka’ brand covers cities …
Santa Maria World
The challengeA visit was made to Santa Maria World UK Limited premises at Milton Keynes, in June 2015 to consider compliance in respect of the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002 (DSEAR). This was …
Euphorium Bakery
The challengeA visit was made to Euphorium Bakery Limited premises at Weybridge, in August 2015 to consider compliance in respect of the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002 (DSEAR). Site management had been made …
Arnaouti Pitta Bakery
The challengeA visit was made to the Arnaouti Pitta Bakery site at Hoddesdon, in October 2015 to consider compliance with the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002 (DSEAR). The site’s core business is making …
Warburtons – Wednesbury
The challengeA visit was made to the Warburton’s Bakery site at Wednesbury, on 3rd March 2016 to consider compliance with the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002 (DSEAR). The site’s core business is making …
Bright Blue Foods
The challengeAn assessment of the Shadsworth & Blackburn sites of Bright Blue foods (BBF) was carried out in compliance with the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations (DSEAR) 2002 in December 2015. DSEAR compliance is …
Symingtons
The challengeSymingtons Ltd. contacted Mesh after a visit from the regulator to one of their production sites in relation to gas-fired plant safety.Accordingly, visits were quickly arranged for three of their facilities: Consett, Low Moor …
Cerealto
The challengeA visit was made to the Worksop premises of Cerealto on Wednesday March 15th 2017 to review compliance in respect of the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002 (DSEAR). These regulations implement an …
Fiddes Payne
The challengeFiddes Payne, based in Banbury, produce a range of specialist ingredients and as a result handle significant quantities of combustible food powders. In 2016 they required assistance with DSEAR compliance, and MESH were engaged …
Kerry Foods
The challengeKerry Foods is located at Burton on Trent. The site makes a range of foodstuffs entailing the receipt, storage and handling of flammable ingredients. The assessment undertaken was confined to the DSEAR risks associated …
JDE
The challengeProcess Link of Shipston on Stour required DSEAR assistance in 2018 with the Hazardous Area Classification and specification of equipment for new powder handling equipment for their client JDE in Banbury. Engaging with both …
Cardium Products
The challengeCardium Products were constructing a new facility near Wakefield to produce their Freaks of Nature range of premium chilled desserts, and required assistance with DSEAR as part of their planning for safe operation from …
British Bakels
The challengeA visit was made to British Bakels site in Bicester in December 2017 to review existing safety arrangements under DSEAR. The site produces dry ingredients for the bakery industry and as such handles considerable …
ADM Agriculture Ltd
The challengeAn independent survey of ADM’s grain and pulses process plant at Long Sutton was undertaken in November 2018 at the request of the site HSE Manager. This was to ensure legislative requirements were being …
Camden Town Brewery
The challengeCamden Town Brewery, now part of InBev, is a market leading craft beer maker producing beers for the global market and operates a new brewery located in Edmonton North London. An independent DSEAR survey …
Cranswick Country Foods
The challengeA visit was made to Cranswick Country Foods in Ballymena to consider compliance in respect of the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002 (DSEAR). This was identified as a gap in the operational …
Adnams
The challengeA visit was made to the Adnams Southwold brewery, at Southwold, Suffolk, in 2020 to consider compliance with the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002 (DSEAR), incorporating Amendment 1: June 2015. At the …
S&A Produce
The challengeA visit was made to S&A Produce’s Brierley Court site, at Herefordshire, in 2020 to consider compliance with the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002 (DSEAR), incorporating Amendment 1: June 2015. At the …
DSEAR risk assessments for food manufacturing, bakeries, breweries and distilleries
Food and drink production environments can present a broad range of DSEAR risks depending on the ingredients, equipment and processes involved.
Typical risk areas include:
- Flour, sugar and powder handling systems
- Silos, batching bins and conveying equipment
- Dust collection and extraction systems
- Gas-fired ovens, burners and heating systems
- Breweries, distilleries and ethanol handling areas
- Refrigeration plant rooms using ammonia
- Bulk ingredient storage, transfer and mixing operations
- Battery charging, workshops and associated utilities
Combustible dust is one of the most common DSEAR hazards in this sector. Materials such as flour, sugar and other fine food powders can form explosive atmospheres when dispersed in air, particularly during intake, transfer, mixing, sieving and cleaning operations. Dust accumulation can also increase the consequences of a primary ignition event.
At the same time, many food and drink sites also handle flammable liquids and vapours, such as ethanol in distilling or flavourings and cleaning materials in production areas. Some facilities also rely on flammable gases or ammonia-based refrigeration systems, each of which brings a different risk profile and control requirement.
Our DSEAR assessments review how these hazards arise in real operating conditions, how effective existing controls are, and where improvements are needed. This includes ventilation, extraction, housekeeping, ignition source control, equipment suitability, procedural controls and hazardous area classification. Where required, clear zoning drawings and prioritised action plans are provided to support compliance and safe ongoing production.
Frequently asked questions
In many cases, yes. Where combustible powders, flammable liquids, gases or vapours are present and could create fire or explosion risk, DSEAR is likely to apply.
The main risks often come from flour, sugar and other fine powders that can form explosive dust clouds, along with flammable liquids, gases, ethanol handling and some refrigeration systems.
Yes. In bulk form they may appear harmless, but when fine dust becomes airborne in sufficient concentration, it can ignite and cause fire or explosion under the right conditions.
It usually includes review of ingredient handling, storage, transfer, extraction, ventilation, ignition controls, hazardous area classification and recommendations for technical and organisational improvements.