AIC launches new safety guidelines for feed manufacturers to protect against fires and explosions
AIC have announced the release of their new ‘Control of Fire & Explosion Risks in Animal Feed Manufacturing Plants & Processes’ guide document following work by the AIC Health & Safety Feed Sector Forum.
The report has been written by Stephen Pope, a Chartered Safety Practitioner, former HSE Inspector of Health and Safety, and Member of the Institute of Occupational Safety and Health with 23 years’ experience in the milling and animal feed industries. He was supported with expertise from numerous bodies and organisations, including AB Agri, Carrs-Billington, Thompson Feeds, Mole Valley Farmers and the AIC Health & Safety Feed Sector Forum.
“Catastrophic fires and explosions in the UK feed industry are, fortunately, rare,” says Stephen Pope. “However, they can and do still occur. In the last few years we’ve seen a number of disastrous cases internationally that have resulted in multiple fatalities and severe injuries. Good standards and diligence is the foremost protection we have to ensure that such events do not occur in the UK.”
The document was written to assist the operators and designers of animal feed manufacturing plants and processes in preventing fires and explosions and to comply with legal duties under the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulation 2002 (DSEAR). As a guide, it is suitable for both existing and new plant designs and modifications.
In addition to background and context on how explosions and fires can occur, the report outlines actionable guidelines that plants can incorporate to ensure safety remains paramount and all protections are robust and effective.
“We simply cannot rely on luck or become complacent,” adds Stephen Pope. “Good practice is non-negotiable when it comes to safety. Following these guidelines will prevent disastrous fires and explosions which is absolutely vital for the feed industry.”
ENDS
About AIC
AIC is the UK trade association representing the agricultural supply chain sectors of Animal Feed, Arable Marketing, Crop Protection & Agronomy, Fertiliser and Seed, since its inception in 2003.
In all, AIC represents Members responsible for some £17.8 billion of farm trade. A significant part of its work is political lobbying and influencing, as well as supporting Members with technical information.
AIC Services, which is the professional services arm of AIC manages a range of services, including Assurance Schemes and professional registers recognised by the UK Government as essential tools to underpin feed & food safety alongside fertiliser security.
These schemes and professional registers include:
- Trade Assurance Scheme for Combinable Crops (TASCC)
- Feed Materials Assurance Scheme (FEMAS)
- Universal Feed Assurance Scheme (UFAS)
- European Seed Treatment Assurance (ESTA)
- Fertiliser Industry Assurance Scheme (FIAS)
- Feed Adviser Register (FAR)
- Renewable Energy Directive (RED)
- Forage Assurance Scheme (FAA)
- AIC Services Palm Oil Credit Scheme (APOCS)
Press Contact
Oli Hill, Communications Manager, AIC
+44 (0)1733 385230
[email protected]
