Safety in the cellar: Assessing the risks

The Health & Safety Executive and the BBPA will soon be issuing guidelines to help licensees take a risk assessment of their cellar. By Phil Mellows.

Some pieces of red tape are better than others. Anything relating to health and safety, for instance, is difficult to object to. Except that it often comes down from on high in such a form that it is not only hard to apply to your business, it's hard to know for sure whether it even applies.

Such a length of red tape is the Confined Spaces Regulations 1997.

The Health & Safety Executive's (HSE) handy leaflet for employers goes on about sewers and ships' holds and flour silos but does not mention pub cellars at all.

Nevertheless, the combination of cellars being, in the main, poorly ventilated, and the presence of CO2 dispense gas that might leak, means that you do, indeed, have to take these regulations into account.

Fortunately a new set of guidelines, agreed with the HSE and soon to be distributed around the industry by the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA), is aimed at helping publicans deal with it all in a straightforward way.

The first step is to carry out a risk assessment. Gas suppliers have been touting this as a professional service for some time, but you may be able to save some money and do it yourself.

There are three levels of risk - low, medium and high - and if your cellar falls within the "low" category a full risk assessment is not required.

The BBPA's guidelines will show you how to do a simple test to determine the level of risk in your cellar.

This broadly involves measuring the space, counting the gas cylinders and applying a simple formula. It only takes a few minutes.

If your cellar comes out as low risk - and the BBPA believes that most pub cellars will - you have done your job.

If, however, it is medium or high you will need to undertake a full risk assessment, the details of which are comprehensively covered by the BBPA leaflet. This has to be performed by a "competent person" so you may have to get professional help at this stage and take measures to reduce the risk.

You should already be making sure you have introduced safe working systems and that staff who have to work in the cellar are properly trained.

Additional measures for higher risk cellars may include:

• storing fewer cylinders in the cellar
• increasing ventilation
• installing a CO2 monitor.

Look out for news on the BBPA's guidelines in coming weeks on thePublican.com.

Take the sensory approach​

One way of reducing asphyxiation risk in the cellar is to install a CO2 sensor. This measures the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere and may trigger an alarm or start a ventilator fan when it climbs above a certain level.

While few pub cellars in Britain have them installed, in Germany and Holland they are mandatory.

In McDonald's restaurants they are standard equipment following an incident in Palm Springs, California, in which 21 people were taken to hospital after a CO2 leak.

Bo Hansson of CellarMasters, the UK distributor of Calectro sensors, believes that although awareness is growing, the pub industry is not as switched on as it might be to the dangers of CO2.

"Since CO2 is a very heavy gas the most critical areas that should be attended to are not only beer cellars but places where, for example, the pub has the toilets in the basement," he said. "In Sweden the Falcon Brewery had a incident in which two guests were overcome by CO2 in the ladies' room and became unconscious. Luckily they survived."

The benefits of sensors also extend beyond basic health and safety, Bo argues. "CO2 sensors today are so sophisticated that they can do more than detect a CO2 leak," he said. "They can monitor beer temperature, tell you how much beer is in the kegs, monitor oxygen and so on."

Sensors are also coming more into the gas safety equation because, says Bo, thanks to technological developments, the more advanced versions have total self-calibration which makes costly service unnecessary.

Two basic kinds of sensor are available. The fixed kind that attaches to the wall of the cellar and hand-held units which are mainly designed to protect staff who may be going into uncertain situations.

Wall-mounted sensors are best for pubs since they are not only cheaper but will also pick up smaller CO2 leaks that may not be dangerous but are costing you money in lost gas.

Some of the portable units, however, have the ability to log changing CO2 levels over time and they can be used to repeatedly check on a cellar and help find the solution to a particular problem.

BOC Sureflow​

BOC Sureflow, one of the biggest gas suppliers to pubs, already produces a range of safety aids for licensees, including an easy to use self-assessment package.

Titled Towards Compliance it helps you complete a preliminary risk assessment and includes:

• a step-by-step guide in plain English
• an asphyxiation risk calculator
• a colour-coded risk indicator
• a dispense gas safety checklist.

The company has also produced the Cellarwise safety training video which explains your legal obligations, gives advice on handling and changing cylinders and tells you and your staff how to spot and deal with CO2 leaks.

Gas safety checklist​

CO2 gas is stored in liquid form at high pressure. Gas cylinders can be dangerous if not handled properly and legally you must display a CO2 safety warning. Always follow the correct procedures.

Handling and storage:​

• store cylinders securely until they are used, ideally wedged horizontally
• when in use, secure cylinders in an upright position with brackets or straps
• follow the cylinder changing and connection instructions exactly
• ensure that the correct high pressure hose, washer and other connecting equipment are used
• when in use and in storage keep full and empty cylinders away from heat
• close valves when not in use and when empty
• handle empty cylinders with care, they can still be dangerous.

The gas:​

CO2 is colourless, odourless and can be lethal. There are three main hazards:

• the manual handling of cylinders
• loss of consciousness or asphyxiation due to the inhalation of fumes (see table below)
• cylinders that have been illicitly filled - there are an estimated 150,000 stolen gas cylinders in circulation in the UK.

The cylinder:​ Answering "no" to any of these questions indicates that the cylinder may be unsafe to use and should not be accepted from the supplier.

• are the cylinder contents clearly identified on the cylinder?
• does the cylinder carry a product safety label?
• does the cylinder have a valve guard fitted?
• is the product traceability label visible?
• is there a current coloured plastic test date ring between the valve and the cylinder?
• have you been supplied with separate product data sheets?
• is the cylinder valve sealed at delivery?
• does the cylinder look in good condition? That is, no excessive rust, no dents, no gouges and not defaced in any way?

Leaks:​

• check cylinders and connections regularly
• look for signs of minor leakage such as moisture or frosting on the cylinder
• if you feel dizzy or short of breath leave the cellar immediately
• use a wall-mounted or hand-held CO2 monitor.