**5. Fire risk**

In order to reduce the fire risk, the safety checklist suggests several recommendations and actions, which consist of prevention, protection and managerial measures. By reason of space, the checklist only shows the most important points related to fire risk. In order to minimize the fire effects, biogas production plant has to be divided into fire protection sectors [29], for example, the anaerobic digester, the biogas holder and CHP unit. Certain distances must be maintained among these sectors. In particular, during the biogas holder construction, specific safety distances must be ensured (internal and external safety distance and protection distance).

Is the vehicle cab equipped with dedicated ventilation systems? Is the monitoring of the door seals and the filter

Biogas Production Plants: A Methodological Approach for Occupational Health and Safety...

http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.72819

195

Is there a system which reports the accidents and records the episodes of contamination with biological agents (even

Are places with explosion risk classified into zones (0, 1 and 2) according to the probability of occurrence of

Are suitable ventilation rates ensured in indoor places in order to dilute biogas concentration below lower explosive

Are standby fans or an emergency ventilation system installed in indoor workplaces (container of CHP unit)?

Are wind action and stack effect taken into account for dimensioning the openings of indoor workplaces (natural

Are work equipments and protective devices selected on the basis of categories set out in Directive 2014/34/EU?

Is the air flow, injected for biological desulphurization, matched with the current rate of biogas production (max. 6%

Can a biogas release be diverted **or** removed to a safe place or, if that is not practicable, safely contained by other

Are **biogas holders** equipped with positive (hydraulic seal) and negative pressure protection devices? Is the water filling of pressure safety devices daily controlled and is the correct water level maintained?

Are all closed tanks, in which fermentation can occur, provided with pressure safety devices?

Are workers equipped with working clothes which do not generate electrostatic charges?

Are there adequate openings aimed at ensuring a good natural ventilation in indoor workplaces?

Are workers provided with respiratory protective equipment (RPE) during high-exposure activities?

Do workers carry out trainings focused on the right use of individual protection devices?

Is it verified that the defined procedures are actually observed by the workers?

Are workers informed of the significance of health assessments and their outcomes?

Are workers aware of the importance of recording any contamination episodes?

Are hazardous zones (0, 1 and 2) characterized in terms of volume and extent?

Is all process control equipment classified according to European Standards?

maintenance provided?

mild)?

**Explosion risk Prevention measures**

limit?

ventilation)?

volume)?

**Protection measures**

suitable methods?

**Managerial measures**

Are flame arresters installed in biogas pipes?

Are workers under health surveillance?

**Table 3.** 'Safety checklist' extract: biohazard.

potentially explosive atmosphere?

Is persistence time of explosive atmosphere calculated?
