courses

Comprehensive Explosion Science

Location Rugby, UK

Date 17th September 2025

Duration 2 days

Topic Process safety

CPD Hours 14

Price IChemE Member £1,500 + VAT, non-member £1,800 + VAT

Overview

Understand the phenomenon and consequences of explosions.

Are you responsible for industrial premises that fall under the DSEAR or ATEX regulations? Do you design new process plants or maintain existing ones? Do you work in hazardous areas?

This course will give you a detailed understanding of the phenomenon of explosions including their consequences, the prevention techniques available, and the regulatory requirements for a safe and compliant working environment.

Topics covered include gas and dust explosion theory, DSEAR and ATEX regulations, ignition theory, hazardous area classification, risk assessment and protection concepts.

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course delegates will understand:

  • explosion science; conditions causing and consequences resulting from explosions
  • the requirements of UK and EU regulations relating to health and safety in potentially explosive atmospheres
  • hazardous area classification and explosion risk assessment techniques
  • material explosibility properties and test methods
  • the role of CFD in explosion consequence analysis
  • how to control potential ignition sources
  • explosion protection and isolation concepts and design
  • the requirements of UK and EU regulations for equipment for use in potentially explosive atmospheres and for explosion protection equipment (the ATEX directive)
  • the lessons learnt from past incidents, statistics and why we study previous accidents.

Who will benefit?

  • Those who are responsible for industrial premises that fall under the DSEAR(UK) / ATEX(EU) regulations
  • Engineers who are responsible for designing new process plants and maintaining existing installations
  • OEMs who are required to design equipment and process according to the ATEX directive
  • Employees working in hazardous areas

Course outline

  • Gas, vapour and dust explosions
  • Explosion effects and consequences
  • The role of consequence modelling
  • DSEAR / ATEX user directive (ATEX 1999/92/EC)
  • Material testing
  • Hazardous area classification for gas, vapour and dust
  • Potential and effective ignition sources
  • Examples of industrial explosions
  • Explosion prevention and protection measures
  • ATEX equipment directive 2014/34/EU
  • Requirements for electrical  and mechanical equipment
  • Requirements for protective systems
  • Explosion risk assessment methodology

Upcoming courses

Online 

No scheduled dates.

Face-to-face 

  • 2–3 April 2025, Rugby, UK
  • 17–18 September 2025, Rugby, UK

Not available then?

Register your interest in alternative dates.

Fees

  • IChemE member – £1,500 + VAT 
  • Non-member – £1,800 + VAT 

How to register

Select your preferred course from the list of upcoming start dates and go to the 'Book course' button at the bottom of the page.

More than one person to train?

Multi-place discounts

Discounts are available to companies booking more than one place. Bookings must be made at the same time to receive the discount.

  • 2 places – 10% discount
  • 3 places –15% discount
  • 4 or more places – 20% discount

In-company training

This course can be delivered to corporate teams, either on-site or online. This could be a cost-effective option if you have several people requiring the training. Content can be tailored to your specific requirements. Request a quotation.

Attendance certificate & CPD hours

An e-certificate will be issued at the end of the course to confirm attendance and CPD hours logged. Please note that you must attend all modules to receive the certificate.

CPD hours should be used as an approximate guide and will vary depending on the preferred approach of the delegate and to what extent additional learning is completed.

Contact Phone +44 (0)1788 534496

Contact Email courses@icheme.org

Book course
Karina Almeida

Trainer

Karina Almeida

UK Energy Transition Lead / Business Development Manager, Gexcon UK

Karina has 20 years professional experience in the energy industry, the last 10 years in process safety. She holds a PhD in Chemistry which has enabled her to apply knowledge to the development of energy-efficient processes including the extraction of second-generation biofuels from marine algae. Her current role encompasses not only hydrogen safety, but also CCS, ammonia, biofuels and other technologies related to alternative energy. 

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