Flammable, explosive and fire-reactive products at KTH
Flammable, explosive and fire-reactive products are handled at KTH, primarily as part of educational and research activities. Flammable substances also occur in other contexts, one example being disinfectants used in all of KTH’s activities, for health and infection prevention purposes.
What requires a permit is essentially determined by the Swedish Act on Flammable and Explosive Products. There are also regulations issued by the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB). Other governing rules are, for example, the Swedish Work Environment Act (AML) with its regulations, the Swedish Environmental Code and the CLP Regulation. It is the quantity of products that determines whether the operation requires a permit, but even if there is no permit requirement, flammable products must be handled in accordance with the rules.
The product’s labelling or the accompanying safety data sheet state which products are covered by the rules. The person responsible for operations or the person who has been delegated is responsible for clarifying whether a product being brought into the operation is flammable and requires a permit, and where appropriate for taking measures to ensure that handling and storage comply with the rules.
The person handling flammable products must observe precautionary requirements in the form of measures aimed at preventing and limiting accidents and harm to life, health, the environment or property caused by fire or explosion, as well as preventing unauthorised procedures with the products. For KTH, this means that there must be sufficient personnel and financial resources, as well as fire safety and technical construction conditions.
KTH carries out operations that require a permit through KTH’s framework permit, but also through schools with their own permits. The permit requirement encompasses not only precautionary requirements, but also requirements for risk assessment and competence. This means that before an operation does anything with flammable products, the risks of accidents and damage in the operation as a consequence of fire and explosion must be investigated and documented. The competence requirement means that there must be sufficient knowledge of the requirements of legislation, the properties of the flammable products and the risks that their handling may give rise to. There is also a need to be aware of the potential consequences of a fire or explosion caused by the handling of the flammable products.
KTH must have a central support function that provides guidance for the schools and their activities that require a permit in their handling of flammable products. This central support function consists of the VS safety function at KTH. The safety function collaborates with internal and external supervisory visits and reports to the supervisory authority, and in general provides administrative support in the handling of flammable products.