C&P Engineering Services welcomed delegates from across the UK water, industrial and process sectors to its second Hazardous Area Safety Forum, held at Nailcote Hall under the theme “Inspection: The Whole Picture.” The event built on the success of the inaugural forum held earlier in the year, bringing together duty holders, operators, consultants, competency specialists and technical experts to share experiences, lessons learned and practical approaches to hazardous area management.
The forum featured presentations from industry-leading organisations including DEHN UK, Anglian Water, ERM, Tate & Lyle Sugars, XACTX Group, Wessex Water and CompEx Certification Ltd, covering a broad range of topics including hazardous area inspections, DSEAR implementation, process safety, competency development and risk management.
Throughout the day, speakers encouraged open discussion and the sharing of practical experiences, with many of the presentations generating significant debate both during the sessions and throughout the networking breaks. A common theme emerged across the programme: inspection is only one part of the hazardous area journey, with long-term success relying on competence, ownership, leadership and continuous improvement.
Attendees heard from: Sean Passant (DEHN UK), Peter Fearon (Anglian Water), Dr Rhiannon Chalmers-Brown (ERM), Craig Nutty (XACTX Group), Sean Smith (Wessex Water) and Paul Hague (CompEx). Together, the speakers provided a wide range of perspectives on the challenges and opportunities facing organisations operating within hazardous areas. Sean Smith, DSEAR Compliance Manager at Wessex Water, said “One of the biggest challenges facing our industry is ensuring that lessons learned, practical experience and technical knowledge are shared openly. Forums such as this provide a valuable opportunity for operators, consultants, duty holders and specialists to come together, discuss common challenges and learn from one another. The quality of discussion throughout the day demonstrated just how much value there is in that collaborative approach.”
A Platform for Sharing Knowledge
The C&P Hazardous Area Safety Forum was established to provide an engineer-led platform for the industry to discuss real-world challenges in an open and collaborative environment. James Bunyan, Operations Manager at C&P Engineering Services, said “One of the most rewarding aspects of the forum was seeing the level of engagement throughout the day. The presentations sparked genuine discussion, not only amongst delegates but also within our own team. The willingness of speakers and attendees to openly share experiences and lessons learned created exactly the environment we hoped to achieve when we launched the forum.”
Learning Beyond Compliance
A key takeaway from the day was the recognition that effective hazardous area management extends far beyond compliance requirements alone. Discussions focused on translating inspections into action, developing competency, maintaining asset integrity and building sustainable management systems that reduce risk over the long term. Dewi Evans, Operations Manager at C&P Engineering Services, said “What stood out for me was how closely the presentations complemented one another. Although each speaker approached the subject from a different perspective, there was a consistent message throughout the day around ownership, competence and continuous improvement. The discussions generated throughout the forum showed just how much value there is in bringing industry professionals together to openly share experiences and challenge thinking. Our hope is that everyone leaves with at least one new idea, lesson learned or practical action they can take back and apply within their own organisation.”
Looking Ahead
The strong attendance and level of participation reinforced the value of creating opportunities for industry professionals to come together, share experiences and challenge traditional thinking. C&P would like to thank all speakers, delegates and supporting organisations for helping make the event a success and looks forward to continuing the conversation at future forums. As the forum continues to grow, C&P remains committed to providing a practical, engineer-led environment where professionals can openly exchange ideas, discuss emerging challenges and share lessons learned to help improve hazardous area safety across industry.
If you would like to attend the next C&P Hazardous Area Safety Forum, or would like to learn more about future events, please contact:
Brad Wood | brad.wood@cpengineering.co.uk