European Master and Certification Program
in Risk Engineering and Management

IIIB
HSSE - Basic II

Course code: 161321 (MOD)
Language of instruction: English
Duration of the course: 10 days (90h)
Lecturers: Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil Ulrich Krause (Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Faculty of Process and Systems Engineering, Institute of Apparatus and Environmental Engineering), Cornelius van Wingerden (Gexcon AS)
Assessment: Written Exam Transfer Paper [optional topic for Project Study Paper]
Credit points: 5 CPs

Short description



The module starts with the theory of fire and extinguishing, and thoroughly explains fire protection principles. Further, the course gives details related to the fire protection concepts including legal background and requirements with special focus on industrial fires and risk analysis. The course introduces basic principles and application of fire modeling, explains the phenomenon of a fire and gives an overview of the fire models and their hierarchy and discusses particular models, including numerical. The theoretical part is complemented with number of examples, including calculations, that illustrate the use of different fire models.
The EU directive ATEX is presented in details, along with the principles of explosion prevention and protection. Its practical application in the industrial plants is explained on a series of real life examples.

Objectives



Knowledge: This module aims to extend the knowledge about fire protection in industry based on the regulation and practice in EU, as well as to provide basic knowledge on fire modeling.The module aims at increasing the knowledge in the field of explosion protection and modeling, especially gas and vapor explosion, as well as gas dispersion modeling, using examples for applied methods EU directive ATEX is presented in details, along with the principles of explosion prevention and protection adopted in this directive. Its practical application in the industrial plants is explained on a series of real life examples.

Skills & Competences: In the end of the course a student will posses the following skills and competences:

  • define explosion characteristics and standardized methods to determine them
  • apply basic principles of explosion prevention and protection
  • apply details about ATEX directive requirements and application

Course Content by Units


I FIRE:

Unit 1: Fire Protection in Industry (Fundamentals)
    Unit 2: Fire protection and prevention
      Unit 3: Fire protection concepts and application
        Unit 4: Industrial fires
          Unit 5: Fire modeling

            II. EXPLOSION

            Unit1: ATEX-Directives and explosion characteristics

            Unit 2: Explosion prevention

              Unit 3: Explosion protection
                Unit 4: Modeling of Gas Explosions
                  Unit 5: Modeling of Gas Dispersion
                    Unit 6: Case Studies of Accidents caused by Gas and Dust Explosions

                    Teaching Methods



                    The course includes:

                    • introductory note explaining aim and structure of the course, and used methodology as well
                    • ex cathedra lecturing illustrated by number of examples
                    • one computational example
                    • review of main topics in the end of each lecturing unit
                    • preparation for final exam by repetition of all course units and main issues
                    • final exam


                    Literature



                    1. Textbook:
                      Fire Protection and Modeling
                    2. Transparencies:
                    3. Additional material
                      • ISO-CD_16731_rev - Data needed for fire safety engineering (N_498)
                      • Society of Fire Protection Engineers, Guidelines for Substantiating a Fire Model for a Given Application, Draft for Comments, September, 2009


                    1. Textbook:
                      Explosion Protection and Modeling
                    2. Transparencies:
                    3. Additional material:
                      • Directive 94/9/EC, ATEX directive Equipment and protective systems intended for use in potentially explosive atmospheres
                      • Atex Guidelines, European Commission, Guidelines on the application of Directive 94/9/EC of the European Parliament and the Council of 23 March 1994 on the approximation of the laws of the member states concerning equipment and protective systems intended for use in potentially explosive atmospheres
                      • Gas Explosion Handbook, D. Bjerketverdt, J. R. Bakke, Kess vDirecan Wingerden
                      • Explosion Protection, Manual, Pepperl + Fuchs
                      • Vapor Clouds Dispersion, Methods for the calculation of Physical Effects, VROM, Yellow Book
                    For more information about the European Master and Certification Program in Risk Engineering and Management in general, go the Homepage.
                    For more information about the European Master Program in Risk Engineering and Management in general, go the Master Study page.
                    To see more courses in the curriculum, go to The curriculum page, or by date and topic go to the Calendar of Courses page.
                    Contact: via email sti889@risk-technologies.com or phone +49 711 1839 781 or +49 711 1839 647
                    (Course profile ID: IIIB, generated on November 4, 2025)