Hazardous areas and atex awareness agent 20190510t14. Sgs baseefa technical manager ron sinclair mbe, chairman of bsi committee exl31, cenelec tc31 and the iecex service facility certification committee, looks at the work of international standards committee sc31m which is relevant to manufacturers of non electrical equipment and which will affect both atex and iecex certification. Advisory note this document provides a simplified overview of the background to hazardous area classifications and is believed to be. Electricity in potentially explosive locations faqs. Explosive atmospheres are work areas that contain flammable gases, mists or vapours or by combustible dusts. Electrical installations and regulations 1st edition. Electrical installations and regulations focuses on the regulations that apply to electrical installations and the reasons for them. Read on for more details about atex certification and its relevance in the united states. Explosive atmospheres classification of hazardous areas. Promotes safe work with electricity and electrical systems. Niceic provides assessment and certification services for contractors working across the building services sectors.
The nec is a federal regulation program that sets electrical safety standards for all residential, commercial, and industrial buildings. It is based on the newly adopted international iec79 series of standards that are now harmonizing and replacing older national standards. Iecex, along with most other international regulatory regimes e. Practical electrical equipment and installations in hazardous. Hazardous areas hazardous area zones guide explanation. Atex and dsear are not electrical regulations, they detail the expectations on running a facility with potentially explosive atmospheres. Products are categorised according to the level of hazard that exists in the zone they will be used. The atex workplace directive 199992ec deals with the minimum requirements for improving the level of health and safety protection of workers potentially at risk from explosive atmospheres. Sgs baseefa ltd, rockhead business park, staden lane, buxton sk17 9rz. Practical hazardous areas engineering institute of. Directive 949ec atex 95 or the atex equipment directive. The atex training course teaches the dangers of working in hazardous areas or explosive atmospheres and how various protection methods are used to avoid ignition of gases or dusts, as well as the requirements of the atex directive and dsear regulations. Specifically, directive 949ec of the european commission, which provides the technical requirements to be applied to equipment intended for use in potentially explosive atmospheres.
Intertek guide to explosive atmosheres and hazardous locations 5 protection concepts atex and iecex type of protection symbol typical iec epl typical zones iec standard basic concept of protection electrical equipment for gases, vapours and mists g optical radiation op pr op sh op is gb ga ga 1,2 0,1,2 0,1,2 iec 6007928 iec 6007928 iec 6007928. Atmospheres certification regulations 1990 in respect of electrical equipment for which a certificate of conformity to the harmonised standards. The directive is commonly referred to as the atex directive. From 1 november 2007, part 8 of the general application regulations 2007 retransposes the atex directive. Atex and iecex certification of nonelectrical equipment. Manufacturers must fulfill the directive requirements in their instrument design and mark the products with the relevant approval. The dangerous substances and explosive atmospheres regulations 2002 dsear and eu directive atex 7 place a legal responsibility for all employers to protect its workforce against explosive environments in the workplace. Atex and electrical apparatus health and safety authority. Electrical considerations for hazardous area atex inspections. The national electrical code nec is published by the national fire protection agency nfpa. It is a set of european union regulations that applies to products intended for use in any hazardous or explosive environment.
Jan 29, 2020 electrical performance in addition to atex compliant features, the tps62840 in the dgr package has an ultralow quiescent current i q of 60na, and can prolong the battery lifetime of devices that rely on it for power management by increasing efficiency at light loads. Zones with flammable gases are zone 0, 1 or 2 and zones with combustible dusts are zone 20, 21 or 22 hazardous areas. Guide to atex safety regulations engine starting, fuel. Atex is an abbreviation for the atex directive and is short for atmospheres explosibles. Buy practical electrical equipment and installations in hazardous areas practical professional books from elsevier by geoffrey. If you are commissioning an electrical works in your premises, then you should check and specify that the installation is being carried out in accordance with the up to date wiring regulations.
Books free updates contact hse guidance topics fire and explosion. Chapter 8 safety standards for electrical installations. Atex certification and equivalent united states designations. The aim of directive 949ec is to allow the free trade of atex equipment and protective systems within the eu by removing the need for separate testing and documentation for each member state. The iec standards require that engineering staff and their management are trained. The directive defines the essential health and safety requirements and conformity assessment procedures, to be applied before products are placed on the eu market. Practical electrical equipment and installations in.
Electrical types of protection for explosive atmospheres due to. We assess electricians, renewable energy installers, plumbers and gas and heating engineers. The definition of zone 2 is a hazardous area classified as an atmosphere where a mixture of air and flammable substances in the form of gas, vapour or mist is not likely to occur in normal operation, but if it does occur, will persist for a short period only. Since this date, the article 9 of the directive 7 specifies how old and new work equipment and work places must comply. Atex regulations frequently asked questions health and. Our highly trained and experienced workforce provide full hazardous area atex inspection and testing, installation and maintenance services for workplaces that may contain or have activities that produce, explosive or potentially explosive atmospheres which can be caused by flammable gases, mists or vapours or by combustible dusts. Legal requirements the legal requirements coming from the atex. Guide to dsear and atex electronic and electrical components.
Risk assessment, control and compliance springer series in reliability. Abbreviation from the french atmospheres explosible. The distribution board itself and final outlets are with areas that are not atex rated, however to get to final outlets the cables need to pass through this atex space. Ipu supplies engine starting equipment under directive 949ec, otherwise know as atex 95 and the atex equipment directive. Checks are to be recorded in the building log book. The dangerous substances and explosive atmospheres regulations, 2002 dsear states the legal requirements for managing the risk of fire, explosion or similar events arising from. These specialist testers and equipment must be made with the utmost care and attention, with clearly marked atex certification that tells users exactly where the equipment is applicable. Ex01ex04 compex inspection and installation exveritas. It is a strict set of regulations that applies to products intended for use in any hazardous working environments.
Requirements for equipment certifications going into hazardous areas can be extremely complex. It explains in detail what atex is and what you, as either an employer, enduser or manufacturer must do to comply. Atex generally refers to the hazard of explosive atmospheres occurring in the. In addition, the regulations set out a revised structure for certification and testing of installations, which should be adhered to. Usa, canada or australia, do not permit any selfcertification. Nfpa delivers free online access to all nfpa standards to enhance public safety and to serve the publics increasing interest in technical information. In electrical engineering, hazardous locations sometimes abbreviated to hazloc, pronounced hazlok are defined as places where fire or explosion hazards may exist due to flammable gases, flammable liquidproduced vapors, combustible liquidproduced vapors, combustible dusts, or ignitable fibersflyings present in the air in quantities sufficient to produce explosive. What are the regulations on this i just cant find any. The first directive 9992ec aka atex 7 or the atex workplace directive focuses on minimum requirements for improving the health and safety protection of workers potentially at risk from any explosive atmospheres.
It is an acronym from the french atmosphere explosible, and can refer to two different european union directives, depending on context the fourth and fifth atex directives. Under atex 201434eu to approach for mechanical non electrical equipment varies from the conformity assessment route for electrical equipment. The majority of non electrical equipment is covered by selfdeclaration of conformity by the equipment manufacturer see below conformity assessment routes. At progen, we understand that you may not have the complete understanding or inhouse expertise to ensure hazardous area electrical inspection compliance with dsear dangerous substances and explosive atmospheres regulations 2002 and the atex directives. Chapter 8 safety standards for electrical installations and. Study the control and instrumentation engineering standards, electrical standards, electronics standards used in industries. One of the aspects that is still a large topic of discussion is non electrical compliance. Atex is a uniquely european union directive for protection against explosive atmospheres. Our highly trained and experienced workforce provide full hazardous area atex inspection and testing, installation and maintenance services for workplaces that may contain or have activities that produce, explosive or potentially explosive atmospheres which can be caused by flammable gases, mists or vapours or by combustible. From the basic requirement for storage of technical files, to technical support in preparation of the technical file and full unitverification certification on a voluntary basis.
Directive 201434eu of the european parliament and of the council of 26 february 2014 on the harmonisation of the laws of the member states relating to equipment and protective systems intended for use in potentially explosive atmospheres recast. Whilst most are concerned with ensuring completion of their hazardous area atex inspections and demonstrating compliance with the dsear regulations, atex 7 directive and bs en 6007917 standard, they tend to ignore or forget electrical testing which should be equally considered to the atex inspections bs 7671part 6 in conjunction with bs en. Electrical equipment atex atex electrical equipment. Its not harmonized with nfpa combustible dust standards and not considered by osha an acceptable certification for electrical equipment used in hazardous locations. Sgs baseefa technical manager ron sinclair mbe, chairman of bsi committee exl31, cenelec tc31 and the iecex service facility certification committee, looks at the work of international standards committee sc31m which is relevant to manufacturers of non electrical equipment and which will affect both atex. Atex covers a broad array of safety equipment and instrumentation including gas detectors. Global reference guide on the marking of electrical. For ipu, atex applies to the engine starting systems we. Some of the standards we test to include those of cenelec, cen, iec, ansi, ul, csa, mil specs and fm. Examples are chemical processing, spraying of paint and varnishes. Information on the iee 17th edition wiring regulations, the uks most recent wiring regulation update, which came into force in 2008. Electrical considerations for atex inspections electrical. Technical documents the effect of repairrewinding on motor efficiency. The information contained in this handbook is for general information purposes only.
Read on for more details about atex certification and its relevance in the united. Guide on the implementation of eu product rules, available in all the eu. Equipment for potentially explosive atmospheres atex. The atex directive 201434eu covers equipment and protective systems intended for use in potentially explosive atmospheres. Let us now look at a breakdown of atex regulations. The name atex is short for atmospheres explosibles. Atex is the name commonly given to the legal requirements for controlling explosive atmospheres and the suitability of equipment and protective systems used in them.
This book provides the reader with an understanding of the hazards involved in using electrical equipment in potentially explosive atmospheres. Topics covered range from electrical science to alternating and direct current supplies, as well as equipment for providing protection against excess current. Regulations and guidelines there are many manufacturers that make specialist equipment suitably for use in explosive environments. As of july 1, 2017 tewnety states have adopted the 2017 nec code regulations, and more states are in the process of adopting and implementing. The national electrical code has made some changes that may affect any installations made after september, 1 2017. The regulations apply to all equipment intended for use in explosive atmospheres, whether electrical or mechanical, and also to protective systems. These exemptions are listed in regulation 3 of dsear. Hazardex new standards for nonelectrical equipment.
The book explains the associated terminology and its correct use from area classification through to the selection of explosionprotected electrical apparatus, describing how protection is achieved and maintained in line with these international requirements. Whilst many companies are concerned with ensuring completion of their hazardous area atex inspections and demonstrating compliance with the dsear regulations, atex 7 directive and bs en 6007917 standard, they tend to overlook the fact that electrical testing should be equally important to atex inspections bs 7671part 6 in conjunction with bs en 6007914 section 4. Ii all other explosive areas all except mining 2 can be used in zones 1 or 21 area in which under normal operation a potentially explosive atmosphere can occasionally form. Harmonised standards currently there are about 30 standards issued by cenelec for electrical equipment originally en 50014 series now mainly en 60079 series most are identical to related iec 60079 some en only standards remain where iec has not yet published an equivalent, e. Control and instrumentation standards instrumentation tools. Jsp 482 mod explosives regulations may 2016 chap 8 page 1 chapter 8. The regulations apply at most workplaces where flammable substances are stored or used, for example, factories where flammable liquids are present or where flammable dusts are produced in the process. Do i need to use atex graded cable and because of this would the distribution board need upgrading to an atex rated one. Since launching our first atexapproved starter it has become clear that atex regulations are not always fully understood by the industries they are meant to protect. Atmospheres regulations 1996 that implements the european atex directive. It is a set of european union regulations that are designed to ensure the safety of products being used in explosive environments.
This directive complements the responsibilities of manufacturers under directive 201434eu by setting out. Hid atex certified tags 12 hid glass tags and in tags are atex certified ii 2g ex ia iia t5 gb see certificates our atex marking means. An explosive atmosphere is a mixture with air, under atmospheric conditions, of flammable substances in the form of gases, vapours, mists or dusts in which, after ignition has occurred, combustion spreads to the entire unburned mixture. In europe, under the atex directives that came into force in member states on 1st july 2003, all ignitioncapable equipment electrical and non electrical that is sold into or used on plants requires assessment and certification to harmonised standards if used in a hazardous area. Manufacturerssuppliers or importers, if the manufacturers are outside the eu must ensure that their products meet essential health and safety requirements and undergo appropriate conformity. Atex certification dsear assessment consultant dsear risk. Atex and explosive atmospheres fire and explosion hse.
Nfpa 70e, standard for electrical safety in the workplace. The atex directive is one of the most commonly recognised hazardous area certifications and is widely adopted by members of the euopean union eu in order to facilitate free trade within the eu by aligning technical and legal. The atex regulations apply wherever an explosive atmosphere may occur. The regulations apply to all equipment intended for use in explosive atmospheres, whether electrical or mechanical, including protective systems. Atex standards are a critical part of ipus commitment to safety on oil and gas.
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