ATEX
ATEX
ATEX
ATEX directive
The ATEX directive consists of two EU directives describing what equipment and work environment is allowed in
an environment with an explosive atmosphere. ATEX derives its name from the French title of the 94/9/EC
directive: Appareils destinés à être utilisés en ATmosphères EXplosibles
Directives
As of July 2006, organisations in EU must follow the directives to
protect employees from explosion risk in areas with an explosive
atmosphere.
There are two ATEX directives (one for the manufacturer and one
for the user of the equipment):
• the ATEX 95 equipment directive 94/9/EC, Equipment and
protective systems intended for use in potentially explosive
atmospheres;
• the ATEX 137 workplace directive 99/92/EC, Minimum
requirements for improving the safety and health protection of The CE mark which should be attached to EU certified
workers potentially at risk from explosive atmospheres. equipment
testing and certification by a ‘third-party’ certification body (known as a Notified Body e.g. Baseefa, Sira, Lloyd's,
TUV) but manufacturers/suppliers can ‘self-certify’ Category 3 equipment (technical dossier including drawings,
hazard analysis and users manual in the local language) and Category 2 non-electrical equipment but for Category 2
the technical dossier must be lodged with a notified body. Once certified, the equipment is marked by the ‘CE’
(meaning it complies with ATEX and all other relevant directives) and ‘Ex’ symbol to identify it as approved under
the ATEX directive. The technical dossier must be kept for a period of 10 years.
Certification ensures that the equipment or protective system is fit for its intended purpose and that adequate
information is supplied with it to ensure that it can be used safely. There are four ATEX classification to ensure that
a specific piece of equipment or protective system is appropriate can be safely used in a particular application: 1.
Industrial or Mining Application; 2. Equipment Category; 3. Atmosphere; and 4. Temperature.[3]
Technical definitions
Effective ignition source
Effective ignition source is a term defined in the European ATEX directive as an event which, in combination with
sufficient oxygen and fuel in gas, mist, vapor or dust form, can cause an explosion. Methane, hydrogen or coal dust
are examples of possible fuels.[4]
Effective ignition sources are:
• Lightning strikes.
• Open flames. This varies from a lit cigarette to welding activity.
• Mechanically generated impact sparks. For example, a hammer blow on a rusty steel surface compared to a
hammer blow on a flint stone. The speed and impact angle (between surface and hammer) are important; a 90
degree blow on a surface is relatively harmless.
• Mechanically generated friction sparks. The combination of materials and speed determine the effectiveness of
the ignition source. For example 4.5 m/s steel-steel friction with a force greater than 2 kN is an effective ignition
source. The combination of aluminium and rust is also notoriously dangerous. More than one red hot spark is
often necessary in order to have an effective ignition source.
• Electric sparks. For example a bad electrical connection or a faulty pressure transmitter. The electric energy
content of the spark determines the effectiveness of the ignition source.
• High surface temperature. This can be the result of milling, grinding, rubbing, mechanical friction in a stuffing
box or bearing, or a hot liquid pumped into a vessel. For example the tip of a lathe cutting tool can easily be 600
degrees Celsius (1100 °F); a high pressure steam pipe may be above the autoignition temperature of some fuel/air
mixtures.
• Electrostatic discharge. Static electricity can be generated by air sliding over a wing, or a non-conductive liquid
flowing through a filter screen.
• Radiation.
• Adiabatic compression. Air is pumped into a vessel and the vessel surface heats up.
ATEX directive 3
References
[1] "ATEX Directive" (http:/ / www. csunitec. com/ atex/ index. php?PHPSESSID=0b8f3f3ee1192deca72cbc3d3cadf38a). .
[2] "Zone Definitions" (http:/ / www. csunitec. com/ pdf_files/ nonsparking/ CS Unitec Non-Sparking Zones Poster. pdf). .
[3] http:/ / www. csunitec. com/ atex/ index. php ATEX Directive for Hydraulic and Pneumatic Power Tools
[4] Michelis, J.: „Explosionsschutz im Bergbau unter Tage“, Verlag Glückauf Essen, 1998, ISBN 3-7739-0900-4
External links
• ATEX euronorm (http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/atex/index_en.htm)
• Directive 1999/92/EC (http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.
do?uri=OJ:L:2000:023:0057:0064:EN:PDF)
• ATEX Guidelines (Third edition - June 2009) (http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/atex/guide/
atexguidelines_june2009.pdf)
• How To Choose the Correct Alloy For Your ATEX Application (http://www.csunitec.com/pdf_files/
nonsparking/CS Unitec Non-Sparking Zones Poster.pdf)
Article Sources and Contributors 4
License
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported
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