Feature Hazardous Area Equipment Dust and the new ATEX regulations


Maintenance operatives in all industry sectors now need to make sure that repairs and maintenance meet ATEX regulations. The recently defined ATEX Zone 20 to 22 dust conditions present a new challenge and companies are advised to use suppliers and repairers who correctly certify machines if they are to avoid liability. ERIKS explain


ecause all moving machinery is capable of causing a fire in haz- ardous environments, designers and engineers have invested a great deal of time and energy in trying to minimise the problem. Because there is so much at stake as a consequence of failure, a range of tools and practices have been developed to defend the workforce from such hazards. Routine maintenance procedures have also enabled engineers to minimise the development of faults. Indeed, compo- nents are continually being refined and upgraded to prevent, or offer greater resistance to hazardous environments. To achieve a consistent and efficient management of plant safety, an aware- ness of ATEX approved components is vital and, in many process and manu- facturing applications, this plays a major part in enabling operators and maintenance engineers to ensure that plant is observing all current legislation.


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Hazardous area motors Take the requirements for motors that operate in hazardous areas for example. The ATEX labelling scheme provides an indication of the level of protection offered and the zones in which a motor is suitable for use. However, the judge- ment as to whether a repaired motor remains ATEX compliant is more com- plex and may require help from a spe- cialist. To maintain safety, operators must be sure that a repaired motor is as safe as a new one, so it is important to enlist the help of a partner that offers an accredited repair service.


ERIKS was one of the first companies to have a motor repair workshop approved to undertake ATEX repairs. It is able to repair motors and also sell a range of new units designed and certified for use in hazardous locations, so it is able to


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offer an unbiased service. Even in traditional ATEX industries there have been some challenges, such as providing sensors that are able to per- form reliably in the presence of the high pressures found within applications such as wellhead automation, gas distrib- ution and gas compressors. In these applications, safety is critical and com- ponent failure could result in a serious accident. These conditions present com- plications to engineers in ensuring safety but also in carrying out installation and replacement of components. However, solutions have been found and engineers in these applications are now well used to conformity. It is important that mainte- nance operatives in a much wider sec- tion of industry are now also able to ensure that repairs and maintenance meet the latest ATEX dust regulations.


A new challenge The recently defined ATEX Zone 20 to 22 dust conditions present a new chal- lenge and companies are advised to use suppliers and repairers who correctly certify machines if they are to avoid lia- bility. Everyone is already aware that devastating explosions and fires can be caused by explosive gases and vapours, but not so many perhaps are aware that fires caused by dust can be equally as destructive, and this is reflected by the new legislation.


The regulations have been influenced by the fact that there have been several large explosions investigated in recent years - in areas such as crop storage, food processing, coal processing and plastics - that have been attributed to dust, either atmospheric or settled. So, with both these dust conditions covered by the reg- ulations, and with the dangerous sub- stances and explosive atmospheres regulations (DSEAR) 2002 also requiring


Above: the newly defined ATEX zones will affect many new operations, so if you are in any doubt about your responsibilities, conformity or the best way to achieve it, you should talk to a supplier who understands your industry, the


legislation and the machinery to which it applies


employers to control the risks from fire and explosions, it is time for engineers to be sure that they understand what con- stitutes a risk to safety and consider care- fully how to address it.


Although the issue affects a huge range of products, it is relatively simple to achieve compliance. Key to achieving conformity is to consult a supplier with expertise in a range of parts and compo- nents such as motors, belt drives and couplings - all of which are included in the regulations. Any party with respon- sibility for certification of supplied equipment, including product manufac- turers, can be held legally responsible for accidents due to non-conformity with the new directives. The newly defined zones will affect many new operations, so if you are in any doubt about your responsibilities, conformity or the best way to achieve it, you should talk to a supplier who understands your industry, the legislation and the machinery to which it applies.


Conclusion


For most industrial and manufacturing companies safety has become an estab- lished part of business processes. It has moved beyond an assessment of risk to comply with and exceed the require- ments of legislation. The growth of this more responsible culture will make it easier for most firms to adjust. Indeed, many companies are already recognising that by getting in line with legislation as early as possible. They can both comply with legislation and improve their pro- ductivity and profitability, while also presenting an impressive set of creden- tials to their customers.


ERIKS www.eriks.co.uk T: 0121 508 6219


Enter 209 OCTOBER 2013 Electrical Engineering


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