ATEX & hazardous areas
n many workplaces, gases, dusts or vapours can be found in the air, and if these materials ignite, an explosion could cause damage and injury. Industrial activities, for example vehicle paint spraying, chemical manufacturing, grain flour processing and filling stations are just some of the working environments where explosions could potentially happen. Specific certification of equipment used in such environments is designed to minimise or prevent the potential risk of explosion. Therefore, if your production processes involve flammable liquids, gases, vapours or combustible dusts, or you provide equipment that’s used in such places, you may require expert guidance or product/system certification. CE or UKCA (UK Conformity Mark) marked equipment is safe when operated within a normal environment. However, due to the use of flammable gases, vapours or combustible dusts, some modern industrial environments pose an increased risk of fire and explosion, so equipment must meet the enhanced requirements of applicable regulations and standards. Within the EU, compliance with the ATEX Directive (2014/34/EU) is required, external to the EU, the IECEx Equipment Certification Scheme applies but is very dependent on the site requirements. For example, CCC is now required for China, HazLoc for North America and InMetro for the Brazilian market. In the UK the ATEX Directive has been replaced by the Equipment and Protective Systems Intended for use in Potentially Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2016 UKSI 2016:1107 (as amended by USI 2019:696) - hereafter referred to as “the UKCA Ex Regulation”). For the foreseeable future, the requirements of the UK Regulation will remain the same as those of the EU’s ATEX Directive. The UKCA Ex Regulation and other certification schemes govern how equipment and workplaces in explosive environments must be managed. Although similar in scope and intent, they have different requirements and assessment approaches, complicating the regulatory approval process.
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By Darren Hugheston- Roberts, head of Machinery Safety at TÜV SÜD
IGNITION SOURCES Increasingly, equipment is being used in potentially hazardous environments to automate or control certain production processes, but the normal operation of equipment often involves actions or reactions that are a potential ignition source, such as:
Electric sparks – A poor quality component or electrical connection can fail, inadvertently producing an electric spark that can ignite gases or nearby materials.
High operating temperature – Depending upon the particular hazardous atmosphere present, hot surfaces of equipment could cause an auto-ignition. Process system heating effects by ‘work done’ i.e. pumping systems, must also be considered as these can elevate the ‘product’ above its flashpoint.
EXPLOSIVE ENVIRONMENT SAFETY
20 June 2023 Instrumentation Monthly
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