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IECEx Industry Symposium Shanghai IECEx and Europe Integrating IECEx and ATEX

Understand ATEX Directives, Equipment Categories for Hazardous Areas, Harmonised Standards, Certification Process, IECEx vs ATEX, and Advantages in this industry symposium.

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IECEx Industry Symposium Shanghai IECEx and Europe Integrating IECEx and ATEX

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  1. IECEx Industry SymposiumShanghaiIECEx and EuropeIntegrating IECEx and ATEX Ron SinclairManaging Director – Baseefa

  2. Two ATEX Directives • 94/9/EC – concerned with trade of manufactured equipment intended for installation in hazardous areas“The ATEX Product Directive” • 1999/92/EC – concerned with safety of workers and the public in respect of installations in hazardous areas“The ATEX User Directive”

  3. ATEX Directive 94/9/EC • Council Directive 94/9/EC 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 • ATEX = “Atmosphere Explosible” = Potentially Explosive Atmosphere

  4. ATEX Directive 94/9/EC • Applicable throughout European Economic Area (EEA) = EU (25)+ EFTA (3) (+Switzerland) = 29 • Voluntary application since 1996 • Compulsory application since 2003 • It is a “Trading Directive” • Concerns safety only to set minimum levels to prevent concerns on safety being a barrier to trade

  5. ATEX Directive 94/9/EC • Broad Scope • Equipment (Motors, Luminaires, Diesel Engines, Pumps, Fans, Conveyor Belts Instrumentation, etc.) • Protective Systems (Flame Arresters, Suppression Systems, Venting, etc.) • Safety Related Devices (IS Safety Barriers, Motor Protection Relays, etc.)

  6. ATEX Directive 94/9/EC • Defines Categories of Equipment based on risk of becoming an active ignition source • Definitions for mining and surface industries differ slightly • IEC TC31 has adopted the principle and has started to allocate “Equipment Protection Levels” (EPLs) with similar definitions

  7. ATEX Directive 94/9/EC • Category 1 • Very high level of protection • Ex ia, Ex ma, techniques in 60079-26 • Category 2 • High level of protection • Ex d, Ex ib, Ex mb, Ex e, etc. • Category 3 • Normal level of protection • Ex n, Ex ic

  8. ATEX Directive 94/9/EC • Category M1 • Intended to remain energised when an outbreak of gas has been detected • Ex ia, Ex ma • Category M2 • Intended to be de-energised when an outbreak of gas has been detected • Ex d, Ex ib, Ex mb, Ex e, etc.

  9. 94/9/EC plus 1999/92/EC • The two ATEX Directives work together to create safe installations • Allocate Categories of Equipment for use in Zones (unless a specific risk assessment allows different) • Category 1 – Zone 0, Zone 1 or Zone 2 • Category 2 – Zone 1 or Zone 2 • Category 3 – Zone 2

  10. ATEX Directive 94/9/EC • Compliance against “The Essential Health and Safety Requirements” (EHSRs) from Annex II • Standards have a subsidiary role supporting claims of compliance • Harmonised standards are deemed to demonstrate compliance • Use of other standards has to be justified

  11. Harmonised Standards • IEC 60079 series (and other IEC standards) are being adopted as EN 60079 series, etc. • These replace older Cenelec Standards in EN 50014 series • Europe is committed to adoption of IEC standards in Ex Field by “parallel voting”

  12. Harmonised Standards • For list of current harmonised standards see http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/atex/stand.htm • For information on how to deal with changing harmonisation status seehttp://www.baseefa.com/page58.asp

  13. ATEX Directive 94/9/EC • Compliance against EHSRs to be reviewed against “State of the Art” of technological development • Harmonised standards are presumed to show “State of the Art” • Other standards may be even more valid but justification for use must be provided

  14. ATEX – Is it Certification ? • ATEX is a mandatory legal device • Only partly certification • Process depends on Category • The key document, “The Declaration of Conformity” (DoC) is always issued by the manufacturer without any monitoring by a third party • The DoC may, or may not, be reliant on evidence from a third party

  15. IECEx vs ATEX • IECEx is a true Type 5 Certification Scheme for all equipment, giving the identical level of confidence for everything • ATEX only approaches Type 5 level for Category 1 (and M1) Equipment and Protective Systems, giving progressively lower confidence for the lower Categories

  16. IECEx vs ATEX • IECEx • ExTR + QAR >> Certificate of Conformity (issued by IECEx Certification Body and searchable on IECEx web site) • ATEX Category 1 (or Cat. 2 electrical) • EC-Type Examination Certificate + Quality Assurance Notification (or ??) >> Declaration of Conformity (issued by manufacturer on own responsibility)

  17. IECEx vs ATEX • IECEx • ExTR + QAR >> Certificate of Conformity (issued by IECEx Certification Body and searchable on IECEx web site) • ATEX Cat. 2 non-elec. + Cat 3 • Manufacturer constructed Technical File >> Declaration of Conformity (issued by manufacturer on own responsibility)

  18. ATEX Advantages • Flexibility • need not stick to exact wording of standards if alternative justification against EHSRs is contained in Technical File • BUT • Not transparent as the only publicly available document is the Declaration of Conformity • Technical file invisible to purchaser

  19. IECEx Advantages • Transparency >> Confidence • Conformity is exactly against requirements in declared IEC Standards and Certificates are available on web site • BUT • Cannot use useful developments in draft standards until finally published and included in ExCB scope

  20. ATEX Advantages • Notified Bodies are readily appointed by Member States • Plenty of choice for manufacturers • BUT • Some bodies have limited expertise and basis for notification is not clear • Some bodies treat essentials (such as provision of a report) as a chargeable extra

  21. IECEx Advantages • Appointment of ExCBs and ExTLs is by a system of peer assessment • Transparent and leads to mutual confidence • Reporting is obligatory and subject to random peer review • Leads to customer confidence in the scheme and therefore value of certificates • BUT • Prevents those that may be so inclined from cutting corners

  22. The Route for Europe • Target End Point • IECEx Certificates of Conformity fully accepted without further paperwork • Problem • IECEx is about Safety • ATEX is about Trade • European Commission would need to change the whole structure of its approach to trading directives !

  23. The Route for Europe • Interim Solution 1 • IECEx Documentation accepted with an ATEX “Cover Sheet” • All the technical work is done once within the IECEx framework • Possible currently for all 60079 series standards plus some others

  24. Interim Solution 1 • Works best when single body does all the work • ATEX QAN based on IECEx QAR • EC-Type Examination Certificate based on ExTR • N.B. Purpose of IECEx CoC and EC-Type Examination Certificate are different

  25. Interim Solution 2 • Involving two certification bodies • One outside Europe • One inside Europe • Need for additional report to show how the ExTR is accepted for ATEX • Need for QAN based on QAR • Issues of accreditation, notification and public liability insurance for the European Body

  26. Interim Solution 2 • The ATEX Notified Body has to take full legal responsibility and show the necessary paperwork • The Notified Body is responsible to the European Commission via its national government

  27. The Paper Trail • All certification activities require a paper trail • The IECEx Scheme paper trail is prescribed to a major extent within the scheme • The ATEX Directive does not prescribe particular forms of paperwork

  28. The Paper Trail • The IECEx paper trail is satisfactory for ATEX • Most forms of paper trail devised for ATEX would not be acceptable for IECEx • It is not unknown for a European Notified Body to refuse to release the report to its customer !

  29. The Baseefa PhilosophyProduction Control • All work being done for ATEX QANs is being reported in a format acceptable for an IECEx QAR • The customer gets exactly two for the price of one • We do no extra work, so there is no extra charge

  30. The Baseefa PhilosophyDesign Test and Assessment • If our customers are able to use standards acceptable to IECEx, there is no extra charge for the technical work • There are additional sheets of paper to cover ATEX and IECEx, but the cost is minimal for most projects

  31. IECEx plus ATEXThe Benefits • For very little extra cost • Future proofed acceptability throughout the world as the IECEx Scheme grows • Legal acceptability in Europe

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