What is ATEX?

The ATEX is wide range of European Directives about EXplosive ATmosphere.
These european directives do a broad range of demands targeting the protection in fields of safety and health of workers subjected to be exposed to the risks of explosive atmospheres.

Two directives can be make out:

for users 1999/92 CE

for manufacturers 94/9/CE

When was ATEX effective?

All devices used after the 30th June 2003 must be up to the ATEX directives. All facilities putted in operation before the 30th June 2003 had to match the minimum safety instruction defined by the Directiv 1999/92/CE, before the 30th June 2006.

Why ATEX?

The ATEX directives have been passed by the EU in order to ease the free trade and to bring into lines the technical and legal demands linked to explosive atmospheres working conditions. It implies that manufacturers strictly comply with the latest european norms for building and certification means.
All devices intended to work in explosive atmosphere have to show an ATEX marking to be accepted in all members states of EU.
The financials and penals effects, in case of accidents causing injuries and/or deaths due to breach of trust of ATEX directives are such that they explain the efforts for complying with it, and to secure all safety guarranties.

What are the users' duties?

The 1999/92/EC directive lays down users to respect the minimum safety rules, as described in the directives and which have to be carried out in the daily exploitation of facilities submitted to explosive risks.

It notably compels the Facility Responsible to:

establish a Document Relative to the Protection against Explosions

to assess the risks

to describe the risky areas

to proceed to the areas' rating

to carry out an adapted descriptive signs

to proceed to the valuation of electrical and non-electrical devices

The users/integrators have to check the origin and the conformity of purchased devices. In case of accident, they could be sued for negligence.

What are the manufacturers duties?

The 94/9/EC directive defines the demands which each device category has to match and specifies the conformity assesments processes.
This directive is to be implemented to all electrical devices, as well to all mechanical, pneumatic and hydraulic devices.

The customer/final user has to convey all crucial information regarding the device working condition to the manufacturer so that the latter can insert these requirements in the device design:

device type

application

customer's specifications

zone/area, explosive group, category, class

maximum surface temperature

Who is concerned by ATEX?

All industries where an explosion may arrise:

chemical industry

Gaz

dusts (storage)

pharmaceutical industry

petrochemical industry

grain elevators and silos

Twofold assurance for our customers:

aactuators from the range VRX and VSX are certified for a riskless use in explosive atmosphere,

manufacturing process insuring a time-long continuity of this conformity.