What are ATEX areas?
ATEX generally refers to the hazard of explosive atmospheres occurring in the workplace due to the presence of flammable gasses or combustible dust mixed in air, which can give rise to the risk of explosion.
What are the 3 main criteria that define a hazardous area?
A Hazardous Area is defined by three main criteria, these being:
- The type of hazard (groups)
- The auto-ignition temperature of the hazardous material (temperature or âTâ rating)
- The likelihood of the hazard being present in flammable concentrations (zones)
What is non hazardous area?
A non hazardous area is an area in which an explosive atmosphere is not expected to be present.
What are hazardous areas and non hazardous areas?
These are a very low risk of causing an explosion and are more likely to cause a fire. Non Hazardous areas in a factory or chemical plant are those areas where it’s absolutely certain that the gases or vapors are “diluted” to a level below their flammability limit. Hazardous locations are broken into three classes.
What does ATEX rating mean?
If a product / piece of equipment has official ATEX certification, it has been fully tested and approved to be safe to use in hazardous / explosive atmospheres.
Which area classification zone is the most hazardous?
Zone 0 is an area in which an explosive atmosphere is present continuously for long periods of time or will frequently occur. Zone 1 is an area in which an explosive atmosphere is likely to occur occasionally in normal operation.
What is the ATEX directive?
ATEX is an abbreviation for “ATmosphere EXplosible”. and is the name commonly given to the two European Directives used to control hazardous areas explosive atmospheres. But when most people are talking about the Atex directive they generally mean the equipment directive.
What is ATEX 99/92/EC directive?
Regarding ATEX 99/92/EC directive, the requirement is that Employers must classify areas where hazardous explosive atmospheres may occur into zones.
What is an Atex risk assessment?
As the first step, the ATEX directive calls for a risk assessment to be conducted by the operator or a commissioned external party. In recognizing the hazardous area it is relevant to differentiate between areas subject to gas explosions caused by solvents or other process vapors.
What is the mark for ATEX certification?
Mark for ATEX certified electrical equipment for explosive atmospheres. Organisations in the EU must follow 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):