ATEX Certification and IEC Requirements

Hi Srini,

Originally, ATEX used the EN standards as their basis for classified areas, but over the past couple of years, they've harmonized with, actually adopted, the IEC 60079 series of standards. ATEX approval includes more than just IEC, however, as it also adds other regulations dealing with electro-magnetics, machine safety and so on. In general, it is more prescriptive than the IEC approval; so, ATEX approved equipment will meet the IEC requirements, but will involve some paperwork; while the converse is not necessarily true.

Hope this helps

Grae

ATEX approval includes more than just IEC, however, as it also adds other regulations dealing with electro-magnetics, machine safety and so on.

Sorry, you are confusing between ATEX and CE. ATEX is part of CE. and other directives you mention like electro-magnetics, machine safety come under CE. (not under ATEX)

Yes, IEC (IECEx to be precise), and ATEX use same standards IEC 60079. ATEX is issued only by Notified Bodies (NOBOs) from Europe, but IECEx can be issued by many other NOBOs certified under IECEx. Most of the NOBOs under ATEX are also approved under IECEx, thus can issue IECEx certificates. Presently some 30 countries are members of IECEx, but not necessariley all of them have NOBOs under IECEx.

For getting IECEx certificate, ATEX can be a base, but can not be complete. Thus, ATEX is not acceptable where IECEx is asked for. Few more tests and much more paperwork is invalved under IECEx. But, if you have ATEX approval, path to IECEX will be shorter, and cheaper.

ATEX is accepted in all countries in EU and many more countries like India. But it is not accepted in many other countries e.g. Austaralia, NZ.

Sorry to interrupt but you are wrong: ATEX is not part of CE.

The CE marking clearly states that this is only valid in non classified area's.

ATEX marking is only valid in Classified area's.

But as mentioned in other replies: the IEC rules are adopted by the normalisation committees which drives the rules for the electrical safety.

What most companies do now is go for IECex and base their ATEX approval on this IECex approval. Old ATEX approvals are also reevaluated by the notified bodies to be transformed into IECex documents.

ATEX is law: you need to have it when entering a classified area. (there is not something like accepted here, it simply is the law in all 27 countries)

CE is only a marking to facilitate inter European trade. Most companies exige CE marking on delivered apparatuses but without understanding the real meaning (like CE labeled parts directly imported from china)

Sorry, I disagree with you.

Under CE there are 26 Directives. (Excuse me if the latest number is different). All these directives are laws passed by EU. You have to find out the directives applicable to your product.

Out of these 22 directives,

is ATEX related.

Under this directive, you CANNOT self certify your product, and certification from NB is must.

The wording from directive Annex III:

1. This module describes that part of the procedure by which a notified body ascertains and attests that a specimen representative of the production envisaged meets the relevant applicable provisions of the Directive.

2. The application for the EC-type examination shall be lodged by the manufacturer or his authorized representative established within the Community with a notified body of his choice.

One more directive

is also one, which you can not self certify the product and certification from NB is MUST.

For All other directives, you can self certify the product.

Now regarding the classified areas:

There are two areas: Explosion prone (Ex area) area, where ATEX certification is necessary and must.

Non Ex area. Here,

Directive, is not applicable.

Pressure equipment directive, where NB certification is must, is applicable if the internal pressure anywhere in your equipment is beyond 0.5 bar. If there is no internal pressure anywhere in your equipment, this directive is not applicable.

Now, you have to find out all the directives applicable to your equipment. Get NB certificate for above two directives, if your equipment fall under the these two directives.

For all other directives, you may test the equipment / ( or do not test the equipment at all, if you are confident) and self certify.

Now, you can put CE mark on the product and give Declaration of conformity (DoC)with details of all directives to which your product is conforming and sale it anywhere in EU countries.

If the product is found non conforming to any of the directives you declare in DoC or the directives you have failed to identify which apply to your product and is failing to comply, you are liable for heavy penelties.

Please don't mix up different directives. Each directive has it's own rules and application notes. This blog happens to talk about electrical safety (IEC only deals with electricity as far as I know)

You are correct on that fact that CE contains different directives which are all voted by the european parliament but what you missed is that this parliament has no jurisdiction on what happens in each country. They all have to translate the stuff in local laws.

The CE labeling for electric safety is always a self certification: someone in the company has to take the responsibility. He can back his claim up by a certificate of a notifid body. (wich many do)

CE labeling is mainly for trade usage. If you label it you are also telling the customers that you did everything necessary to prove the safety of your product. It has only value on the moment of sale. And when you import something which is CE labeled you better make sure that this is true as you are the point of entrance in the EC.

If you build an own machine you can prove the safety by an assesment of a notified body. Which then replaces the whole CE marking.

ATEX is different: you are simply obliged to use ATEX certified material.

If you are talking about only Electrical safety, you are right. This refers to LVD (Low Voltage directive).

But original thread is trying to compare between ATEX and IEC. Here probably srini.. original poster wants to say IECEx. ATEX and IECEx are related to Ex are or classified zones. Thus, I clarified about ATEX its relation with CE and IECEx, and what I narrated in my long post is correct.

LVD is not specifically for Ex area, it is all encompassing and can be self declared.

But what you say about ATEX that it can be self declared, is totally wrong. ATEX needs NB certification. NB's involvement is mandatory.

NB involvment is not needed for zone 3 applications.

ATEX is not accepted in some industries eg mining and some Australian States eg NSW, QLD. That does not mean ALL insustries and all States. ATEX is accepted for Australian Offshore Facilities by the Australian Regulator NOPSA provided ATEX is included in Safety Case.

I believe ATEX is the IEC classification system for hazardous locations.

http://cotradeco.com/pages/69-ratings-standards-regulations-atex-certification-coding

http://www.sensorland.com/HowPage053.html

JRaef is correct for Europe only. Elsewhere in the world, ATEX has no relevance. IEC is the International program upon which ATEX is based.

In order to obtain the European ATEX Certificate, one needs to use the services of an ATEX recognized National Body (NB) who exist only in Europe. For the IEC certification, any IEC recognized Certification Body (CB) can be used, and there are a little over 30 of us around the world who fall into this category.

Grae

You don't need a NB to do an ATEX certification.

You can do a self certification, it all depends on where you want to use the unit.

Only for zone 2, elf declaration is permitted.

For zone 0 and 1, NB's certification is mandatory

see how easy this is ?????