Do you comply with ATEX?

According to some estimates, half of all industrial applications contain a hazardous area of some kind, ranging from small mixing applications to the largest petro-chemical complex.

If your company handles materials that can cause flammable vapours or dust, the ATEX directives 95 and 137, which become mandatory on 1 July, will affect you.

Implemented in the UK as the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations (DSEAR), this legislation aims to ensure that only equipment with specific safety features is used in areas that could contain flammable atmospheres.

More to the point, it means that motors and other equipment on the market from this date will have to comply with the ATEX regulations. Unfortunately, far from all users are aware of the impending changes. And if an HSE inspection finds a company is not complying, the company may be liable to prosecution.

'The large companies, particularly in the chemical sector, are really interested, but many of the smaller ones claim to be too busy to look into this,' says Gary Hickey, ATEX specialist at Liverpool-based Central Electrical, an ABB Motor Service Partner, who has organised a number of seminars on the subject for local companies.

'Regarding equipment, there has been a six-year implementation period with leading up to this. However, many users claim not to have even heard about ATEX.' he continues. 'This is particularly true for companies outside industries that traditionally use explosion-protected motors; many are simply unaware that they have applications that fall within the scope of ATEX.'

According to John Walkington at ABB Eutech, one of the leading consultancy firms in the industry, most mature organisations are currently in the process of implementing a compliance programme for ATEX and DSEAR, and many more are coming on board as the deadline approaches. 'These are very busy days for us,' he says. He agrees, however, that users not familiar with hazardous area management compliance and the requirements for explosion protection methods and techniques may need extra help.

Operaters of plants that have not been affected by this type of legislation may find they have applications that now require assessment. Any handling of materials that causes combustible dust, for instance, is subject to ATEX. This means that an item such as a conveyor belt handling combustible materials could fall under the auspices of the legislation.

ATEX is a European directive that rounds up all the existing legislation in the field and tightens up some of the existing safety regulations. The intention is to ensure that explosion protection means the same thing throughout the European Union, removing the need for manufacturers to produce documentation and test results for each country.

Crucial to the process of ensuring compliance at your plant is a hazardous area risk assessment. Each area in your plant is either safe, or hazardous. Hazardous areas are divided into three zones. Zone 0 is an area with continuous or frequent presence of flammable vapour or gas; Zone 1 only has occasional presence of hazardous atmosphere; and in Zone 2, hazardous atmosphere may only occur in the event of an abnormal event. These are known as Zones 20, 21 and 22 in the case of dust.Once your plant is correctly divided into zones, you select the appropriate equipment for each zone. Equipment is divided into categories - category 1 for Zone 0 or 20, category 2 for Zone 1 or 21, and category 3 for Zone 2 or 22.

For example, only intrinsically safe motors can be used in Zone 0, while in Zone 1, flameproof, increased safety and pressurised motors can be used. The motors used in Zone 2 are of a type called non-sparking.

After commissioning, certain inspections and specified repair techniques must be applied to ensure the equipment retains its certificated status.

From a user's point of view, the advantage of ATEX is that it is the manufacturers' responsibility to get the technology right. ATEX applies to both electrical and mechanical equipment. If you tell your supplier which zone the equipment is intended for, you will get the appropriately categorised product in compliance with ATEX requirements.

If you have existing hazardous area arrangements, most of these will still be valid. There is no need to start from scratch with ATEX. However, existing arrangements will need reviewing in the light of ATEX and DSEAR compliance. But if you do not have any formal documentation in support of hazardous area management, how then do you ensure compliance with ATEX and DSEAR?

First of all, you will need to identify and assess fire and explosion risks of dangerous substances. If you have substances listed under the Chemicals Hazard Information and Packaging for Supply Regulations 2002 (CHIPS), this will be a great help, as this will give a list of potential flammable or combustible materials within the plant.

You will then need to eliminate or reduce the risks from the use of these substances as much as possible, for instance reduce the inventory and replace substances with less dangerous alternatives. This could help make the hazardous area smaller, reducing safety risks as well as financial commitment. Again, don't forget to include dusts in your area classification assessment — there is more emphasis on this under ATEX and DSEAR than under previous legislation. Examples of combustible dust include substances such as sulphur, coal and lignite. Handling of bulk products such as cereal or animal feed can also cause combustible dust.

When you think you have done everything you can to reduce the risks, it is time to start preparing the documentation. At this stage, if not sooner, it is time to call in the professionals. Many large organisations may well have hazardous area safety practitioners on their payroll, but most small organisations, unfortunately, do not.

In fact, it may be a good idea to have a professional look at your risk reduction measures even before drawing up the zones. He or she may be able to help reduce the hazardous areas even further, which will help cut costs in the long run. With professional assistance, you will then be able to risk assess the plant areas based on the release of hazardous substances, work out the zones and draw up detailed design documentation and inspection schedules for the plant.

There is nothing particularly complicated about ATEX compliance. Being aware means that you are halfway there. But without awareness, you may have problems explaining yourself to your company's key stakeholders and the regulatory authorities.

ABB has created an ATEX Jargon Buster that explains the terminology used in hazardous area protection. To claim your copy, send an email to info@abbmsp.co.uk

Sidebar: Employers' duty

The ATEX directives gives employers as well as manufacturers a legal duty to protect their staff from explosive atmospheres, writes Martyn Northfield of ABB's instrumentation division. A related Directive, known as the Worker Protection Directive, or ATEX 137, will also come into force in July next year.

Employers' obligations include assessing the site's sources of hazard and the likelihood of sources of ignition; classification of the area into zones; and marking all points of entry.

The main obligations on employers are to:

Prepare an explosion protection document (EPD);

Classify the workplace into Zones where applicable;

Select ATEX products according to Zone;

Identify, using warning signs, locations where explosive atmospheres may occur.

Essentially, the employer must take all reasonable measures to prevent the formation of an explosive atmosphere in the workplace. Where this is not possible, measures must be taken to avoid the ignition of potentially explosive atmospheres. The effects of any explosion must be minimised so that workers are not put at risk. Any measures taken must be reviewed regularly, particularly when any significant changes are made to the hazardous area workplace.

The employer must also assess the risks arising specifically from explosive atmospheres and produce an EPD that demonstrates this assessment.

Compliance is mandatory from 1 July 2003 for new installations, or existing installations with an element of risk, and from 1 July 2006 for existing installations where there is no risk.

Brian Austick is a product specialist, LV motors, at ABB