February 2021

41 www.drivesncontrols.com February 2021 international and regional standards including BS EN IEC 60079-10:2019. This states the responsibilities of operators, managers and repairers to ensure that all of their equipment is properly maintained and fit for continued service. Equipment that is designed for Ex zoned areas uses a variety of protection concepts to ensure safe operation. Different concepts can be used in similarly zoned areas, and it is important that site maintenance engineers understand these concepts so that they do not compromise the equipment. For example, periodic inspections and maintenance checks that involve the removal of terminal box lids from Ex d machines may discover that corrosion has occurred. At this point, it may be necessary to check the flamepath gaps and establish whether they are still sufficient for the zoned area in which the equipment is operating. When Ex equipment needs a repair or overhaul it has to be sent to a repairer that is qualified to perform the work. The international standard emphasises that it is the responsibility of the operator to ensure that any maintenance work is done by those with sufficient facilities and competencies. Moreover, each piece of equipment should have its own dossier containing all of the required paperwork, including details of any previous repairs and inspections. A copy of this should accompany the equipment to any approved service centre, ensuring that all available information is on-hand for the repair process. A properly qualified repair centre will ask for this information and will also provide all of the evidence required to determine whether it is qualified to make the repair. It is important to stress that the owner of the equipment is responsible for establishing this fact and retaining this evidence in the equipment dossier. Following the guidelines and taking on the responsibilities of operating ex-rated equipment goes a long way to minimising the risks associated with zoned areas, keeping both employees and equipment safe. Conversely, the implications of failing to adhere to the international standard could have significant consequences – hopefully not for any personnel – but the damage to the business can be substantial. In the event of an incident involving equipment in a zoned area, assuming there were no injuries, the first step to recovering the process will involve the insurance company. The investigation into the cause of the incident will start with the information dossier for all the equipment in the affected area, especially any component that is judged to be the root cause. If any repairs have been completed by service centres that did not comply with the international standard, this could be seen as a failure to meet the terms of the insurance policy. This could have major implications for funding any repairs as well as increasing the cost of future insurance policies. Managers andmaintenance staff involved with Ex-rated equipment should be encouraged to broaden their knowledge of this specialised area and to attend training courses appropriate for their role. This will enable the business to implement the necessary operational and managerial processes to comply with the international standard. To provide further assistance, the AEMT has an register (at www.ex-register.com ) listing all of its members that hold Ex certifications including ISO 9001 and AEMT Ex Assessment Certificates. IECEx service centres are audited independently by a notifying body and maintain three-year refresher training to achieve certified accreditation. n For more information or advice relating to both Ex and general repairs, training or the certification process for members, contact the AEMT Technical Support group on 01904 674 897 or email technical@aemt.co.uk . FlexEdge™ Edge Automation Platform • Integrate IT and OT on one operating platform • Field-unlockable software upgrades • Retrofitting: Digitalization of legacy equipment • Protocol-conversion: > 300 protocols - more than 1000 combinations • Modular network connection - cloud or on-premises, 5G ready • UL class 1, Div. 2 - ATEX / IECEx - ABS/DNV Scan & Design with the FlexEdge ™ Builde r europe@redlion.net www.flexedge.net ONE CONTROLLER DOES IT ALL