Drives & Controls Magazine February 2023

44 n HAZARDOUS AREAS February 2023 www.drivesncontrols.com Navigating hazardous area jargon W here safety and compliance in hazardous environments are concerned, there is a plethora of acronyms relating to standards, directives and regulations. To those unfamiliar with how the legislative landscape operates, it can be confusing. Before we get into specifics, it might be helpful to outline how different types of requirements compare: n A standard is a technical specification covering aspects such as dimensions, capacity and ratings. It is not a legal requirement, but is widely considered best practice. n A regulation in EU terms is a piece of law that applies to all EU member states. n An EU Directive is a legislative act outlining objectives that all EU member states must translate into national legislation. n A statutory instrument is similar to an EU Directive and is the principal form in which delegated legislation is made in Great Britain. n Certification is the process of certifying that products, processes and people pass performance and quality assurance tests outlined in relevant standards and legislation. Compliance The first acronym we will look at is IECEx , (International Electrotechnical Commission System for Certification to Standards Relating to Equipment for Use in Explosive Atmospheres). This aims to“facilitate international trade in equipment and services for use in explosive atmospheres, while maintaining the required level of safety”. The IECEx system started as a product certification scheme but has since expanded to cover personnel certification offering competence training for people working in explosive atmospheres. IECEx has a wide global reach and is sometimes referred to as a passport scheme in that it is accepted by many countries prima facie . Some may accept it but require signing up to a local scheme. The IEC scheme is the starting point for the development and use of standards for Ex equipment. The Atex directives are two EU directives describing the minimum safety requirements for workplaces and equipment used in explosive atmospheres, which must be applied in law by EU member states. The Atex “equipment” Directive (2014/34/EU) covers equipment and protective systems used in potentially explosive areas. The Atex “workplace” Directive (1999/92/EC) covers the minimum health and safety measures needed to protect people working in hazardous areas. UKEX is a UK statutory instrument. This is a direct transposition of the Atex equipment directive into UK law under the new post- Brexit regime. This is driven in the UK by the UKEX AB (authorised body), whose members are also Atex and IECEx certification bodies. It is in their interest for the directives to align. It is unlikely that there will be a divergence between UKEX and Atex despite the pending Brexit Bill and its impact on UK legislation. DSEAR is also a UK statutory instrument and is a direct transposition of the Atex workplace Directive into UK law. It also covers the requirements of the Chemical Agents Directive. So, as far as regulation of hazardous area equipment and environments is concerned, IECEx is the starting point that enables the ease of gaining Atex and now UKEX. If IECEx is amended, the amendments will be adopted automatically by the Atex Directive and UKEX regulations by means of the acceptance of such amendments as being“state of the art” for explosion protection. CompEx (Competency in Ex atmospheres) is not a mandated safety standard, but is an exam-based competency certification scheme set up in the aftermath of the Piper Alpha disaster. Developed initially for workers in the oil and gas sector, the scheme now operates globally, covering all personnel working in potentially explosive atmospheres. Finally, you may come across CSA , UL or FM certification. This is used in North America (including Canada) to ensure the safety of products. An OHSA or SCC-accredited Nationally Recognized Test Lab (NRTL) can certify that a product complies with specific North American safety standards. Several standards apply to hazardous areas under the North American system. For example, FM 3615, UL 1203, and CSA C22.2 No. 30 cover explosion-proof equipment, while UL 674 and CSA C22.2 No. 145 cover electric motors and generators for use in hazardous (classified) locations. Some North American explosion protection standards are harmonised with the IEC, ATEX and UKEX systems, while others are not. The North American system uses a different environment classification system. n There are confusing variety of acronyms related to safety in hazardous environments. Peter Rawlinson, a safety compliance expert and AEMT lecturer, examines some of the key measures covering hazardous environments, and how they relate to each other.