A potentially explosive atmosphere exists when a mixture of air gases, vapours, mists, or dusts combine in a way that can ignite under certain operating conditions.

 

Equipment and protective systems intended for use in potentially explosive atmospheres (ATEX) cover a range of products, including those used on fixed offshore platforms, petrochemical plants, mines, and flour mills, amongst others.

 

The ATEX Directive 2014/34/EU covers equipment and protective systems intended for use in potentially explosive atmospheres. The Directive defines the essential health and safety requirements and conformity assessment procedures, to be applied before products are placed on the EU market. It is aligned with the New Legislative Framework policy, and it is applicable from 20 April 2016, replacing the previous Directive 94/9/EC.

 

It is necessary to ensure that the above products from third countries entering the Union market comply with this Directive, and in particular that appropriate conformity assessment procedures have been carried out by manufacturers with regard to those products.

 

SCOPE

 

1. This Directive shall apply to the following products:

 

(a) equipment and protective systems intended for use in potentially explosive atmospheres

 

(b) safety devices, controlling devices and regulating devices intended for use outside potentially explosive atmospheres but required for or contributing to the safe functioning of equipment and protective systems with respect to the risks of explosion

 

(c) components intended to be incorporated into equipment and protective systems referred to in point (a).

 

 

2. This Directive shall not apply to:

 

(a) medical devices intended for use in a medical environment

 

(b) equipment and protective systems where the explosion hazard results exclusively from the presence of explosive substances or unstable chemical substances

 

(c) equipment intended for use in domestic and noncommercial environments where potentially explosive atmospheres may only rarely be created, solely as a result of the accidental leakage of fuel gas

 

(d) personal protective equipment covered by Council Directive 89/686/EEC of 21 December 1989 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to personal protective equipment (1)

 

(e) seagoing vessels and mobile offshore units together with equipment on board such vessels or units

 

(f) means of transport

-   vehicles and their trailers intended solely for transporting passengers by air or by road, rail or water networks

-   transport designed for transporting goods by air, by public road or rail networks or by water.

-  Vehicles intended for use in a potentially explosive atmosphere shall not be excluded from the scope of this Directive

 

(g) the equipment covered by point (b) of Article 346(1) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.

 

ROLE OF MANUFACTURER

The manufacturer, having detailed knowledge of the design and production process, is best placed to carry out the conformity assessment procedure. Conformity assessment should therefore remain solely the obligation of the manufacturer.

Manufacturers should draw up an EU declaration of conformity to provide information required under this Directive on the conformity of a product with the requirements of this Directive and of other relevant Union harmonisation legislation.

 

ROLE OF IMPORTER

 

(a) the products they place on the market comply with the requirements of this Directive and that they do not place on the market products which do not comply with such requirements or present a risk.  

(b) conformity assessment procedures have been carried out and that product marking and documentation drawn up by manufacturers are available for inspection by the competent national authorities.

 

ROLE OF DISTRIBUTOR

 

The distributor makes a product available on the market after it has been placed on the market by the manufacturer or the importer and should act with due care to ensure that its handling of the product does not adversely affect the compliance of the product.

 

The CE marking, indicating the conformity of a product, is the visible consequence of a whole process comprising conformity assessment in a broad sense.