Basic Elements of Explosion

Protection in the EU Legislative

Context
ATEX Symposium
22 – 24 Eylül 2011, Ankara, Türkiye
Dr.-Ing. Uwe Klausmeyer
Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt
Braunschweig, Germany
 The ATEX Regulation

EU Directives of the „New Approach“ Legislative

Framework, consisting of:
- 94/9/EC (trade of equipment, ESRs)
- 1999/92/EC (safety of workplace)
Accident in Oppau, Germany
Accident in Buncefield‚UK, 2005
Buncefield, 2005
Buncefield, 2005
 Accident at INEOS near Cologne, Germany
17th of March, 2008

Has set fire to a

methylacetate tank
Pipeline of
Ethylene
is burning
 Explosion protection

Avoid concurrence:
- Oxygen (air)
Ign !!! Inertization
i ti o
n
ge

- Ignition source
ns
y

!!! Elimination
Ox

ou
rce

Proper
Compostition
- Combustibles (gas,
Combustible vapour, dust)
!!! Ventilation
Spread of gases

- Convection
- Buoyancy

Lighter than air

Heavier than air

Spread of liquids, leakages

Gas
Gasoline
Combustible liquids

5 ml gasoline is enough to produce 200 l

of explosive atmosphere, which can
destroy a barrel!

Formation of highly flammable vapour/

air mixture can occur when handling with
even small amounts of break cleaners!
Spread of combustible dusts

Dust layers with a thickness of 1 mm

can be enough to produce explosive
atmospheres!
Critical concentration of Flammable
substances (safety characteristics)
Influence of concentration
 Ignition sources – EN 1127-1

Ignition of an explosive atmosphere can be caused

by various sources:
• hot surfaces
• flames and hot gases
• mechanically generated sparks
• electrical installations
• equalizing currents, cathodic corrosion protection
• static electricity
• lightning
• electromagnetic waves (high-frequency)
• optical radiation
• ionising radiation
• ultrasonics
• adiabatic compression and shock waves
• exothermal reactions
 Different types of protections (safety
concepts) offered by EN/IEC standards

Gases/Vapours Dusts
Symbol Electrical Non-electrical Electrical
Type of protection equipment equipment equipment
Flameproof enclosure d ● ● -
Protection by enclosure tD - - ●
Enclosed break device nC ● - -
Non-incendive component nC ● - -
Pressurized apparatus p ● ● ●
Powder filling q ● - ●
Oil immersion o/k ● ● -
Increased safety e ● - -
Non-sparking nA ● - -
Constructive safety c - ● -
Encapsulation m ● - ●
Hermetically sealed device nC ● - -
Sealed/encapsulated device nC ● - -
Intrinsic safety i ● - ●
Restricted breathing enclosure nR/fr ● ● ●
Protection by control of ignition sources b - ● -
 Flameproof enclosure “d”, to mitigate
an explosion hazard

Special preparation:
Ignition device
•Max tolerances at all gaps
pressure transducer
•Without gaskets and grease

Explosive gas
mixture
 Ignition hazards of a complex apparatus:
a fork lift (electrical motor or combustion
engine)

1 Electrical apparatus 5 Sparks caused by metallic parts

• Coating with brass, bronze and
•Motor „d“, „e“
stainless steel
•control device „d“, „e“, „i“
•accumulator „e“
4
•plug and socket „d“
3 6 Temperature control
•lighting fixture and
•Motor control device
control lights „d“, „e“
4 •motor
•hydraulic oil/system
2
Electrical installation
• IEC/EN 60079-14 3 7
1
3
6
7 Engine
3 Mechanical apparatus 2 1
5
•Brakes and oil hydraulic 5 4
4
system/components

4 Electrostatic charge
• Conductable wheels
• conductable seat material
• conductable housing
• grounding against electrostatic charge
 The ATEX Regime

• Free Trade Directive 94/9/EC in the Internal

EU Market (Essential Health and Safety
Requirements – ESRs, obligations of the
manufacturer)
• Worker protection (Social) Directive
1999/92/EC (obligations of the end user)
• ATEX Standing Committee
• ATEX Notified Bodies
• ATEX Consultant, CENELEC, CEN,
Presumption of Conformity with ESRs
 What‘s about this „mark“????

Chinese Export, Confusion Everywhere ;-))))

1. Conformité Européenne (FR)

2. Legal mark, NOT a quality mark like
TSE, VDE, UL… IECEx
3. Affixed by a manufacturer on his own
responsibilty
4. may be based on an EC Type Examination
Certificate by an independent ATEX Notified
body, in the ATEX field only for Zone 0 and
Zone 1 classified areas
5. installation and instruction manual!!!!!
 Important directives of the New Approach

(Low Voltage Directive 73/23/EEC)

Machinery Directive 98/37/EC
ATEX (Explosion-proof equipment) 94/9/EC
EMC Directive 89/336/EEC
Pressure Equipment Directive 97/23/EC
R&TTE-Directive 1999/5/EC
Toys Directive 88/378/EEC
Personal Protective Equipment Directive 89/686/EEC
Construction Products Directive 89/106/EEC
Medical Devices Directive 93/42/EEC
(CE-Kennzeichnungs-Richtlinie 93/68/EEC)

11.10.2001
 Relation of ATEX, CEN/CENELEC, ISO
and IEC/IECEx

ATEX Notified Bodies - Nando

New Practice of many ATEX Notified Bodies (IECEx ExCB)

is to use the elements of IECEx (ExTRs, QAR) to issue a EC
Type Examination Ccertificate and the QA Notification
 IEC vs. CEN/CENELEC

• Dresden/Vienna Agreement on Parallel Voting

of documents, stand still agreement CLC/IEC

• EN 60079-0 (former edition EN 50014 - EEx) is

equivalent to IEC 60079-0 (Ex),
EN/IEC 60079-1 „d“, -2 „p“, -5 „q“, -6 „o“,
-7 „e“, -11 „i“, ….. , -18 „m“, -26 „Zone 0“
…., -34 „QM Production“, -36, -37 (mech.)

• Plant operation: EN/IEC 60079-10-1/-2, EN/IEC

60079-14, -17, -19
Safety concepts for equipment – older
versions of the standards
 Selection and installation of equipment
in accordance to EN/IEC 60079-14

Zone Equipment category Safety level

(Directive 94/9/EG)
Even in the event of
0 /20 II 1 G/D infrequent malfunctions

In the event of expected

1/21 II 1 G/D oder II 2 G/D malfunctions

II 1 G/D oder Normal operation

2/22 II 2 G/D oder II 3 G/D
 Classification of equipment in
accordance to EN/IEC 60079-0

 Temperatur Class:

Maximum surface temperature

 Explosion Group
II A Methan, Benzine, Methanol
II B Schwefelwasserstoff
II C Wasserstoff, Acetylen
 Hazardous substance and
safety characteristics (EN/IEC 60079-20)
Explosion characteristics Methane Biogas Petrol Propan
70 %
CH4
30 %
CO2
Explosion limits /air [Vol.- %] 4,4 - 17 4,4 - 14 0,6 - 8 1,7- 10,9

Ingition Temperature [0C] 595 220 - 260 450

Relative density (air = 1) 0,55 0,85 ca. 3,2 (gas) 1,55

Flashpoint [0C] < - 20 - 104

Temperaturclass T1 T1 T3 T3

Explosion group II A II A II A II A

Max. Ex.- pressure [bar] 8,1 8,5 9,4

 Examples of 94/9-equipment with
EC Declaration of Conformity

To be installed in accordance with IEC 60079-14

Classification of equipment
 Minimum duties of the manufacturer

Electrical equipment Mechanical equipment

• Category 1/M1: • Category 1/M1:
- EC Type Examination Cert. - EC Type Examination Cert.
- QA Notification/Annex IV - QA Notification/Annex IV

• Category 2/M2: • Category 2/M2:

- EC Type Examination Cert. - self declaration of conformity
- QA Notification/Annex VII - Deposit of product documentation
at an ATEX Notified Body

• Category 3: • Category 3:
- self declaration of conformity, - self declaration of conformity,
ATEX Notified Body not ATEX Notified Body not required
required
 Way to the CE marking

EC
CE – conformity marking# and Declaration
of Conformity
EC – declaration of conformity 01.01.2010
by the manufacturer
(Annex X) #: not for components according Article 8, 3

all categories category 1, M1 category 2, M2 category 2, M2 category 3

equipment, equipment, electrical equipment, non-electrical equipment
protective systems protective systems combustion engines equipment

Production Product Internal Internal

Unit verification quality quality control of control of
(Annex IX) assurance assurance production production
(Annex IV) (Annex VII) (Annex VIII) (Annex VIII)

or or
Deposit of
Product Conformity
documentation
verification to type
(Article 8, 1b ii)
(Annex V) (Annex VI)

EC EC Notified Body
type-examination type-examination
Manufacturer
certificate certificate
(Annex III) (Annex III) Category according
article 8
 Risk assessment acc. ATEX Directive
1999/92
The employer has
to conduct an
ignition risk assessment:
• Probability and duration of a significant
amount of explosive gas or dust
atmosphere (Zone classification in acc. to
EN/IEC 60079-10-1, -2)
• Probability and energy of ignition source
• scale of damages which might occur
 EU-Directive 1999/92/EG
and IEC 60079-10-1
Zone 0
A place in which an explosive atmosphere consisting of a
mixture with air of flammable substances in the form of gas,
vapour or mist is present continuously or for long periods or
frequently.

Zone 1
A place in which an explosive atmosphere consisting of a
mixture with air or flammable substances in the form of gas,
vapour or mist is likely to occur in normal operation
occasionally.

Zone 2
A place in which an explosive atmosphere consisting of a
mixture with air of flammable substances in the form of gas,
vapour or mist is not likely to occur in normal operation but, if it
does occur, will persist for a short period only.
 Directive 1999/92/EG
and IEC 60079-10-2
Zone 20
A place in which an explosive atmosphere in the form of a cloud
of combustable dust in air is present continously, or for long
periods or frequently.

Zone 21
A place in which an explosive atmosphere in the form of a cloud
of combustible dust in air is likely to occur in normal operation
occasionally.

Zone 22
A place in which an explosive atmosphere in the form of a cloud
of combustible dust in air is not likely to occur in normal
operation but, if it
does occur, will persist for a short period only.
Examples for zoning hazardous areas –
example of IEC 60079-10

Stirrer
 Examples of 94/9-equipment with
EC Declaration of Conformity

CE – EU Dir. 94/9 marked equipment is required

by the user‘s directive 1999/92
 Directive 1999/92/EG
(1) Documentation
Explosion protection document:
 description of the plant,
the process, the activities and flammable
material quantities
 material data
 results of the explosion risk assessment
 Explosion protection measures
 Organizational measures (training staff, …)

Get assistance by NAMUR.de and

NAMUR recommendation xyz
 Directive 1999/92/EG
(2) Maintenance

• Ensure expertise of the personell

Maintenance • Training and experience must be ensured
IEC 60079-17
• Prevent occurence of hazardous atmophere
and -19
• install a fire monitor if necessary
• Making sure before restarting that the
explosion protection measures required for
normal operation have been reactived
• clean dust deposits from installed products
 The ATEX Standing Committee

• Representatives coming from Ministries of the

EU Member States, Industry Associations,
ExNB Group, Standardization Bodies CENELEC
and CEN, ATEX Consultant, …. the
Stakeholders
• Interpretation of the Directives 94/9 and 1999/92
• Interface to other Directives, e.g. to the
Machinery Directive
• Meeting once a year in Brussels
 ATEX Notified Body group

The ATEX Notified Bodies

– More than 60 ATEX Notified Bodies with similar scopes
– but it is a national notification, not an accreditation in
acc. with ISO/IEC standards
– requirements for notification see annex XI of the 94/9
– general experience: no chance outside EU with such a
notification, ISO/IEC 17025 and ISO Guide 65 are to be
applied by internationally recognized ILAC/IAF
accreditation bodies like TÜRKAK