European ATEX Directive 2014/34/EU for the regulation of equipment and systems for explosive atmosphere
When designing air pollutant extraction and abatement equipment, it is essential to consider the characteristics of the production system and the pollutants emitted. As we have seen in a previous article on explosive dust, many industrial processes involve the use of substances that can cause deflagrations. Systems must therefore be designed and constructed in accordance with the ATEX Directive 2014/34/EU (ATEX compliance). Let us take a look at the main details of the new ATEX Directive.
On 29 March 2014, the New ATEX Directive 2014/34/EU was published in the Official Journal of the European Union, which repealed the previous ATEX Directive 94/9/EC as of 20 April 2016. In Italy, the transposition of this ATEX Directive took place through Legislative Decree No. 85 of 19 May 2016.
With the ATEX regulations, the European Union has defined the necessary safety requirements for all equipment and protective systems intended for use in potentially explosive atmospheres. This product directive directly addresses manufacturers with the aim of ensuring the free movement of these goods within the European Union. Furthermore, the ATEX directive is also extended to all safety, control and regulation devices that are not used in an explosive atmosphere, but are necessary for the operation of the systems.
For the purposes of the ATEX regulations, the following definitions apply:
The new ATEX Directive h\as not entailed any particular changes to the technical contents of the ATEX Directive 94/9/EC, but it has brought the obligations of the various figures involved in the production and marketing of products intended for installation in explosion risk zones more clearly into line with the new legislative framework (Decision 768/2008/EC). Let us look together at the figures involved and their obligations.
As we have seen in the previous paragraph, the manufacturer is the person who must ensure the conformity of the equipment/system or component being assessed.
Annexes III to IX of the ATEX Directive describe the conformity assessment procedures, which include: EC type-examination, single product verification and internal production control. The latter, often wrongly referred to as “self-certification”, presupposes an independent assessment by the manufacturer of the conformity of the product he intends to place on the market.
Whichever procedure is adopted, all formal and informal steps must be completed by the manufacturer and include:
At the end of the conformity assessment process, the manufacturer must issue the declaration of conformity, which must contain the following elements:
The Declaration of Conformity must be followed by the CE Marking, for details please read the dedicated article.
There are several assessment procedures as seen above, but how does the manufacturer choose which one to refer to? To answer this question, it is necessary to point out that, as specified in Annex 1 of the ATEX directive, products are divided into two groups:
The choice of conformity assessment procedure is made on the basis of this classification and also taking into account the categories to which the equipment belongs. The two groups described above are further subdivided according to the level of safety guaranteed by the equipment.
Specifically, Group I is divided into category M1 and M2, while Group II is divided into category 1, category 2 and category 3. Let’s look at the details together:
Equipment in Group II is then subdivided according to the type of substance giving rise to the ATEX explosive atmosphere: in the case of dusts, the letter D is shown after the category (1D, 2D or 3D) in the equipment marking, while in the case of gases, vapours and oil mists, the letter G is shown (1G, 2G or 3G).
As we have seen, the ATEX Directive is very broad and affects many industries. When dealing with ATEX explosive atmospheres, it is very important to choose consultants and suppliers with the right experience in the field. At Tecnosida we design and build systems for the treatment of air pollutants specifically tailored to the specific needs of our customers: in over 40 years of experience we have created countless ATEX systems applied in explosive atmospheres with excellent results! Contact us for an inspection without obligation!
European ATEX Directive 2014/34/EU for the regulation of equipment and systems for explosive atmosphere
European ATEX Directive 2014/34/EU for the regulation of equipment and systems for explosive atmosphere
European ATEX Directive 2014/34/EU for the regulation of equipment and systems for explosive atmosphere
European ATEX Directive 2014/34/EU for the regulation of equipment and systems for explosive atmosphere
European ATEX Directive 2014/34/EU for the regulation of equipment and systems for explosive atmosphere
European ATEX Directive 2014/34/EU for the regulation of equipment and systems for explosive atmosphere
European ATEX Directive 2014/34/EU for the regulation of equipment and systems for explosive atmosphere
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