The ATEX directives came into effect on the 1st July 2003, bringing with them new safety concepts in the manufacture and supply of intrinsically safe equipment.

The European directive is mandatory for all new equipment supplied from this date and end-users have just three years until June 2006 to ensure that their protective systems for hazardous areas are fully compliant.

The legislation is lengthy and can seem daunting to any business affected.  In this brief guide to the basics of ATEX, Avery Weigh-Tronix helps to explain the legislative requirements and to suggest an appropriate course of action for customers seeking full compliance by the June 2006 deadline.

ATEX – The Basics
ATEX (Atmosphere Explosive) consists of two directives.  The first, ATEX 1999/92/EC, requires the end user to take appropriate measures to ensure the safety of all employees working in explosive atmospheres and to use only equipment that has formally met the safety criteria.

The second, known as ATEX 94/9/EC details the requirements suppliers must meet in order to achieve the necessary accreditation and relates to all electrical and mechanical equipment and systems for hazardous areas.

End users will notice few physical changes in any ATEX equipment purchased.  The significant change is in the method that products are assessed to ensure their absolute safety, from the design and test procedures put in place by the manufacturer, to the health and welfare of operatives working within explosive atmospheres.

The legislation applies to any hazardous area below ground, on the surface and on offshore fixed facilities.  This could include a filling line in a chemical plant, a formulation system in a pharmaceutical factory or a designated area for volatile liquids, solvents and paints.  A significant feature of the directive is the inclusion of dusts.  With approximately seventy-five percent of dusts considered explosive, the new directive will now apply to many environments handling airborne powders and particles, which may not have previously been classed as hazardous and therefore excluded under current Ex guidelines.

Choosing a supplier
All site operators must undertake a full risk assessment to ensure that work in explosive areas is carried out safely.  This must be documented and regularly updated to demonstrate that the equipment and working environment and practices are designed, operated and maintained appropriately.  Therefore, it is critical that any supplier of ATEX approved equipment can produce the appropriate certification to prove that it meets the series of stringent assessment criteria.  This includes the equipment design and specification, documentation of the manufacturing process and supply chain traceability.

Avery Weigh-Tronix was one of the first manufacturers to provide intrinsically safe weighing systems and already has full certification for its range of ATEX approved hazardous area instrumentation.  Companies do not need to wait until 2003, but can choose from an award-winning product range now, which is also compatible with industry standard peripheral devices and controls.

Choosing equipment
Businesses should ensure that any equipment purchased is not simply manufactured to ATEX standards, but that it can also interface with other products and systems used in the hazardous area, to guarantee that the entire installation is legally safe.

Avery Weigh-Tronix’s ATEX-approved, high performance weighing equipment is manufactured under a stringent quality control system and can be easily integrated in most equipment category II, surface industry hazardous areas.  It includes sophisticated indicators that interface with platform scales, load cells, vessel, silo and hopper weighing systems, filling equipment and a range of control devices for totally safe weighing in Zones 1 and 2, 21 & 22.

The advanced indicator range carries full weights and measures approval and requires no connection to the safe area.  It can be powered from the mains or via internal battery, with a choice of display mounting options and keyboard functionality.

The self-contained RDREx platform range comprises a floor, a bench and a mobile scale, which can be located within the hazardous area or easily moved as required.  A stainless steel design, with a durable pickled and electro polished finish and a long, rechargeable battery life is suitable for a multitude of hazardous locations.

Choosing support
Choosing a safe and reliable product is vital and choosing a supplier that can provide comprehensive maintenance and repair of your equipment is equally critical. Avery Weigh-Tronix service engineers are fully trained to operate within hazardous areas and are regularly assessed by MTL, one of the recognised bodies for Ex training.

It is also worth remembering that the vast majority of equipment suppliers will be unable to support pre-ATEX approved equipment, as components and spare part lines will be incompatible with the new standard.  Avery Weigh-Tronix can continue to supply spare parts for its existing hazardous area equipment until June 2006 and is actively contacting its customers to discuss the alternative solutions for safe, high accuracy weighing.

Please download our ATEX Guide or call 0870 90 50079 for further advice.