Do your repairs and replacements meet the latest ATEX dust regulations?

Settled dust is a wider risk than atmospheric dust, and tends to cause fires started by excessive heat.

Traditional ATEX industries – such as petrochemical processing facilities – are well used to conformity. But maintenance operatives in a much wider section of industry now need to make sure that repairs and maintenance meet the correct certification for the recently defined ATEX zone 20 to 22 dust conditions. Companies need to use suppliers and repairers who correctly certify machines, if they are to avoid liability should something go wrong.

There are many companies that have been subject to ATEX regulations but perhaps not fully understood them, this is further compounded due to the inclusion of dust laden atmospheres. You may be aware that explosions and fires caused by dust can be equally as devastating as those caused by explosive gases and vapours, but not aware what constitutes a risk and how to address it. With the dangerous substances and explosive atmospheres regulations (DSEAR) 2002 also requiring employers to control the risks from fire and explosions, this is obviously not something which can be overlooked.

However, although the issue affects a huge range or products – from motors to belt drives to couplings – compliance is actually relatively simple and the operating parameters required are not extreme.

The previous regulations for explosive atmospheres did not account for the risk of explosion created by dust. However, there have been several large explosions investigated in recent years, in areas such as crop storage, food processing, coal processing and plastics, that are now attributed to dust. Both atmospheric and settled dust can pose a problem and are now included in the regulations.

Product manufacturers, or those taking responsibility for certification of supplied equipment, can be held legally responsible for accidents due to non-conformity with the new directives since the legislation came fully into force in 2003. The newly defined zones will affect many new operations, so if you are in any doubt about your responsibilities, conformity or the best way to achieve it, you should talk to a supplier who understands your industry, the legislation, and the machinery to which it applies.