Ex standards

Dangerous area
For potentially explosive atmospheres, it is very important that the product is designed for use in the actual environment and that the operation and maintenance are in accordance with the requirements.

The standards for hazardous areas are not the same all over the world, but in recent years global harmonization work has received a lot of attention and the IEC Ex certification is being ratified by more and more countries. For Europe, the ATEX directives for equipment (2014/34/EU) and worker protection (1999/92/EC) in potentially explosive atmospheres are mandatory. This means that all products supplied for installation in potentially explosive atmospheres in buildings and fixed installations in Europe must be certified according to ATEX standards.

The ATEX directives cover both electrical and non-electrical equipment, and for the first time, mechanical equipment is covered by this type of legislation.

Classification of zones
The hazardous areas must be divided into zones:

ZONE 0 is a place where an explosive atmosphere consisting of a mixture of air with a combination of flammable gas, vapor or mist is present continuously, often or for a long time.

ZONE 1 is a location where an explosive atmosphere consisting of a mixture of air with a combination of flammable gas, vapor or mist is only occasionally present during normal operation.

ZONE 2 is a location where an explosive atmosphere consisting of a mixture of air with a combination of flammable gas, vapor or mist is unlikely to occur during normal operation, but if it does, it will persist for a short period of time.

A similar classification exists for explosive atmospheres due to combustible dust in air, with zones numbered Zone 20, Zone 21 and Zone 22.