ATEX Directive 2014/34/UE

Conventionally with the term ATEX (acronym of ATmosphere EXplosive) one makes reference to two community directives enacted in the field of risk, due to the presence of potentially explosive atmospheres:2014/34/EU and 99/92/EC.

A potentially explosive atmosphere consists of an air mixture of gas, vapours, fogs, or dusts that can inflame themselves under specific operating conditions. Protection equipment and systems destined to be used in potentially explosive atmospheres find application in multiple sectors: petroleum, mineral, chemical, and even food industries.

Field of application

The formation of potentially explosive atmospheres is an issue that characterises above all the industrial sector (chemical, metallurgical, mechanical, food) and the supply of energy (gas, petroleum, coal, etc.) but is, in general, also connected to all the production activities that call for the use of combustible materials like wood or that produce biogas as wastes.

The builders can turn to ECO technicians in the classification of their own products according to the necessary types and categories and according to other classification requirements established by the Directive 2014/34/EU, by EN standards that regulate electrical equipment and others, and by those eventually established by the client in conformity with Directive 1999/92/EC.

The ATEX directive is applied to the following products:

• protection systems: filtering systems, exhaust systems and others;
• equipment: machines and machinery, components, control equipment and relative parts;
• components: components necessary for the safe use of equipment and protection systems.

ECO Certificazioni offers a competent support to guarantee the conformity with the ATEX Directive, that makes it possible to obtain the CE mark.