ATEX and IECEx

ATEX or IECEx certified products are essential in all locations where activities that produce explosive or potentially explosive atmospheres may occur. There are a range of places that can be defined as being in an explosive atmosphere, such as oil rigs and mines, but also others that you may not ordinarily think of as particularly explosive.

Many of us have heard of ATEX and IEXEx certificates, but what is the difference between the two?

ATEX

The name ATEX comes from the French ATmosphère EXplosibles, which describes the equipment and application of a product that will be placed in an explosive atmosphere. The ATEX certification is mandatory across the whole of Europe and involves all stages, from production to installation and use of the equipment. There are two parts than can be defined as:  

Directive 99/92/EC – The “ATEX Use Directive” focuses primarily on the health and safety of workers working in potentially explosive atmospheres. It involves the correct selection, installation, inspection, and maintenance of Ex equipment.  

Directive 2014/34/EU – The “ATEX Equipment Directive”, which primarily concerns commerce, assesses the equipment to be used in potentially hazardous areas and involves the production and sale of Ex equipment.  

IECEx

IECEx stands for International Electrotechnical Commission Explosive. While ATEX is a mandatory application limited to Europe, IECEx is an international certification accepted in multiple countries to help build confidence in the safety of Ex equipment. It also facilitated international trade of equipment and services for use in explosive atmospheres.  

Some of the advantages of choosing a product that is IECEx certified includes: 

• Reduced test and certification expenses 

• Reduced time to market 

• International confidence in the product evaluation process 

As with ATEX certification, IECEx certification provides safety and reassurance that everything from equipment and installation, to the production, operation and maintenance of the certified products complies with IEC international standards and is suitable for their purpose and application.  

Despite there being some small differences between each certification, are both ATEX and IEXEx very similar. The main difference is the geographical areas where the certificates are recognised and accepted. While ATEX is a requirement in Europe, IECEx is accepted in a wider international range of countries.  

Bredengen can help you with knowledge on which products need certification, and which products are approved in accordance with both ATEX and IECEx.