ATEX Directive

Ensure Compliance with the ATEX Directive

If you make or sell equipment or protective systems for use in – or in conjunction with – potentially explosive atmospheres in the European Union, your products need to conform to the ATEX (ATmospheres EXplosibles) directive.

The directive’s scope includes safety devices, controlling devices, and regulating devices, as well as equipment intended for use outside potentially explosive atmospheres, but required for or contributing to the safe functioning of equipment and protective systems.

Through factory inspection and field evaluation, TÜV Rheinland, a global notified body, can test and certify that your product is compliant with the ATEX directive.

Benefits at a Glance

With ATEX services from TÜV Rheinland, you can:

  • Ensure product safety and compliance with occupational health and safety requirements worldwide, ensuring employee and facility safety
  • Reach full compliance and certification prior to product placement
  • Gain a lead against the competition and greater market access with an approval mark from a global notified body
  • Benefit from TÜV Rheinland’s global presence, with explosion protection experts in many of our major locations to help identify local requirements and assist with certification
  • Access a common shared-networked database, reducing waiting time for documents to be transferred between agencies through conventional methods
  • Dramatically reduce approval time and cost by using harmonized standards and common test protocols
  • Reduce risk of company liability with documented safety standards
  • Benefit from fast audit times and our long-standing experience
  • Benefit from TÜV Rheinland’s exclusive, one-stop service

Approach

TÜV Rheinland’s ATEX approach is as follows:

  • Provide customer with a report, along with a CD-ROM of X-ray, where necessary
  • Determine all applicable directives and standards
  • Decide on a conformity route (certain products or protection methods employed in the products require mandatory involvement of an accredited notified body)
  • Test product to all requirements
  • Evaluate results and report findings
  • Prepare technical file (specific requirements exist for the ATEX Directive for compliance of technical files)
  • Prepare declaration of conformity documents
  • Affix CE and ATEX marking
  • Certification/type approval

More Information

The ATEX Directive applies to all equipment, protective systems, and some specified devices that are intended for use in potentially explosive atmospheres and are made or sold in the European Union. This includes electrical and mechanical equipment and protective systems for use on the surface, below ground, and on fixed offshore installations. It relates to all equipment, protective systems, safety devices, controlling devices, regulating devices, and components (defined as any item essential to the safe functioning of equipment).

Compliance with the ATEX Directive became mandatory on July 1, 2003. Manufacturers of equipment that fall under the scope of the ATEX Directive are responsible for meeting the general requirements of Annex II by applying all relevant standards based on the design and “protection methods” of the product. The ATEX Directive is a CE Marking Directive, which means products that fall under the scope of the directive are subject to CE marking. In addition, manufacturers have to meet specific responsibilities prior to launching equipment on the market.

If you are interested in TÜV Rheinland’s ATEX services, you may also be interested in these testing services:

  • EMC
  • Field evaluation
  • Semi S2 and S8
  • Other industrial machinery compliance and safety standards

Products Covered

  • Safety devices
  • Controlling devices
  • Regulating devices