Safety in hazardous areas can incorporate a variety of parameters including the management of identified risks. Through effective risk management, many accidents and disasters may be avoided if required precautions had been observed and implemented.
Explosion protection is a critical component of risk management for industrial sectors such as coal mining, oil, gas, and chemical manufacturing, since it helps assure the safety of industrial operations that use or produce hazardous elements such as flammable gas, dusts, or vapours.
The hazards to human life and health, as well as the risk of property loss, are extremely significant while operating equipment in the presence of explosive atmospheres.
Incidents such as oil rig explosions are proof that when dealing with potentially flammable and/or explosive material, the utmost safety measures must be taken to protect the environment and all lives involved. One such measure is to ensure certifications in hazardous areas and compliance to the relevant standards.
The United Nations through UNECE (the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe), has endorsed IECEx, the International Electrotechnical Commission System for Certification to Standards Relating to Equipment for Use in Explosive Atmospheres, as the international certification system for conformity assessment in Ex areas. It makes use of quality evaluation and assessments criteria developed by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC).
The System is genuinely worldwide in scope and has been recognised as the world’s best practise model for verifying compliance with international standards for explosive atmospheres. IECEx has been the first genuinely worldwide conformity assessment system since 1996, testing and offering hazardous area certifications of all types of Ex equipment and installations – electrical and non-electrical – as well as certifying the knowledge and expertise of personnel working in hazardous areas.
The IECEx Certification System establishes a global standard for the certification of hazardous areas, equipment, maintenance facilities, and individual expertise in this sector. The IECEx system also analyses the competency of employees involved in the inspection, installation, maintenance, and repair of equipment and systems.
Through IECEx standards and hazardous area certifications, a strong and reliable mechanism for uniform certification schemes that apply across industries is achieved. Furthermore, a dedicated IECEx website provides real-time access to certificates.
IECEx has procedures in place to assist industry, authorities, and regulators in ensuring the greatest degree of safety for electrical and non-electrical equipment, as well as individuals working in Ex sites.
A valid IECEx certificate demonstrates conformity with international standards, which is critical for any personnel responsible for safety in hazardous environments, and the equipment they run. Hazardous area certifications are recognised as crucial requirements for many operating in Ex environments.
The IECEx approved equipment scheme’s testing and certifications such as hazardous area certification are recognised in all of its member nations and beyond. The System enables service providers to access global markets, facilitating international trade of equipment and services for use in explosive environments. While helping to build confidence in the safety of Ex equipment, it also helps to significantly lower costs by eliminating the need for re-testing and multiple certifications.
The IECEx system provides an important global solution for many of the dangers associated with Ex environment. As an IECEx certified company, EXS Synergy provides asset owners and operators with the relevant solutions in ensuring a safe workplace for people, facility and the environment.
