The United Nations through its UNECE (United Nations Economic Commission for Europe) has formally endorsed the use of an internationally recognised certification system, IECEx, that promotes safety of equipment in explosive areas. IECEx is the international system that verifies compliance with International Safety Standards in Ex areas. It covers equipment, systems, services and competence of personnel in the industries where the risk of fire and or explosions exist (Ex industries). In its session on November 26, the UNECE formally approved the new UN publication Common Regulatory Objective’s associated with the Explosive Environments Equipment Initiative. This publication endorses the use of an internationally recognised certification system to promote safety of equipment, services and personnel associated with explosive areas. IECEx’s IEC System for Certification to Standards Relating to Equipment for Use in Explosive Atmospheres is the internationally accepted certification system in that area.

The use of an internationally recognised certification system such as IECEx is essential to reduce unnecessary costs associated with duplication of testing and assessment. It also forms a clear basis for sound risk management. The IECEx System comprises the following three core Certification Schemes

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  • IECEx Certified Equipment Scheme
  • IECEx Certified Services Scheme
  • IECEx Certificate of Personnel Competencies Scheme

These schemes provide independent assurance that equipment and services comply with international safety standards and that persons holding an IECEx Certificate of Personnel Competency are competent to work in areas where a concentration of dust, vapour, or flammable liquids has the potential to cause explosions.The certification of equipment is accompanied by the certification of persons working in hazardous environments, as covered by the new IECEx Certificate of Personnel Competency Scheme.

Modern-day industrial automation has increased the need for equipment, especially electrical, in hazardous areas. Explosion protection is an essential part of the overall risk management to be conducted for industrial plant and equipment. Given the high risk nature of explosion protection, Ex areas are subject to heavy regulations in many countries.

Through the UNECE’s Working Party on Regulatory Cooperation and Standardisation Policies, a sectoral initiative on Equipment for Environments with an Explosive Atmosphere was established.

The objective of the UNECE initiative is to promote the convergence of national technical regulations currently in place toward a shared framework. This will eliminate existing barriers to trade in this equipment and drastically reduce its costs. At the same time, this will increase the safety of installation and personnel working in this sector. In turn, communities living in the proximity of hazardous locations will also be better protected.

To achieve this, the UNECE has developed a series of Common Regulatory Objectives. They can be used as a model to align existing national regulations on explosive environments with an internationally harmonised best practice. In countries where such legislation doesn’t exist, they can help draw up specific regulations.

The Common Regulatory Objectives are drawn up with reference to ISO and IEC International Standards. Best practice in the assessment of conformity to such standards is entrusted to IECEx.

IECEx, is dedicated to covering the highly specialised field of explosion protection associated with the use of equipment in areas where flammable gases, liquids, and combustible dusts may be present. This system provides the assurance that equipment is manufactured to meet dedicated Ex safety standards, and that services such as installation, repair, and overhaul also comply with international IEC safety standards.

IECEx has recently launched its new Certified Persons Scheme to ensure persons working in these areas are competent to apply the International safety Standards.

IECEx groups together a large number of Certification Bodies and testing laboratories around the world that assess and certify Ex Equipment, Services and Personnel.

IECEx Certificates of Conformity are both standardized and publicly available on the IECEx online certificate system, and immediately verifiable, regardless of which Certification Body issued it.

The IECEx System includes:

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  • IECEx Certified Equipment Scheme
    Provides the assurance that products listed on an IECEx Certificate of Conformity (CoC) conform to the International Standards, eg IEC also listed on the same IECEx Certificate.
  • IECEx Certified Service Facilities Scheme
    Assesses and certifies that organizations and workshops that provide repair and overhaul services to the Ex industry do so respecting the requirements of IEC International Standard, IEC 60079-19, Explosive atmospheres – Part 19: Equipment repair, overhaul and reclamation.
  • IECEx Certification of Personnel Competencies Scheme
    Provides companies with independent proof that a person holding an IECEx Certificate of Personnel Competency (CoPC) has the qualifications, experience and competency necessary to implement the international Ex standards.

You can find more information about IECEx on: www.iecex.com