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    ATEX

    Definition

    Two EU directives addressing explosive atmospheres: 1999/92/EC concerns worker protection; 2014/34/EU concerns equipment and protective systems.

    Editorial definition: The QHSE Standard, updated 3 October 2026 · https://qhsetech.com/glossary/atex

    Scope: Applicability depends on the atmosphere, work and equipment involved, rather than the industry label alone.

    Example for your evaluation: Ask which equipment classifications and inspection records your site needs to retain.

    Sources checked: . Examples are editorial illustrations.

    What the two ATEX directives say

    HSE explains that ATEX is the common name for two European directives on explosive atmospheres. Directive 1999/92/EC, the workplace directive, sets minimum health and safety requirements for workers who may be at risk from explosive atmospheres. Directive 2014/34/EU covers equipment and protective systems made for use in potentially explosive atmospheres; it applies from 20 April 2016 and replaced Directive 94/9/EC. HSE says that in Great Britain DSEAR implements the first and the 2016 Equipment and Protective Systems Regulations implement the second.

    The workplace directive defines an explosive atmosphere as air mixed, under atmospheric conditions, with flammable gases, vapours, mists or dusts, where combustion spreads to the entire unburned mixture once ignition has occurred. The employer takes measures in order of priority: prevent the formation of explosive atmospheres, avoid their ignition, and mitigate the effects of an explosion. Explosion risks are assessed overall, taking account of how likely explosive atmospheres and ignition sources are and the scale of the effects. The employer classifies places into zones: zones 0, 1 and 2 for gas, vapour or mist and zones 20, 21 and 22 for dust, by the frequency and duration of the atmosphere. An explosion protection document must be drawn up before work begins and revised after significant changes. Its annex says equipment is selected by category for each zone unless the document says otherwise, and that permits to work are used where the document requires them.

    The equipment directive sets groups and categories. Group II category 1 is intended for areas where an explosive atmosphere is present continuously, for long periods or frequently, category 2 where it is likely to occur occasionally, and category 3 where it is unlikely or only brief. Conformity assessment depends on group and category, and category 1 equipment needs an EU-type examination combined with production quality assurance or product verification. The manufacturer draws up an EU declaration of conformity and affixes the CE marking, followed by the specific explosion-protection marking. The directives do not cover everything: the workplace directive excludes, for example, areas used for the medical treatment of patients. National law differs, and this summary is general information, not legal advice.

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    What an ATEX record holds in software

    • A register of places where explosive atmospheres may occur, with the substance, the zone given and the basis for it.
    • The explosion protection document, its revision number, the drawings it cites and the date of each revision.
    • An equipment register: each item, its location and zone, the category and explosion-protection marking it carries, and the reference to its declaration of conformity.
    • Inspection and maintenance records for that equipment, including findings and the person who made them.
    • The record of the verification of overall explosion safety before first use, with the competent person named.
    • Written instructions, permits to work and training for work in the classified places.
    • Coordination records where workers of several employers share the workplace.

    ATEX, DSEAR, zone and category

    ATEX is shorthand for two directives and is not a certificate. DSEAR is the Great Britain regulation that HSE says implements the workplace directive. A zone describes a place and a category describes equipment, and a document that uses one for the other will mislead. A rule that applies to the manufacturer when equipment is placed on the market is separate from a duty on the employer who selects and uses it.

    A hypothetical example: a solvent mixing room

    This invented case describes no real site and shows the kind of entries a register would hold. A company mixes coatings in a room where flammable solvent vapour can occur. A competent person classifies the room and the area around the filling point into zones by how often and for how long a vapour atmosphere would be present, and the classification and its basis are entered in the register. The explosion protection document refers to the zone drawing by its revision number.

    The equipment register lists each mixer, light and sensor in the zoned areas with the marking and category it carries. A new portable pump arrives, and the system compares its category with the zone of the place where it will be used and flags a mismatch until a suitable item is chosen. After a layout change the drawing is revised, the document is reissued, and the register shows which items were rechecked. Contractors working in the room receive written instructions and a permit to work.

    Common misunderstandings about ATEX

    • ATEX is not a single standard or certificate. It names two directives with different addressees, the employer and the manufacturer.
    • A zone and a category are not the same thing. The first classifies a place and the second the protection level of equipment, and the directive ties them together.
    • Dust is covered as well as gas. The zone system has dust zones 20, 21 and 22, and layers and deposits of dust must be considered as a source.
    • A classification is not permanent. The explosion protection document must be revised when the workplace, equipment or organisation of work changes significantly.
    • Marked equipment is not enough. The employer still needs a risk assessment, the zone classification and an assessment of how the equipment is used and maintained.

    How ATEX relates to other glossary terms

    ATEX duties sit with the terms for permits, hazardous atmospheres and process safety.

    • DSEAR: the Great Britain regulations that HSE says implement the workplace directive.
    • Permit to work: the workplace directive's annex names permits to work for work in hazardous places where the document requires them.
    • Confined space: flammable atmospheres in a confined space are a hazard to assess for entry.
    • Process safety management: covers explosion hazards in processes alongside the other process safety elements.

    Records and evidence that usually exist for ATEX duties

    • The zone classification with its basis, drawings and revision history.
    • The explosion protection document.
    • The equipment register with markings, categories and declarations of conformity.
    • Inspection, maintenance and repair records for equipment in classified places.
    • The record of verification before first use and after major changes.
    • Permits to work, instructions and training records.

    What a software tool needs to capture for ATEX

    • A zone register tied to drawings with revision numbers, not only a list of rooms.
    • An equipment register that keeps the marking, the category and the declaration reference for each item.
    • A check that compares an item's category with the zone of its location and flags a mismatch.
    • Scheduled inspection tasks for each item, with findings and the inspector recorded.
    • A prompt to review the zone and the document after a change of layout, substance or process.
    • Linked permits to work and an export for an auditor.

    Catalog profiles documenting asset integrity management

    Profiles appear when they meet the asset integrity rule. The rule does not test for a zone register or for checking equipment categories against zones, so ask to see both.

    Same rule for every product: tagged “Asset Integrity”, “Asset Management” or “Equipment Maintenance”, with a sourced asset integrity, inspection data or maintenance capability in its record, or one the vendor stated to us, labelled as vendor-stated. Documented and conditional capabilities qualify; check the linked scope before treating a module as included.

    Tekmon pays for a sponsored placement (above); its place in this list follows the same rule as every entry. How lists are ordered

    All 8 matching profiles are shown. Documentation review, not hands-on testing or a claim of compliance.

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    Frequently asked questions

    Does ATEX apply in Great Britain?

    HSE says DSEAR implements the workplace directive and the Equipment and Protective Systems Regulations 2016 implement the equipment directive in Great Britain. Check HSE guidance for the markings and rules that currently apply.

    What is an explosion protection document?

    The document the workplace directive requires employers to draw up before work starts and to revise after significant changes. It shows that risks were assessed, places classified into zones and adequate measures taken.

    Is a zone the same as an equipment category?

    No. A zone describes how often and how long an explosive atmosphere occurs in a place. A category describes the protection level built into equipment. The workplace directive links them: category 1 equipment in zones 0 and 20, category 1 or 2 in zones 1 and 21, and category 1, 2 or 3 in zones 2 and 22, unless the explosion protection document says otherwise.

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