WHAT IS EX EQUIPMENT CONFORMITY INSPECTION?

What Is Ex Equipment Conformity Inspection? What are the Amendments to the Regulation on Health and Safety Conditions in the Use of Work Equipment with regard to the Inclusion of Equipment Used in Explosive Atmospheres?

Ex Equipment Conformity Inspection is the study in which we evaluate and report whether the exproof equipment in the workplace is suitable for both the hazardous area specified in the Explosion Protection Document (PKD) and the suitability of their installation within the scope of EN 60079-14 and EN 60079-17 standards..

This study is carried out within the framework of the “Regulation on Equipment and Protective Systems for Use in Potentially Explosive Atmospheres (2014/34/EU)” and EN 60079-14 and EN 60079-17 standards.

However, the “Regulation Amending the Regulation on Health and Safety Conditions in the Use of Work Equipment” was published in the Official Gazette dated 18.02.2022 and numbered 31754 and work equipment used in explosive atmospheres was included in this regulation.

Clause 14/B added by Clause 16 of this regulation regarding explosive atmospheres and Clause 1.13 of Annex-III amended by Article 31 of this regulation will enter into force on 31/12/2022.

In Clause 14/B added with Clause 16 of the “Regulation Amending the Regulation on Health and Safety Conditions in the Use of Work Equipment”;

“Periodic controls of the equipment whose periodic control report format and criteria are announced by the Ministry are carried out in accordance with the specified criteria and reports are prepared in accordance with the specified format. This condition is not required for equipment for which periodic control report format and criteria have not been published by the Ministry.” The Ministry has not yet published a report format for equipment used in explosive atmospheres. For this reason, companies can make evaluations within the framework of the 60079 series and use their own report formats.

In Clause 1.13 of Annex-III amended by Clause 31 of the “Regulation Amending the Regulation on Health and Safety Conditions in the Use of Work Equipment”

“Within the scope of Clause7/A of this regulation, periodic controls of work equipment used in explosive atmospheres are carried out by engineers, technical teachers, technicians or high technicians authorized to perform periodic controls from the relevant branches. In order to carry out the conformity control of work equipment used in explosive atmospheres, it is required to have an internationally recognized certificate to be announced by the Ministry or to have completed the relevant module in the advanced training to be organized by the Ministry.”

The internationally recognized certification criteria mentioned in the article above have not yet been published by the Ministry. Since the relevant training module announced by the Ministry has not been defined, in the current Ministry inspections, Ex Equipment Inspection Reports are prepared by Electrical and Mechanical Engineers and are inspected by persons with Ekipnet number.

Although the issues within the scope of report format and training criteria are currently unclear, the obligation of companies to prepare inspection reports within the scope of Ex Equipment Conformity by authorized persons continues.

As SZUTEST; With our expert engineer staff, we provide Ex Equipment Compliance Report service for equipment used in explosive atmospheres. For detailed information about our services, please contact us at info@szutest.com.tr.