Most sites handling flammable gases, vapours or combustible dusts already have something in place. There is a hazardous area classification drawing somewhere, a folder of equipment certificates, and an inspection routine that someone set up a few years ago. The problem is rarely that nothing exists. It is that the pieces were produced at different times, by different people, and no longer agree with each other or with the plant as it stands.

That matters because explosion protection only works as a chain. You classify the area, you select equipment that suits the zone, you install it so that the protection concept is actually maintained, and then you inspect and maintain it for the life of the asset. Most sites are strong on one or two of those links and weak on the rest. A well drawn zoning drawing does not help if a contractor has fitted the wrong gland, and a correctly certified enclosure does not help if it sits in a zone nobody has reassessed since the process changed. We work across the full chain, under DSEAR and ATEX.

What the work involves

Classifying the area. We carry out hazardous area assessments and surveys on site, defining Zone 0, 1 and 2 for gases and vapours and Zone 20, 21 and 22 for dusts, based on how likely an explosive atmosphere is to be present and for how long. The output is a zone schedule and classification drawings that reflect the plant as it operates now, not as it was originally built. Where drawings already exist, we review and update them rather than starting again.

Designing and selecting for the zone. Our EC and I engineers select equipment against the classification – flameproof, increased safety or intrinsically safe protection concepts as appropriate – and design the installation around it. That includes cable routing, entry methods and gland terminations, junction boxes, light fittings, switches and field instruments, all specified to hold zone integrity rather than simply carry the right marking. Work follows BS EN IEC 60079 and, where the wider electrical installation is in scope, BS 7671 and BS EN 61439.

Inspecting what is installed. Our engineers hold CompEx certification and carry out visual, close and detailed inspections of Ex equipment in zoned areas. We check glands, enclosures, terminations, earthing and conduit, recording non-conformances, degraded components and unauthorised modifications with photographs and priority ratings. Findings are walked through with your engineering and maintenance teams so the corrective actions are realistic.

What you get

  • Hazardous area classification drawings and a zone schedule for gas and dust zones
  • Equipment verification against the zone, including certification and marking checks
  • Support in compiling or updating your explosion protection document
  • Ex installation and inspection documentation, including marked up drawings where needed
  • A structured inspection report with photographs, non-conformances and prioritised corrective actions
  • An Ex asset register and a re-inspection and maintenance schedule you can run yourselves
  • Design deliverables for new or modified hazardous area installations, ready for procurement

When clients typically call us

  • A change of process, material or throughput has made the zoning drawings questionable
  • An HSE visit, insurer inspection or internal audit has raised the state of hazardous area documentation
  • A new plant item or skid is being installed in or near a zoned area and needs correct selection and design
  • A shutdown or turnaround window is coming up and Ex inspections need to be completed within it
  • Nobody on site can confirm when the Ex equipment was last formally inspected
  • A recent installation has failed inspection and the non-conformances need designing out, not just patching

Frequently asked questions

Is ATEX the same thing as DSEAR?

They overlap but are not identical. DSEAR places duties on you as an employer to assess and control explosion risk on site. ATEX governs the equipment and protective systems used in those areas. A compliant site needs both handled together, which is how we approach it.

Can you inspect equipment you did not design?

Yes, and that is most of the work. We inspect existing installations of any age or origin, report findings against the classification, and set out what needs correcting and in what order.

Do you have to shut the plant down for an inspection?

Not always. Visual and close inspections can often be done on live plant with the right permits and access. Detailed inspections need isolation, so we plan those around your shutdown windows.

Who does the work?

CompEx certified engineers from our EC and I and process safety teams, working under our ISO 9001:2015 quality system. The engineers who assess your zones understand what goes into them.

Related: Part of our process safety services. See also DSEAR assessments and hazardous area classification.

If your zoning drawings, equipment selection and inspection records no longer tell the same story, that gap is worth closing before someone else finds it. Talk to us about your plant. Request a call