Is ATEX certification accepted in Australia?
In Australia, most electrical equipment installed in a hazardous area is required to be certified ANZ Ex or IEC Ex to demonstrate that it meets the requirements of the AS/NZS 60079 or equivalent IEC 60079 set of standards (the exception being simple devices installed in intrinsically Safe circuits). Certification can only be obtained through independent certifying bodies.
The ATEX system is a directive not a certification system, it dictates certain Essential Health and Safety Requirements (EHSR) that equipment must meet to be ‘ATEX approved’. The process of proving that any piece of equipment meets the EHSRs can be self-assessed and self-certified by the manufacturer in some circumstances.
If you want to use ATEX equipment, what can you do?
If you want to use an ATEX marked piece of equipment, not all hope is lost. There are certain circumstances that can make it possible. If the ATEX device also has IEC certification but has the wrong label, the supplier may replace it for you with a device with suitable markings.
If there are no suitably certified options available for your requirements a Conformity Assessment Document (CAD) of an ATEX certified device can be completed by competent person. A CAD is a written assessment that confirms the piece of equipment offers an equivalent or higher level of safety than that required by one of the approved certification schemes. CADs often aren’t cheap so choosing a suitably certified piece of equipment in the first place should always be the priority.
The short answer is that ATEX equipment in general cannot be used in Australia without a CAD (or other justification documentation) to support it.
If you have any questions on the use of devices with ATEX, ANZ or IEC Ex certificates in Australia or would like help with CAD documents contact us today. We have over 200 years combined hazardous area design, classification and inspection experience in house and can provide sensible solutions to most EEHA problems!