Investing in Safety: The Importance of Certified Hazardous Area Lighting

Safety and compliance in Hazardous Area lighting start with genuine certification. By choosing certified products, you ensure robust safety standards, enhance reliability, and provide peace of mind. In the following article, we discuss how genuinely certified lighting solutions enhance safety and reliability.

Selecting Hazardous Area lighting involves verifying genuine certification, ensuring compliance with safety standards, and providing long-term protection.

Ex Certification Schemes:

There are several different schemes designed to ensure product safety in potentially explosive atmospheres. Different countries accept different standards, and the key schemes include:

• ATEX: the ATEX equipment directive is mandatory for Hazardous Area equipment used in explosive atmospheres within the European Union, and is also recognised in many non-EU countries, including the UK
• UKEX: the UKEX system, operating within UKCA, is used to permit trade within Great Britain, mirroring ATEX and sharing the same Harmonised EN standards. Ex product users in Great Britain now have the choice of using ATEX or UKEX compliant products in their Hazardous Area applications
• IECEx: the IECEx Scheme is an international certification system that provides a single set of standards for the safety of equipment used in explosive atmospheres. Most countries will not accept these standards outright, compliance to IECEx is instead sought as a means of more easily gaining certification to local regional standards. The exceptions to this are Australia and Singapore, which accept IECEx without additional certification to a national standard
• NEC500/NEC505: in the United States, electrical equipment for use in hazardous locations must be approved by a Nationally Recognised Testing Laboratory (NRTL) which has been accredited by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). NRTL laboratories include organisations such as UL, FM. In Canada, electrical equipment for use in hazardous locations must be approved by a certification body accredited by the Standards Council of Canada (SCC). Canadian accredited laboratories include CSA

As well as checking the physical product, the documentation related to the product should also be verified. These documents may include:

• Ex Product Certificates: request the relevant scheme certificate from the manufacturer. For ATEX request the EU Declaration of Conformity and the EU Type Examination Certificate. The certificate is a crucial document that states the product has been tested and meets all essential health and safety requirements. It includes detailed information about the product’s specifications, the conditions under which it can be used, and the concept of protection standards it complies with. Read the certificate and make sure the product it is describing is the product you are evaluating
  • The certificate also indicates which Certification Body has issued the certificate.  Counterfeit certificates do exist, so check with the issuer if you are unsure
  • Products classified as category 3 (3G/3D) in the ATEX directive can be “self-declared” as safe in normal risk Hazardous Area environments. The manufacturer must, however, still prepare and issue an EU Declaration of Conformity to verify compliance

For IECEx certificates, the IECEx online certificate system can be used to verify the authenticity of the certificate: https://www.iecex-certs.com/#/search

• EU Declaration of Conformity (DoC): manufacturers are obliged to provide a copy of the DoC to the ATEX Directive with each Hazardous Area product or batch of identical products supplied, either within the instruction manual or as a separate document. It should include the product's code, Notified Body details, and the manufacturer’s signature
• Instruction manual: ensure the product comes with a comprehensive manual detailing safe usage, maintenance, and compliance information
• Manufacturers ATEX QAN (Quality Assurance Notification) / IECEx QAR (Quality Assessment Report): where an ATEX or IECEx product certificate has been issued it is worth examining the QAN or QAR, users can be confident that the manufacturer's products are produced under a rigorous quality management system, significantly reducing the risk of product failure.   A QAN is also not essential for products in risk category 3.  The QAN/QAR:
  • Confirms that the manufacturer has been assessed for manufacturing Ex product with the concept of protection stated on the product certificate and satisfies any relevant requirements
  • Gives evidence of regular audits: QAN/QAR involves regular audits by an independent Notified Body, ensuring ongoing compliance with stringent safety and quality requirements
  • Proves traceability: the documentation required for QAN/QAR provides traceability of all processes and products, ensuring that each item can be tracked back to its origin, which is crucial in maintaining safety standards
  • Non-Conforming product management: ensures that any non-conforming products are identified, managed, and corrective actions are taken, reducing the risk of unsafe products reaching the market
  • Manufacturer’s commitment: possession of a QAN/QAR indicates a manufacturer’s commitment to maintaining high safety standards and adherence to regulatory requirements, providing additional reassurance to users
  • Independent verification: the involvement of a third-party Notified Body for QAN/QAR provides independent verification of the manufacturer’s adherence to safety standards, enhancing trust in the products. The QAN/QAR confirms that the manufacturer’s quality management system is suitable for the manufacture of Ex product, and complies with international standard ISO/IEC 80079-34, ensuring consistent production of safe products in accordance with the individual product certificates
  • Updated compliance: regular reviews and updates ensure that the manufacturer’s processes and products comply with the latest harmonised standards and regulations, which is vital for safety in potentially explosive atmospheres
  • Detailed records: maintaining comprehensive records as required by QAN/QAR helps in quick resolution of any issues and ensures that all products meet the necessary safety criteria before reaching the end user
  • Product features and specifications can be compared with the certificate and documentation to ensure consistency

In addition, EU Notified Bodies can be verified through the European Commission’s NANDO database and certificates cross checked to ensure authenticity.

IECEx online certificate system can be used to verify the authenticity of the QAR: https://www.iecex-certs.com/#/search

Further steps to help reduce risks of purchasing counterfeit products include researching the manufacturer’s history and reputation in producing ATEX/IECEx certified products, and for their after-sales support.  Purchase from authorised distributors or directly from manufacturer.  Check that the manufacturer or distributor offers after-sales support and additional verification if required

Summary

Genuine certification of Hazardous Area lighting products ensures compliance and safety, protecting your workplace. By investing in certified products, you gain peace of mind and a safer working environment. The benefits of reliability and safety far outweigh any additional cost, making it a worthwhile and sensible investment.

For more information on QAN and QAR, click here for SGS Baseefa’s “A Guide to QAN and QAR”

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