Through our network of more than 1,000 laboratories and offices in more than 100 countries, Intertek provides quality and safety solutions to a wide range of industries around the world.
Intertek is the industry leader with more than 1,000 laboratories and offices in more than 100 countries. Whether your business is local or global, we can ensure your products meet quality, health, environmental, safety, and social accountability standards for virtually any market around the world.
There are several testing standards and certifications across different countries for equipment being used in Hazloc and Intertek is an internationally recognized certification body for such equipment.
Intertek is providing
testing and certification regarding IECEx, ATEX, CCC Ex and also Hong Kong
requirement to customers around the world, with our services covering as below:
IECEx Certification (for International)
IECEx provides a product certification scheme for manufacturers,
regulators and users of equipment used in hazardous areas to address the risk
of fires or explosions from flammable gases or dusts.
Testing and certification of equipment, services and competence of persons to
international standards facilitates the sale of safer products internationally
as objective. Under IECEx Equipment Certification Scheme, IECEx requires that
electrical equipment demonstrates conformity to IEC 79 series standards
prepared by IEC TC31.
Benefits of the IECEx
certification include access to over 30 member countries who accept IEC
standards (national deviations may be required). Your IEC
certification can be used to obtain national certification marks.
ATEX Certification (for Europe)
The ATEX Directive 2014/34/EU covers equipment and protective
systems intended for use in potentially explosive atmospheres. The directive
defines the essential health and safety requirements and conformity assessment
procedures, to be applied before products are placed on the EU market.
Intertek is an ATEX
Notified Body, accredited by UKAS (UK) and Accredia (Italy), and our many years
of experience certifying equipment used in Hazardous Locations and Explosive
Atmospheres includes extensive ATEX Directive 2014/34/EU expertise.
In order to meet the requirements of the ATEX Directive, products must bear the
Distinctive Community Mark (‘Ex’ in hexagon) and CE marking before being sold
in the EU. Intertek can test and certify your products for ‘Ex’ and CE marks
for the IEC/EN 60079 and ISO/IEC/EN 80079 series of Standards for explosive
atmosphere standards. There exists ATEX 137 Workplace Directive
1999/92/EC which has given minimum requirements for improving the safety and
health protection of workers potentially at risk from explosive
atmospheres. This directive complements the responsibilities of
manufacturers under Directive 2014/34/EU by setting out the responsibilities of
employers. Employers
must classify areas where potentially explosive atmospheres may occur, into
zones. The classification given to a particular zone, and its
size and location, depends on the likelihood of an explosive atmosphere
occurring and its persistence if it does.
CCC Ex Certification (for China)
The CCC Ex-certification scheme applies to
the Ex-production quality of manufacturing. From 1 Oct 2020, very majority of
Ex-products sold in China have to be covered by CCC Ex certification.
QAN and QAR (for ATEX and IECEx)
The ATEX and IECEx scheme assure manufacturers’ quality systems by
means of Quality Assurance Notification (QAN) under ATEX and a Quality Assurance
Report (QAR) under the IECEx Scheme. The scheme has a mandatory quality
audit process that must be met in order to remain in compliance with
requirements.
ASO IECEx (for Saudi Arabia)
Manufacturers of the specific product
categories will essentially be required to have the IECEx certificate to be
able to import into KSA along with registration process. The list of
products being controlled are Junction Boxes, Control Boxes, Lighting products,
Plugs and Sockets, Electrical Pumps, Gas Detector and Gas Detection
System. By
choosing Intertek as service provider in SABER, our local team will review the
certificates and arrange subsequent testing if necessary with ultimate
objective to walk you through the certification process.
The (U.A.E.) Ministry for Commerce and
Industry given direction for new regulations to be introduced under the program
now known as the ‘Emirates Conformity Assessment System Ex’ (ECASEx). Emirates
Standards & Metrology Authority (ESMA) is the regulatory body appointed by
the (U.A.E.) Government to manage the program. This conformity assessment
approach is based on meeting the procedures and rules as defined within IECEx
scheme rules as defined within IECEx OD 01 and IECEx OD 02 for the
certification of electrical products intended for use in potentially explosive
atmospheres. By adopting this approach, the ECASEx program utilizes IEC
Standards as a means of supporting regulation for safety requirements. A
presumption of conformity is said to be met by meeting the requirements of the
IECEx scheme in full, including mandatory factory site Quality Assessment
Reports (QARs). Intertek
is an accredited Notified Body (NB0007) by ESMA to conduct Certification
activities under the ECASEx program.
UKEx Certification (for UK)
Market access requirements for the UK and EU are changing as a
result of the UK leaving the EU single market. As a result, the regulatory
conformity process for hazardous location products intended for the UK market
will also change.
From 1st January 2022, products previously bearing the ATEX mark, will require
Ex marking by a UK Approved Body. Hazardous location products for ‘Ex’
products (formerly ATEX) only UKCA or UK Approved Bodies (the UK equivalent of
an ATEX Notified Body) such as Intertek, are able to issue the appropriate
certificates needed for entry to the UK market and the Standards used will be
determined by the UK List of Designated Standard. After this date, ATEX
certification will no longer be recognized in the UK.
Hong Kong Local Requirement (for Hong
Kong)
Reference to COP for
the Electrical Wiring Regulation Section 15D, General Specification for
Electrical Installation in Government Buildings under Architectural Services
Department and Dangerous Goods Store under Fire Services Department, electrical
equipment and wiring of electrical installations exposed to potentially
explosive atmospheres should be constructed and protected to the requirements
specified for hazardous areas to relevant IEC 60079 or equivalent.
Reference to the defined Type of Protection as stated below with
appropriate standard being selected with respect to the relevant protection
type, manufacturers require independent 3rd party testing and certification
of their products to demonstrate the product conformity. Here below we
would like to bring some basic concepts.
Hazardous locations are defined in terms of Zone Classification
based on probability of a potentially explosive atmosphere reference to
relevant IEC standards (for IECEx) and EN standards (for ATEX). The
classification depends on the flammable medium such as gases, mists, vapors and
dusts. In addition, the probability of a potentially explosive atmosphere
occurring will also be counted.
Zone
Classification
For Gas, Mists or Vapors
Zone 0
Exposed continuously, for long period or high frequency
Zone 1
Likely to occur
Zone 2
Infrequently and for short periods only
For Dust
Zone 20
Exposed continuously, for long period or high frequency
Zone 21
Likely to occur
Zone 22
Infrequently and for short periods only
In addition to Zone Classification, hazardous locations are further divided by
Gas or Dust Groups, and classified by Temperature Classes depending on the
maximum temperature of the exposed surface of the product. Explosion
Group at IIA, IIB, IIC for Gases and IIIA, IIIB and IIIC for dust, along with
T1 – T6 or Txx ‘C for different surface temperatures.
