Your Explosion Protection Partner

For the installation of electrical systems in potentially explosive atmospheres - i.e. the interconnection of equipment that has already been tested and certified - the Austrian regulation OVE E 8065 (in connection with EN 60079-14) with amendments must be applied.

This provision is a provision put into force under the Electrical Engineering Ordinance (ETV 2020) and must therefore be complied with.

Explosion protection document:

The EU Directive 1999/92/EC on minimum requirements for improving the safety and health protection of workers potentially at risk from explosive atmospheres obliges the employer, among other things, to draw up and keep an explosion protection document, which must contain information on the following points

•     the explosion hazards identified
•     the localisation of potentially explosive atmospheres and their classification into zones
•     the explosion protection measures to be taken
•     the suitability of the work equipment and installations used
•     the scope and results of the tests and measurements carried out
•     as well as all necessary organisational measures such as work instructions, warning and alarm plans

The Austrian implementation of this Directive is the Regulation on the protection of workers from explosive atmospheres (VEXAT).

A valid explosion protection document is a necessary requirement for the subsequent correct installation of electrical systems and equipment.

The design and production of explosion-protected equipment, devices and components is covered by EU Directive 2014/34/EU, the so-called ATEX Directive (implemented in Austria as ExSV 2015).
TÜV AUSTRIA is notified by the EU as an accredited inspection body for the performance of tests and inspections according to this directive and also as a "Notified Body" (Notified Body identification number 0408).

Depending on the type of protection, category, gas or dust atmosphere or Equipment Protection Level (EPL) used, ATEX equipment must be designed, manufactured and tested according to one or more of the following harmonised European standards (EN standards), e.g:

Electrical equipment and devices:

•     EN IEC 60079-0: general requirements
•     EN 60079-1: Flameproof enclosure "d
•     EN 60079-2: pressurised enclosure "p
•     EN 60079-5: Sand encapsulation "q
•     EN 60079-6: Oil encapsulation "o
•     EN 60079-7: Increased safety "e
•     EN 60079-11: intrinsic safety "i
•     EN 60079-15: Type of protection "n
•     EN 60079-18: encapsulation "m
•     EN 60079-26: Equipment with equipment protection level (EPL) Ga
•     EN 60079-28: Equipment using optical radiation
•     EN 60079-31: Protection by enclosure "t" (dust)
•     and others

Non-electrical equipment:

•     EN ISO 80079-36: Non-electrical equipment, Basic concepts and requirements "h
•     EN ISO 80079-37: Non-electrical equipment, protection "c", "b" and "k" (all with marking "h")

TÜV AUSTRIA offers two options for depositing the technical documentation in accordance with ATEX Directive 2014/34/EU, Article 8 (1) b) ii) Art. 13, Paragraph (1) b) ii) for equipment other than internal combustion engines or electrical equipment:

•     1-year deposit (duration: one year with automatic renewal by one year each)
•     10-year deposit (duration: 10 years with automatic renewal by one year each)

The technical documentation must enable the conformity of the apparatus with the requirements of the Directive to be assessed. It must, as far as relevant for such assessment, cover the design, manufacture and operation of the apparatus.

They shall contain, inter alia

•     a general description of the apparatus.
•     conceptual design and manufacturing drawings and schemes of components, sub-assemblies, circuits, etc.
•     descriptions and explanations necessary for the understanding of the said drawings and schemes
      and the operationof the apparatus.
•     A list of the standards applied in full or in part and a description of the solutions adopted to meet
      the safety aspects of the Directive where standards have not been applied.
•     The results of the design calculations, examinations, etc.
•     Test reports