ATEX Directives - The Final Deadline for Compliance

Any new workplace with a Potentially Explosive Atmosphere or an existing one with significant changes to operation had to be compliant immediately after the 30th June 2003 deadline. However, for existing workplaces, the company has until 30th June 2006 to comply with ATEX 137 and to reach "the minimum requirements for improving the safety and health protection of workers potentially at risk form explosive atmospheres". It is important to remember that all risk assessments and any resultant remedial work must be carried out ahead of the 2006 deadline. The accompanying Explosion Protection Document must be complete and available for inspection by the local regulatory body, (for example, in the UK, this is the Health and Safety Executive). Remember that the initial assessment work must be carried out early enough so as not to risk missing the deadline. ATEX 137 draws on sound principles of safety that should already be in operation in the workplace, so the diligent employer may not have too many major tasks to undertake in order to comply. Likewise, ATEX 95 draws heavily on the previous framework, from the viewpoint of electrical apparatus.