UK What ATEX certification means
ATEX certification is the process a manufacturer follows to show that a product meets the essential health and safety requirements of the EU equipment directive 2014/34/EU, so it can be sold for use in explosive atmospheres. It covers electrical and non-electrical equipment, protective systems such as flame arresters, and components that go inside them.
The phrase is used loosely. Strictly, only some equipment is certified by a third party: an independent notified body examines the design and audits production. Equipment for the least hazardous zones is usually assessed by the manufacturer itself, which then declares conformity. Both routes lead to an EU declaration of conformity and the same style of marking, which is why buyers tend to call everything “ATEX certified”. Our explainer on what ATEX is covers the two directives and the full marking string.
Conformity routes by equipment category
The route depends on the equipment category, which in turn depends on the zones the product is meant for. In broad terms, the directive sets out these options:
| Category | Intended zones | Conformity route | Notified body role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Category 1 (1G, 1D) | Zone 0 or 20, and all lower zones | EU-type examination (Module B) plus production quality assurance (Module D) or product verification (Module F) | Examines the design, issues the EU-type examination certificate and audits or checks production |
| Category 2, electrical | Zone 1 or 21, and Zone 2 or 22 | EU-type examination (Module B) plus product quality assurance (Module E) or conformity to type (Module C1) | Examines the design and monitors production |
| Category 2, non-electrical | Zone 1 or 21, and Zone 2 or 22 | Internal production control (Module A), with the technical file lodged with a notified body | Holds the technical file |
| Category 3 | Zone 2 or 22 | Internal production control (Module A) | None required; some manufacturers choose a voluntary assessment |
| Any category | As certified | Single-item verification (Module G) | Examines the individual item |
Group I equipment for mines follows a parallel scheme with categories M1 and M2. Whatever the route, the manufacturer keeps the technical documentation for 10 years after the last product is placed on the market.
Steps in the certification process
For a typical electrical product, certification runs through the same stages.
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Define the intended use. Equipment group and category, gas or dust, gas group, temperature class and ambient temperature range.
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Design to the harmonised standards. EN IEC 60079-0 sets the general requirements, and further parts cover each protection concept, such as flameproof, increased safety and intrinsic safety. EN ISO 80079-36 and -37 cover non-electrical equipment.
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Test and assess. A notified body, or the manufacturer for category 3, checks the design against the standards and records the results.
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Compile the technical file. Drawings, test reports, risk assessment, instructions and the list of standards applied.
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Declare and mark. Issue the EU declaration of conformity, fit the marking and supply instructions that state any conditions of safe use.
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Keep production in line. For categories 1 and 2, the notified body audits the factory quality system, often called a quality assurance notification, so every product built matches the examined type.
Reading an ATEX certificate and marking
An ATEX certificate number tells you who issued it and when. It usually takes the form of the notified body’s name, a two-digit year, “ATEX” and a serial number, for example Baseefa 12ATEX0123X. Two suffixes matter. An X means the certificate lists specific conditions of use, such as a limited ambient range or an instruction to charge only in a safe area, and those conditions must be followed. A U marks an Ex component, such as an enclosure or terminal, that is not complete equipment and cannot be used on its own.
On the product, the CE mark is followed by the notified body’s four-digit identification number where a body supervises production, then the Ex hexagon, the group and category, and the protection string. A Zone 2 computer might read II 3G Ex ic IIC T4 Gc; a Zone 1 instrument might read II 2G Ex db IIC T6 Gb. Category 3 products without third-party involvement carry no notified body number.
ATEX certification for computers and mobile devices
Most computers, displays and HMIs for hazardous areas are category 3 products for Zone 2, because full computing power is hard to fit inside the energy limits of the higher categories. The common protection concepts are Ex ic and Ex ec. Zone 1 versions exist, but they usually rely on flameproof or pressurised enclosures, or on very low-power designs.
Our catalogue reflects this. Our hazardous area panel PCs include ATEX Zone 2 models, our rugged tablets include a 10.1 inch model marked II 3G Ex ic IIC T4 Gc with IECEx and Class I, Division 2 approval as well, and our rugged handheld computers include an ATEX and IECEx Zone 2 version. Several of our managed industrial switches list ATEX Zone 2 approval for cabinets in zoned areas. The certification is always the manufacturer’s, so the certificate and marking should be checked against the zone drawing before ordering.
Quick answers on ATEX certification
ATEX certification: common questions
Who issues ATEX certificates?
Notified bodies. These are test and certification houses appointed by EU member states and listed in the European Commission’s NANDO database.
What is the difference between ATEX certified and ATEX compliant?
Who did the assessment. Certified usually means a notified body examined the design. Compliant often means a category 3 product the manufacturer has self-declared.
Does an ATEX certificate expire?
Not as such, but it can go out of date. When harmonised standards are revised, manufacturers review and update certificates, and production audits run on a regular cycle.
Is ATEX certification valid in the UK?
Yes, in Great Britain. CE-marked ATEX equipment can still be placed on the GB market, and UKCA marking is an alternative route.
Can ATEX certified equipment be modified?
Not without care. Changes outside the certificate, even adding an unlisted cable or accessory, can invalidate the protection and the marking.
We supply hazardous area computers, tablets and handhelds as complete systems, integrated and validated as standard within the manufacturer’s certified configuration, and we will match the marking to your zone, gas group and temperature class.