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Understanding ATEX and IECEx Labels

The European ATEX Directive 2014/34/EU controls the manufacture and import of many
products for use in explosive atmospheres, including non-electrical equipment. It requires
that the product is safe, and carries a label indicating the conditions under which it is
approved for use. All ATEX equipment must bear the CE marking. Import, sale or workplace
use of equipment without ATEX approval is illegal within the EU.

In order for ATEX to apply, the product must satisfy all of these three criteria:

1. It must be purposely-designed for use within an explosive atmosphere at normal temperatures and pressures.
2. The atmosphere may contain gas, vapour, mist or dust as a fuel, but must be based on air as the oxidiser.
3. The equipment must have an ignition source in and of itself, such as a spark, hot surface, etc.

Items such as hammers are not covered as they do not generate sparks in and of themselves (only when struck against
another item), and some mechanical devices such as hand-operated valves are excluded under statements issued by
the EEC, as they are not considered to move fast enough to generate frictional heat sufficient to cause ignition. The
Directive also excludes medical devices, items for domestic use, PPE, ships and items for use on ships, and products
where the explosion hazard results solely from the presence of explosives or unstable chemicals (e.g. airbags).

The IECEx scheme is controlled by the International Electrotechnical Commission, and covers electrical equipment
for use in explosive atmospheres. IECEx uses different codes and approvals systems, but also requires detailed
information on the product label. IECEx does not currently apply to non-electrical equipment.

Many modern devices will carry both ATEX and IECEx approval, and so the label will display codes and information
from both schemes. Some of that information is common, some is not. A typical ATEX and IECEx label is shown below.

Product name Year and serial No.

SuperPump X200 2017 s/n 004535115

Manufacturer’s address IEC Power specs

IECEx Certificate No. ATEX Certificate No.

Explosion classification Operating temp range

CE Marking ATEX marking

The minimum information on the label required by ATEX Article 6 is as follows:

• Name and address of the manufacturer(s) who hold the production quality assurance certificate. On very small
products the address can be placed on the packaging. For non-EU items the importer’s details are also required.
• The CE marking - shall be at least 5mm in height wherever possible, and shall be followed by the serial number of
the Notified Body certifying the production assurance system or type examination.
• Type or model reference, and serial number (if any).
• Year of manufacture - this may be part of the serial number, to simplify printing of labels or castings.
• The ATEX Marking - the “hexagon” symbol immediately followed by the equipment group and category.
• Additional marking “as required for safe use” - such as the explosion
classification, ambient temperature limit, supply voltage, etc. - the
Directive requires this information to be shown but does not define
exactly what it is, rather the various product standards (EN and IEC)
will each define certain fields and symbols to display.

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The ATEX groups Group Definition

Immediately to the right of the “hexagon” symbol on a product label The underground parts of
are the ATEX group code(s). There are two groups, I and II. mines, and to those parts of
Group I is divided into two categories: M1 (the equipment will be in surface installations of mines,
I
an energized state when the atmosphere is present) and M2 (it will that are liable to be endangered
be de-energized when the atmosphere is present). by firedamp (methane) and/or
For example the marking E M2 indicates equipment which can combustible dust.
be used in mines susceptible to firedamp and flammable dust, but
when an explosive atmosphere is present it must be de-energized.
II All other industries

Group II is divided into three categories, 1, 2 and 3, based on how frequently the explosive atmosphere will be
present. Within the ATEX code, the permitted fuel types are shown by “G” for gases, mists and vapours, and/or “D” for
flammable dusts. The IECEx scheme also uses Group III, referring to dusts in non-mining applications.

IECEx and the ATEX “Workplace” Directive 1999/92/EC also use “zones”, and differentiate between gas- and dust-
based fuels by prefixing the zone number with “2” if the fuel is a dust. It is important to remember that ATEX 2014
“category” numbers are one higher than zone numbers, so “zone 0” = “category 1”.
IEC & ATEX ‘99 Zone ATEX 2014
Protection level Description
Gases & vapours Dusts Category
Explosive atmospheres are present continually
0 20 1 Very high
or for long periods or frequently.
Explosive atmospheres are likely to occur under
1 21 2 High
normal operations, occasionally.
Explosive atmospheres are not expected to
2 22 3 Normal occur under normal operations. Where they do
occur, it will be for a short period only.
Many products are approved for use in more than one group, or are designed for “boundary” installation (where they
span a bulkhead between two zones) or “contained” installation where they are placed in an area that is different to the
classification of the atmosphere they are handling—for example an extract fan may be carrying gases from a category
IIA enclosure, but itself is only designed to be installed in a category IIC area. In these cases the ATEX marking will
show both categories, divided by a forward slash. Where a device performs as an external safety device only
(such as the control panel for a series of zone-0 fire detectors) but is not in and of itself approved for use in
that category, the number will be shown in brackets. A hyphen indicates the equipment is not approved for Ex use.

The table below shows some typical examples of ATEX markings. Note how some of these examples refer to equipment
which cannot be used in an EX location! The presence and position of the hyphen is all-important.
ATEX Marking Explanation
E I M2 Mining equipment, category 2, for de-energized use.
E II 1 GD Non-mining equipment, category 1 (zone 0), for gases and dusts
Non-mining equipment, suitable for use in category 2 (zone 1) containing a safety
E II 2(1) G device for connection to equipment in caegory 1 (zone 0).
A non-mining safety device with intrinsically-safe circuits, for use with category 1
E II (1) GD equipment, but which itself cannot be installed in an EX zone.
A non-mining safety device which protects both category 1 and category 2 equipment,
E II (2)G (1)G but which itself cannot be installed in an EX zone.
E II 1/2 G A device installed on the boundary of category 1 and 2 (zones 0 and 1).
E II 3/- D A device handling dust from category 3 but which cannot be installed in an Ex zone.
E II -/1 G A device handling non-explosive gas, but installed within category 1 (zone 0).

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The Explosion Classification
Every product will have at least one Explosion Classification. This is a code indicating the protection concepts and
approved environments in which this item can be used. Where equipment is rated for use in more than one ATEX
Group, there will be an Explosion Classification for each. Where equipment has been certified under both ATEX and
IECEx, there may be additional Explosion Classifications from the IECEx scheme, which are not part of the ATEX
system (e.g. a classification for Group III).

The Classification begins with “Ex” or “EEx” — the latter denotes that the equipment has been certified against an EN
standard, and “Ex” denotes it has been certified against an international or IEC standard. It is important to note that
the Classification is written in normal text - the fact that the E symbol contains the same letters is purely coincidental.

Next will be the “protection concept”, a case-sensitive code showing what measures the equipment uses to effect
safety. These codes are described on the next pages.

Next may be the Gas Group or Dust Group to which this Classification refers. See later for explanations of these.

Next is temperature class, either using a T-number for ATEX, or the temperature value in °C for IECEx (see below).

The equipment protection level (EPL) from IEC/EN 60079 is usually last in the sequence, but there may be an IP rating.

The example Explosion Classification on the right reads as follows:

EEx q IIA T5 Ga
• EEx — This product complies with an EN standard.
• q — The “protection concept” is “powder-filled”.
• IIA — Suitable for use with Gas Group IIA (propane).
• T5 — Maximum surface temperature 100°C.
• Ga — Very high equipment protection level, will be safe even after two malfunctions. Suitable for zone 0.

Temperature classes
The maximum possible surface temperature of equipment is shown in the
Class Max surface temp
ATEX Explosion Classification as a “T” value, ranging from T1 to T6 in order of
decreasing value (so T6 is “safer”). IEC 60079-0:2011 permits marking a range T1 450 °C
of certified temperatures with an ellipsis, such as “T4 ... T6”. T2 300 °C
Under IECEx, the maximum possible surface temperature is printed as a T3 200 °C
real value in °C, so the code may be “T200°C” rather than “T3”. For dust- T4 135 °C
based atmospheres, the IECEx sequence will also show the maximum surface T5 100 °C
temperature in °C with a certain covering of dust. For example the code “T250
300°C” means that with a 250 millimetre covering of dust, the maximum T6 85 °C
surface temperature of the equipment is 300°C.

When selecting equipment, it is crucial that the self-ignition temperature of the fuel is significantly higher than the
maximum possible surface temperature of the equipment. For any product that generates internal heat, the surface
temperature will depend on the external (ambient) temperature; so the permitted ambient temperature range is also
usually shown on the ATEX product label. Where it is not shown, the assumed range is -20°C to +40°C.

Where the safety and compliance of a product is affected by heat or cold (e.g. if rubber seals become brittle or plastics
become soft) then the operating ambient temperature range should be marked on the label (see the label on page 1).

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Equipment Protection Level (EPL)
ATEX has an absolute approach to the selection of equipment, so a device approved for Category 2 (zone 1) is always
considered suitable for that application. Under IECEx, users should take a risk assessment approach, and while the
base classification of the equipment is important, there may be situations where a safer device is required (for example
when the consequences of an explosion are so severe they cannot be accepted, even rarely). It is also possible in
exceptional situations that a device with a lower safety classification may be appropriate.

IECEx defines three levels of equipment protection, a, b and c — the EPL code prefixes them with “M” for mines, “G”
for gases or “D” for dusts. Level “c” is for surface industries only - only “Ma” and “Mb” are permitted.

Some protection concept codes include the EPL — for example the Intrinsic Safety protection concept codes are “ia”,
“ib” and “ic”, referring to EPLs a, b and c respectively. In these cases there is no requirement to mark the EPL as a
separate part of the Explosion Classification, so “Ex ia IIA Ga T5” and “Ex ia IIA T5” are identical.

EPL Definition Recommended for

a “Very high” protection - safe after two consecutive malfunctions M1, M2, 1GD, 2GD, 3GD
b “High” protection - safe after one malfunction M2, 2GD, 3GD
c “Normal” protection - safe under normal operating conditions 3GD (surface use only)

IP Protection rating
The “Ingress Protection” rating defined in IEC/EN 60529 is a measure of the resistance of an enclosure to penetration
by dust or liquid, and is not specifically an ATEX concept. Several of the EN/IEC standards do require the IP rating to
be shown as part of the Explosion Classification, but having an IP rating in and of itself is not proof the equipment
is safe to use in an explosive atmosphere. Note that the IP rating system considers ingress which is “harmful”, so an
IPx8 product may still show some ingress of water when submersed, but not enough to cause any malfunction. If the
water was replaced with a flammable liquid then even a microscopic ingress could lead to an explosion.

Digit First digit - against solid bodies Second digit - against liquids
0 NO PROTECTION NO PROTECTION
1 Objects > 50mm Vertical (90°) dripping water (showerproof)
2 Objects > 12mm 70° to 90° dripping water (rainproof)
3 Objects > 2.5mm Sprayed water up to 60° from vertical
4 Objects > 1mm Splashed water from any direction
5 Dust-protected (minor ingress) Jets of water from any angle, hose diameter 6.3mm
6 Dust-tight (no ingress) Heavy jets from any angle, hose diameter 12.5mm
7 - not used - Immersion to a depth of 100cm
8 - not used - Submersion to a specified death over 100cm

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IEC/ATEX protection concepts for electrical equipment
Where equipment contains electrical circuitry, there are a number of ways to prevent sparks, heat or short-circuits from
causing ignition of the explosive atmosphere. Broadly-speaking they take three approaches: sealing the enclosure
to prevent the fuel entering; filling the enclosure with a material which acts as a barrier (a powder, liquid, solid or
pressurized inert gas); or reducing the energy carried by the circuits to a point where sparks and arcs cannot transfer
enough energy to ignite the atmosphere (a method called “intrinsic safety”). Intrinsic safety is the only electrical
protection concept approved for use in zone 0.

These protection concepts are defined in the multipart IEC/EN 60079 standard, and each is suitable for certain zones
and fuel types. How they work are explained on the next page.

Protection code Suitable for IEC zones

Concept
Gas Dust Gas Dust
Ex d Flameproof 1
Ex ta 20
Ex tb Enclosed 21
Ex tc 22
Ex pxb Ex pD Pressurized 1 21 / 22
Ex pyb Ex pD 1 21 / 22
Ex pzb Ex pD 2 21 / 22
Ex q Powder-filled 1
Ex o Oil-filled 1
Ex e Increased safety 1
Ex ia Ex ia Intrinsic safety 0 20
Ex ib Ex ib 1 21
Ex ic Ex ic 2 22
Ex nA Non-sparking 2
Ex nR Restricted breathing 2
Ex nL Energy-limited 2
Ex nC Enclosed break 2
Ex ma Ex ma Encapsulation 0 20
Ex mb Ex mb 1 21
Ex mc Ex mc 2 22
Ex s Ex s “Special” - now obsolete varies varies

ATEX protection concepts for mechanical equipment

Code Concept ATEX covers non-electrical equipment where it has the potential to
generate ignition, by heat or the creation of a nonelectrical spark (such as
fr Flow restriction in a flint cigarette lighter). The mechanical protection concept is based on
d Flameproof an assessment of risk, and the number of protection concepts varies, so
in a situation where the equipment must be safe both in normal operation
c Constructional safety
and in the event of a malfunction, at least two protection concepts must
b Control of ignition sources be applied (as the “malfunction” could be the failure of the primary
k Liquid immersion protection concept!).
g Inherent safety Mechanical protection concepts are defined in the multipart EN 13463
p Pressurization standard. They are not fuel-specific. There is no IECEx standard, since
the IEC only covers electrical equipment.

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Protection concepts explained

Protection Concept Gas / Dust Method of protection
The enclosure can withstand an internal explosion without
Flameproof G rupturing, but internal explosions are still possible.
The fuel is able to enter the enclosure.
The enclosure is sealed to prevent ingress of dust, and has a
surface temperature below the self-ignition value of the dust.
Enclosed D
The enclosure is not necessarily gas-tight and so is not suitable
for dusts which emit flammable gases on heating.
The enclosure is maintained at higher than atmospheric
Pressurized GD pressure, using an inert gas.
The fuel is not able to enter the enclosure.
The circuitry is fully-immersed in a non-conductive powder.
Powder-filled G
The fuel is able to enter the enclosure
The circuitry is fully-immersed in a non-conductive oil. The fuel is
Oil-filled G
able to enter the enclosure but does not mix with the oil.
Safety measures are used so as to reduce the probability of an
internal source of ignition (spark, hot surface, etc.) in normal
Increased Safety G
operation, though they may occur during malfunctions.
The fuel is able to enter the enclosure.
During normal operation and specified fault conditions, the
circuitry cannot discharge sufficient energy into a spark or
Intrinsic Safety GD
thermal event to cause ignition of the fuel.
The fuel is able to enter the enclosure.
The enclosure is filled with a solid resin or polymer.
Encapsulation GD
The fuel is not able to enter the enclosure.
The enclosure is protected by seals, though there is some
leakage through the seals as the internal temperature and
Flow restriction GD
pressure vary in normal use.
The fuel is able to enter the enclosure.
The mechanical parts of the equipment must be designed so
as to prevent any sparks or thermal ignition sources from being
Constructional safety GD
created, by selection of materials and operating speeds. Only
applies to mechanical equipment with moving parts.
Ignition sources are not present in normal operation, though may
Control of ignition
GD occur during malfunctions. Systems are in place to detect any
sources
such malfunction and prevent the ignition arising.
The equipment within the enclosure is immersed in an inert
liquid, isolating any ignition sources and cooling the components
Liquid immersion GD
(e.g. a gearbox), though the enclosure may not be totally filled.
The fuel is able to enter the enclosure.
The mechanical components have sufficiently-low potential
Inherent safety GD energy as to prevent the formation of an ignition source.
The fuel is able to enter the enclosure.

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Gas groups Common gases and
Gas Group Test gas
their temperature class
ATEX defines four groups of gases, based on how easily-
ignitable they are (by a flame or spark; not via self-ignition). I (mining) Methane Methane (aka firedamp)
In Group I (mining) there is only one gas group, namely acetone - T1
methane (aka “firedamp”). Group I equipment has no petroleum fuel - T1
concept of a temperature class. ammonia - T1
For each non-mining gas group there is a “test gas” used ethane - T1
as the reference standard, though each contains many methanol - T1
gases, which will have a different self-ignition temperature carbon monoxide - T1
and a range of explosive concentrations. Common gases IIA Propane propane - T1
are defined in EN 60079-20 and some examples are shown n-butane - T2
in the table on the right. ethanol - T2
Groups IIA, IIB and IIC are in increasing order of sensitivity diesel fuel- T3
to ignition sources, so equipment designed for use in gas kerosene - T3
group IIB is also safe to use in the less-ignitable gas group avgas fuel - T3
IIA, and equipment designed for use in gas group IIC can ethyl nitrite - T6
be used with gas groups IIA, IIB and IIC. coal gas - T1
Equipment designed for gas group IIB may, on occasion, ethylene - T2
IIB Ethylene
be certified for a specific gas from group IIC without having ethyl oxide - T2
full gas group IIC approval. In this case, the chemical name hydrogen sulphide - T3
or formula of the additional gas will be shown, for example hydrogen - T1
“ IIB + C2H2 ” means the equipment is rated for gas group
IIIC Hydrogen acetylene - T2
IIB, and is also rated for acetylene.
carbon disulphide - T6
Gas groups are used when the protection is related to the ignitability of fuel. Intrinsically-safe “Ex i” protection defines
the minimum spark energy that could lead to ignition, so uses gas groups. Encapsulated “Ex m” equipment completely
isolates the fuel from any source of ignition, and so does not.

Dust groups
IEC 60079-0:2007 classifies atmosphere group III for non-mining industries (i.e. ATEX group II). There are three “dust
groups” in the standard, defined by the properties of the dust:

Dust Group Type Characteristics

Flammable particles of 500µm or less which can be suspended
IIIA Combustible flyings in air, can settle out under gravity, and can form an explosive
mixture with air. Examples include starch and cotton.
IIIB Non-conductive dust Flammable dust with a resistivity greater than 103 Ohm-metres
IIIC Conductive dust Flammable dust with a resistivity less than 103 Ohm-metres
The self-ignition temperature of a dust suspended in the air is usually higher than the same dust accumulated on a
surface. When selecting equipment for use in dusty environments, the surface temperature of the equipment should
not exceed 66% of the suspended self-ignition temperature, and should be at least 75°C below the self-ignition
temperature of a 5mm accumulated layer of the dust. For example, cotton fibre dust from weaving and spinning has a
self-ignition temperature of 560°C (suspended) and 350°C (accumulated). The product maximum surface temperature
must therefore be less than 373°C (suspended) and 275°C (accumulated), so the limit is 275°C. Equipment classified
T3 (200°C) would be acceptable, but T2 (300°C) is not.

For information only. While the Authors have used their best efforts in preparing this document, they make no representations or warranties with respect
to the accuracy or completeness of the contents and specifically disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for purpose. No warranty may
be created or extended by sales or distribution material or statements. The advice and information herein must be supplemented by local legal advice where
necessary. Laws and standards referenced herein are considered accurate at time of publication only and are subject to change over time. External web links
within the text may not be available at all times. E&OE. No part of this work may be reproduced, distributed, broadcast, stored in a retrieval system or copied
without prior permission of the rights holder(s) except insofar as granted in national law. Commercial publication or resale prohibited.

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