ATEX - Compulsion, Option or Need of the hour?

Let us talk about another misconception which is rooting in the minds of some people.

If my company is not in Europe, why should we perform an ATEX risk assessment? It's not applicable in my country, why should I perform modification to the existing equipment and fittings?

All risk assessments should follow the simple hierarchical ‘Three Rules of ATEX/DSEAR’ approach:

1. Do not have a flammable atmosphere, but if you do...
2. Do not ignite it, but if you do…
3. Do not hurt anyone.

ATEX intentions are simply to provide a coherent focus for controlling risks from:

1. Substances with flammable, explosive and oxidising properties. ATEX also covers Corrosives and compressed gases.
2. Substances which can create potentially explosive atmospheres
3. Controlling work activities involving other substances that could create a fire or an explosion

If you are in a country where ATEX/ DSEAR is not applicable, then you can consider this as a good engineering practice that you are reviewing your plants' operations to establish a Basis of Safety for each and every operation.

Any risk assessment study is carried out using the following steps:

Step 1: Review of material characteristics - Liquid(s), Gas(es) and Dust(s)

Step 2: Identification of Explosive Atmosphere

An explosive atmosphere is "mixture with air, under atmospheric conditions, of flammable substances in the form of gases, vapours, mists or dusts in which, after ignition has occurred, combustion spreads to the entire unburned mixture. If a flammable atmosphere exists, we move on to step 3.

Step 3: Hazardous Area Classification (HAC)

In step 3, Hazardous Area Classification is carried out to divide areas in plant among Zone 0,1, 2, 20, 21 or 22 based on the probability of the existence of a flammable atmosphere.

Step 4: Review the availability of an Ignition Source

Once it has been established that a flammable atmosphere can exist, the next step remains is the identification of ignition sources.

EN1127-1 gives 13 potential ignition sources to be considered in a flammable atmosphere, out of which the most common in a facility includes Naked Flames, Hot Surfaces, Unsuitable/ Malfunctioning Electrical Fittings, Mechanical Sparks, Electrostatic Discharges, Lightning and spontaneous combustion/ exothermic reaction. 

Other ignition sources include Stray electric currents within installations, Radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation, Visible and HF electromagnetic radiation, Ionising radiation, Ultrasonic sound waves and Adiabatic compression and shock waves.

Step 5: Risk Assessment

If there is a potential for a flammable atmosphere and an ignition source, then the next step is to determine the risk to people and identify the actions required to ensure the risk is As Low As Reasonably Practicable.

Step 6: Identification and implementation of Basis of Safety

The "Basis of Safety" for an operation/ area is the combination of measures relied upon to ensure safety.

1. Explosion Prevention:
• Avoidance of Flammable Atmospheres
• Avoidance of Ignition Sources
• Avoidance of Oxidant, such as Absolute Inerting or Partial Inerting (https://staub-ex.blogspot.com/2018/03/partial-inerting-cost-efficient-weapon.html)
2. Explosion Protection with Explosion Isolation
• Explosion Containment 
• Explosion Suppression
• Explosion Venting 

Then the recommendations are suggested so as to ensure that the Basis of Safety is implemented and maintained in the site.

I hope this makes it clear that ATEX is the need of the hour whether you are in Europe or any other country. The same goes for Dust Hazard Assessment (DHA) as per NFPA 652 whether you are in the US or not.