Explosion Protection Document (ATEX)

Explosion protection in EU countries is defined by a directive ATEX 137 - DIRECTIVE 1999/92/EC OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL on minimum requirements for improving the safety and health protection of workers potentially at risk from explosive atmospheres. The abbreviation ATEX comes from French and stands for „AtmosphèreExplosible” which means “explosive atmosphere”. Above directivewas implemented by Polish law in the form of Minister of Economy’s regulation from 8^th July2010 on minimum requirements concerning health and safety at work connected with the potential risks from explosive atmospheres(Journal of Laws, No. 138, item931). The legal act imposes on employers several requirements connected with explosion protection and demands an obligatory documenton explosion protection.

Another regulations, in force in the European Union, which legalise the issues of explosion protection are the equipment directive94/9/WE and work conditions directive 1999/92/WE, which concern places endangered by explosion, work on these locations and devices used there. Abovementioned directives were implemented by Polish law in the form of regulation by the Minister of Administration and Internal Affairs from 7^th June 2010 (Journal of Law 109, item 719) on fire protection of buildings, other building objects and grounds. Above regulations obliges one to prepare an explosion risk assessment.

Pursuant to the regulation of the Ministry of Administration and Internal Affairs from 7^th June 2010 on fire protection of buildings, other constructions and grounds (Journal of Laws 2010. 109.79), which stipulates that:

• The explosion risk assessment is done in construction objects and adjoining areas where technological processes are carried out using materials that could produce explosive mixtures or in which such materials are stored.
• The explosion risk assessment contains list of rooms endangered by explosion, specification of explosion risk zones in the rooms and external areas along with the graphic classifying documentation, as well as distinguishing factors that may ignite a flame.
• Graphic classifying documentation should contain situation plans image, the type and range of areas at risk of explosion, as well as location and identification of emission sources, according to the polish norms.
• Explosion risk assessment can be a part of the assessment described in ATEX rules.
• In rooms there should be an explosion endangered zone specified if there may appear an explosive mixture with volume of 0,01 m3 in dense space

The employers who employ workers on positions where there are explosion endangered zones are obliged to develop the explosion protection document. It is prepared pursuant to the Minister of Economy’s regulation from 8^th July2010 on minimum requirements concerning health and safety at work connected with the potential risks from explosive atmospheres(Journal of Laws, No. 138, item 931).
The regulation stipulates the requirements concerning health and safety at workplaces where, because of technological reasons, an explosive atmosphere could appear.
The employer is required to use appropriate technical resources to prevent the creation of explosive atmospheres, ignition sources and to provide protection against their impact.

According to § 7.1 of Minister of Economy’s regulation from 8^th July2010 on minimum requirements concerning health and safety at work connected with the potential risks from explosive atmospheres(Journal of Laws, No. 138, item931), the employer, prior to opening the workplace, should prepare an explosion protection document on the basis of risk assessment.

• Probability of occurrence and activation of ignition sources including discharge.
• Installations used, substances and mixtures, processes that take place and their mutual influence.
• The size of the explosion impact.

• The description of protective measures, which will be taken to fulfil the requirements stipulated in the regulation and which will reduce the negative impact of the explosion.
• The list of spaces endangered by explosion and their division into zones.
• The employer’s declaration that:

• Dates ofprotective measures servicing.
• Specifying, forall workers doing work for different employers at the same workplace:

“A well-developed fire protection documentation is a very valuable source of information for the investor and the administrator. We can find there guidelines on how to organize properly fire protection in a building, including technical aspects and possible threats and risks. Following the guidelines limits the risk of fire and increases the safety of building’s users .”

We are able to reduce the costs of insurance in real terms by implementation of good organization solutions.
We follow the rule which says that every document should contain a comprehensive collectionof information that result in good fire protection.