ATEX

The “ATmosphère EXplosibles” standard, or “ATEX” for short, is a European standard for the manufacturing of products that are to be used in potentially explosive atmospheres. The ATEX Equipment Directive (2014/34/EU) focuses on equipment that will be used in potentially hazardous areas and involves the manufacture and sale of “Ex” rated products.

IECEX

The International Electrotechnical Commission System for Certification to Standards Relating to Equipment for Use in Explosive Atmospheres, or “IECEx” for short, is a certification system which verifies compliance with IEC international standards relating to equipment for use in explosive atmospheres. The safety requirement for equipment under IECEx is based on the description in the international standards IEC 60079 series.

Which IECEX Standard is Applicable to Hot Work Safety Enclosures?

IEC 60079-13:2017 details the requirements for the design, construction, assessment, verification and marking of Hot Work Safety Enclosures (HWSE). These modular enclosures are used to protect internal equipment by pressurization or artificial ventilation (or both) as applicable when located in an explosive gas atmosphere or combustible dust atmosphere hazardous area with or without an internal source of a flammable gas or vapor.

The latest edition of IEC 60079-13 is IEC 60079-13:2017 which cancels and replaces the first edition published in 2010.

Petrohab, LLC

PetroHab, LLC is a market leader in the provision of ATEX and IECEx certified pressurized HWSEs, often referred to in the Oil & Gas Industry as “habitats” or “pressurized welding enclosures”. Its compact and modular HWSEs, the innovations and certifications of which surpass all other habitat systems on the market today, are designed to protect people and facilities in hazardous environments where flammable or toxic gases may be present without having to incur the expenses associated with shutting down a facility or parts thereof. As such, they are used to provide safety and cost savings in a diverse range of industries and locations such as on offshore and onshore oil & gas installations, marine operations, at refineries, chemical processing plants, distilleries, food manufacturing and processing factories, utility and water treatment sites.