Equipment for Explosive Environments
Important documents:
Latest progress reports:
- Country Survey 2013 ENG
- Terms of reference of the SIEEE
- Country survey 2008 ENG FRE RUS
- CROs English (Official)
Unofficial translations: Arabic French Portuguese Russian Spanish - Guidelines for Market Surveillance of Equipment for Explosive Environments (Hazardous Locations) ENG, FRE, RUS
- Comparative analysis of the Ex-CROs (comparing the UNECE CROs, the IECEx system, the ATEX directive and Russian regulatory requirements)
- Press releases
- 2018 IECEx International Conference in Jakarta, Indonesia, 8-9 August 2018
- 2017 IECEx International Conference in Shanghai, China, 11-12 April 2017
- 2015 IECEx International Conference in Gdańsk, Poland, 22-23 April 2015
- Workshop for regulatory authorities of Latin American countries and BRICs countries on the whole life-cycle approach of IECEx certification schemes for explosive atmospheres”, 18 September 2013, Fortaleza, Brazil,
- 2012 IECEx International Conference in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 20-21 March 2012
- SIEEE meeting, 7 September 2011, Split, Croatia
- SIEEE meeting, 1 September 2010, Berlin, Germany
- SIEEE meeting, 2 September 2009, Melbourne, Australia
- SIEEE meeting, 28 May 2009, Stockholm, Sweden
- SIEEE meeting, 3 November 2008, Geneva, Switzerland
- SIEEE meeting, 29 September 2008, Paris, France
- SIEEE meeting, 6 November 2007, Geneva, Switzerland
Background information and current status:
Explosions in offshore facilities, on vessels or in mines, refineries, chemical plants or mills entail high risks for individuals and the natural environment. Equipment used in explosive environments must therefore have a high level of safety.
The initiative to develop common regulations in this specific sector was based on the international model of Recommendation L. It was launched in 2006 with a view to developing Common Regulatory Objectives (CROs) covering the definition of area classification, verification of the equipment and its production, installation, inspection, maintenance, repair and the related conformity-assessment procedures for products, services and competency of personnel. The general goal of this sectoral initiative is to promote and enhance safety, while eliminating barriers against the free trade and use of equipment for explosive environments.
The Working Party finally approved the CROs in 2010. A questionnaire was distributed to participating member States to share information about the national norms regulating this industrial sector.
At the meeting in Split, Croatia, on 7 and 8 September 2011, policymakers from Australia, Brazil, the European Union (EU), the Russian Federation and the United States declared that “global harmonisation promoted and adopted at UNECE is beneficial”, in particular because it “allows for reduced government liability without increasing risk to workers, and consequently enables authorities to allocate more resources to field work” and it is “fully consistent with international obligations under the WTO agreement”.
Another development relating to this sectoral initiative was the 2012 gathering of business and governmental representatives with a stake in the International Electrotechnical Commission System for Certification to Standards Relating to Equipment for Use in Explosive Atmosphere (IECEx). This international conference took place in Dubai and was organized jointly by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), the Emirates Authority for Standardization and Metrology (ESMA) and UNECE.
The UNECE could not have drawn up CROs in this sector without the partnership with IECEx and the support from the Government of Germany and the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB).
Explosions in offshore facilities, on vessels or in mines, refineries, chemical plants or mills entail high risks for individuals and the natural environment. Equipment used in explosive environments must therefore have a high level of safety.
The initiative to develop common regulations in this specific sector was based on the international model of Recommendation L. It was launched in 2006 with a view to developing Common Regulatory Objectives (CROs) covering the definition of area classification, verification of the equipment and its production, installation, inspection, maintenance, repair and the related conformity-assessment procedures for products, services and competency of personnel. The general goal of this sectoral initiative is to promote and enhance safety, while eliminating barriers against the free trade and use of equipment for explosive environments.
The Working Party finally approved the CROs in 2010. A questionnaire was distributed to participating member States to share information about the national norms regulating this industrial sector.
At the meeting in Split, Croatia, on 7 and 8 September 2011, policymakers from Australia, Brazil, the European Union (EU), the Russian Federation and the United States declared that “global harmonisation promoted and adopted at UNECE is beneficial”, in particular because it “allows for reduced government liability without increasing risk to workers, and consequently enables authorities to allocate more resources to field work” and it is “fully consistent with international obligations under the WTO agreement”.
Another development relating to this sectoral initiative was the 2012 gathering of business and governmental representatives with a stake in the International Electrotechnical Commission System for Certification to Standards Relating to Equipment for Use in Explosive Atmosphere (IECEx). This international conference took place in Dubai and was organized jointly by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), the Emirates Authority for Standardization and Metrology (ESMA) and UNECE.
The UNECE could not have drawn up CROs in this sector without the partnership with IECEx and the support from the Government of Germany and the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB).