Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003

Regulation 7(2)

SCHEDULE 3 CRITERIA FOR THE SELECTION OF EQUIPMENT AND PROTECTIVE SYSTEMS

1.  Equipment and protective systems for all places in which explosive atmospheres may occur must be selected on the basis of the requirements set out in the Equipment and Protective Systems Intended for Use in Potentially Explosive Atmospheres Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996(1) unless the risk assessment finds otherwise.

2.  In particular, the following categories of equipment must be used in the zones indicated, provided they are suitable for gases, vapours, mists, dusts or mists and dusts, as appropriate:

• in zone 0 or zone 20, category 1 equipment,

• in zone 1 or zone 21, category 1 or 2 equipment,

• in zone 2 or zone 22, category 1, 2 or 3 equipment.

3.  For the purposes of this Schedule and regulation 7(2) and 17(1) –

“equipment” means machines, apparatus, fixed or mobile devices, control components and instrumentation thereof and detection or prevention systems which, separately or jointly, are intended for the generation, transfer, storage, measurement, control and conversion of energy and the processing of material, as the case may be, and which are capable of causing an explosion through their own potential sources of ignition;

“protective systems” means devices other than components of equipment which are intended to halt incipient explosions immediately or limit the effective range of an explosion or both, as the case may be, and which systems are separately placed on the market for use as autonomous systems;

“devices” means safety devices, controlling devices and regulating devices intended for use outside potentially explosive atmospheres but required for or contributing to the safe functioning of equipment and protective systems with respect to the risks of explosion;

“component” means any item essential to the safe functioning of equipment and protective systems but with no autonomous function; and

“potentially explosive atmosphere” means an atmosphere which could become explosive due to local and operational conditions.

(1)

S.R. 1996 No. 192, amended by S.R. 1999 No. 125