ATEX

ATEX (ATmospheres EXplosibles) is a European directive setting the requirements for equipment and protective systems used in potentially explosive atmospheres. It comes in two parts: ATEX 114 (the equipment directive) and ATEX 153 (the workplace directive). In practice, "ATEX training" refers to training people who work in zones where flammable gases, vapours, mists or dust may be present.

An explosion in an industrial environment has catastrophic consequences. ATEX zoning, the right choice of equipment and the correct behaviour of staff are the three layers that together prevent one. If one layer fails, the other two carry the load. Training is the most direct way to make the human layer dependable.

In gas transport, petrochemicals, offshore platforms and hydrogen installations, people work in ATEX zones every day. Zones 0, 1 and 2 (gas and vapour) and zones 20, 21 and 22 (dust) are not always visibly marked out, so staff have to know which zone they are working in and what that means for their tools, their clothing and their behaviour. Incident and near-miss analyses show that mistakes often arise because people know the zone classification but have not internalised the practical consequences.