TRaC achieves IECEx qualification

Manufacturers of equipment designed for operation in hazardous areas and explosive atmospheres can simplify the process of marketing their products internationally, using the services of test house TRaC, which is now qualified under the IECEx System.

IECEx is an internationally-recognised Conformity Assessment System that runs under the auspices of the IEC; it deals with equipment that operates in any environment where there is a risk of explosion due to the materials used within it.  Under a designation accepted in, currently, 31 countries, all such locations are known as Ex Areas, and products tested and found to be safe for use in those areas, as Ex Equipment.  Using an electronic certification scheme, equipment that has passed all the required tests is listed on a single database, and is accepted as the basis for national approval in any of

TRaC now offers IECEx services, including the capability to test and certify equipment, enabling it to be sold in any IECEx participating countries - which include the UK, USA, and Canada, and also emerging markets such as Russia, China, Brazil and India. IECEx operates alongside existing certification schemes such as the European ATEX product directive for hazardous location equipment.  While there are detailed differences between certification regimes, TRaC - as a facility qualified in both ATEX and IECEx systems – can construct a single test programme that accommodates any additional testing.

Ex Equipment certification applies to a much wider range of equipment than might at first be thought.   In addition to the obvious hazardous-areas such as oil refineries, fuel stations and sugar processing facilities, Ex Areas include such diverse environments as paint spray booths (due to the presence of flammable solvents) and wood- and metal-workshops (where there can be highly flammable dust residues).

By adding the IECEx qualification to its range of services, TRaC now offers a solution to a potential bottleneck in the process of bringing a wide range of Ex Equipment to market.  While the number of certificates...Read the full article