Are You Ready For UKCA ‘Ex’?
Published 04 Feb 2021
UKCA MARK
UKCA Marking for Hazardous Area Equipment
Special thanks to Sean Clarke, Managing Director at ExVeritas, for permission to republish this article. The original article appeared in the January/February 2021 issue of Hazardous Engineering Solutions.
The UK’s departure from the European Union introduced changes to product conformity marking and certification. For manufacturers and suppliers of equipment for explosive atmospheres, understanding the UKCA scheme became an important part of preparing for the UK market.
This article explains the UKCA certification considerations described in the original 2021 publication, including certification bodies, quality assurance audits and designated standards.
What Does UKCA Mean for Ex Equipment?
The original article highlighted several certification requirements for equipment intended for use in explosive atmospheres. These included specific categories of electrical and non-electrical equipment, unit verification and certain safety devices.
It also identified requirements relating to manufacturing quality assurance and the involvement of an appropriately appointed UK conformity assessment body.
The article outlined the following areas for manufacturers to consider:
- Product certification: Identify the applicable conformity assessment route for the equipment and intended hazardous area.
- Quality assurance: Determine whether a UKCA quality assurance notification (QAN) or manufacturing audit applies.
- Technical documentation: Establish whether the relevant technical files need to be lodged with an appointed body.
- Product marking: Confirm the applicable marking and identification requirements for the product.
- Designated standards: Check the standards applicable to the product under the relevant UK regulations.
Important: These points summarise the original 2021 article. Manufacturers should confirm the current requirements for their specific product and market before relying on this information.
The Role of UKCA Certification Bodies
The original article explained that UKCA Ex certification required assessment by a body appointed by the UK Government for the relevant scope. It identified ExVeritas as one organisation appointed to provide UKCA Ex certification services.
Depending on the applicable certification route, manufacturers may need to complete the required assessment and quality assurance process before applying the relevant conformity marking and identification details.
Manufacturers supplying equipment for explosive atmospheres should speak to an appropriately qualified certification body to establish which assessment route and documentation their products require.
UKCA Certification and Designated Standards
The 2021 article also highlighted the importance of checking the UK Government’s designated standards when assessing products for the UK market.
Standards and regulatory requirements can change. Manufacturers should therefore confirm which standards apply to their equipment and whether existing technical documentation or certification needs updating.
About ExVeritas
World-class accredited certification of products, people, systems and sites
ExVeritas provides certification services for equipment and systems used in hazardous environments. The services described in the original article include ATEX product certification, IECEx certification and quality management system certification.
The company also provides industrial safety consultancy covering areas such as DSEAR, area classification, design, installation, inspection and risk assessment. Its training and competence services include CompEx qualifications and specialist training.
Experts in equipment for explosive atmospheres
Hazardous Area Equipment from Thorne & Derrick
Thorne & Derrick supplies electrical and instrumentation equipment for hazardous areas and explosive atmospheres. Our product range includes hazardous area lighting and equipment for applications involving electrical heating, ventilation and power.
Explore our technical guide to hazardous area zone definitions to learn more about the classifications used in explosive atmospheres.
Further Reading: UKCA and ATEX Certification
Read our related guide to the UKCA mark and ATEX hazardous area equipment certification.
Thorne & Derrick can assist with the specification and supply of suitable hazardous area equipment. We also provide information on product innovation and DSEAR requirements for hazardous areas.
