ATEX Inspections: What’s Involved And How Often Do You Need One?

For commercial and industrial workplaces where flammable gases, vapours, and combustible dust can build up, ATEX inspections are vital to maintaining a safe, compliant working environment. This legal safety inspection helps make sure combustion and explosion risks in all ATEX Zones are managed and minimised.

If you’re a building or facilities manager or health and safety officer in a potentially hazardous or explosive working environment, this guide will give you the information you need on what an ATEX inspection is, how often you need one, and what’s involved.

What does an ATEX inspection check for?

Under the ATEX 114 and 153 directives and DSEAR regulations, a standard ATEX inspection covers a wide range of electrical and mechanical equipment and ignition sources in a classified hazardous area or ATEX Zone. This will check that it hasn’t degraded, deteriorated, or changed in any significant way that could cause an explosion. So what does this include?

Starting with certification markings, this confirms that equipment ratings, temperature classes, and combustible gas and dust groups match the hazardous or ATEX Zone. Inspectors also check equipment enclosures and casings for signs of damage, corrosion, or missing parts.

Equipment cabling and entry points are also assessed to ensure tight seals so gas or dust can’t get inside. Even non-electrical equipment that’s been identified as a potential ignition source, such as equipment that can generate static, will be inspected.

Grades of inspection

Every ATEX inspection in the UK follows one of three grades to identify equipment defects. These are:

Visual (V)

Identifies defects that are obvious and easily seen without specialist tools or equipment, and can be carried out while the equipment is still connected to power.

Close (C)

A full Visual inspection, plus identifying defects that are only evident when equipment is being used. Usually (though not always) carried out while the equipment is still connected to power.

Detailed (D)

A full Close inspection, plus identifying defects that are only evident by opening the equipment enclosure and casing. Carried out while the equipment is disconnected from power.

How often are ATEX inspections required?

From a safety perspective, it’s essential to inspect any ATEX equipment regularly. Not just for the equipment itself, but because of the risks of it being in a hazardous and potentially explosive area. A trained and certified inspector should carry out a Visual ATEX inspection every 12 months after installation.

However, inspection frequency depends on the type and risk involved. All equipment should have a Close inspection every 1-3 years. A Detailed inspection should be carried out every 3-5 years, but if your equipment is in a high-risk zone, this should be every 1-2 years. For any equipment that can be moved from site to site, inspections should be every 12 months.

Regardless of the type and risk factors, it’s good practice to carry out a Visual equipment inspection every month. Close and Detailed inspections should also be carried out after any safety incidents or when equipment is moved, repaired, or operated differently.

Who can perform an ATEX inspection?

An ATEX inspection can be carried out by anyone competent, trained, and certified – whether they’re in-house staff or an external contractor working in accordance with BS EN 60079-17 standards for inspection and maintenance. This can include CompEx engineers, hazardous area-approved contractors, safety engineers, or accredited third-party inspectors.

An ATEX inspection helps businesses operating in hazardous areas reach essential ATEX directive compliance. Having ATEX certification is mandatory and verifies that any electrical or mechanical equipment used in a potentially explosive atmosphere is fit for purpose and meets strict safety standards.

However, certification depends on regular ATEX cleaning and industrial dust removal. Only certified specialists can carry out this high-level industrial cleaning to remove hazardous materials from all areas, especially hard-to-reach areas, using spark-free cleaning systems. This helps your business stay compliant, safe, and ready for your inspection.

What happens if an ATEX inspection reveals problems?

After your ATEX inspection, any equipment problems that are found are usually split into risk categories. These include critical defects (ignition hazards), non-critical defects (deterioration), and admin failures (missing paperwork or outdated documents).

If any of your equipment fails an ATEX inspection for any reason, you should expect consequences. All equipment used in explosive atmospheres must pass tight inspections, and owners and operators have a duty and a heavy legal responsibility to ensure certification.

If any issue is found to be immediate and severe, posing a risk to health and safety, the equipment must be isolated and disconnected from power straightaway. That equipment can’t be used again until it’s repaired by a competent inspector, following strict maintenance processes, using certified components.

Once repaired, the equipment must have a Detailed inspection before being recertified as safe to use, with every modification and repair recorded on an Ex equipment register.

Any failures can naturally impact daily operations with delays. But if issues are ignored for any length of time, you can expect heavy financial penalties, insurance claim rejections, and even criminal charges.

How Prestige Professional can support ATEX compliance

As expert ATEX cleaners, Prestige Professional specialises in ATEX industrial dust removal and all high-level industrial cleaning to support your ATEX compliance.

Covering major industrial sectors, including waste, manufacturing, food, chemical, and pharmaceutical, our IPAF-trained team can work at height for ATEX explosive dust removal using specialist spark-free, anti-static equipment and tools that minimise heat risk and remove explosive dust safely.

Likewise, our high-level dust removal service removes dust, dirt, and debris that can accumulate anywhere from roof linings and structural frameworks to internal ducting and pipework. While helping towards your ATEX certification, our high-level cleaning helps you maintain exceptionally high standards of workplace and fire health and safety.

Let Prestige Professional keep you ATEX compliant

If you’re operating in a potentially explosive workplace, passing an ATEX inspection for all your equipment is essential. Once you’ve achieved ATEX certification, you need to maintain it. So let Prestige Professional keep your ATEX Zones and high-level areas clean and free of potentially explosive dust build-up, protecting your site and your staff.

For more information on our ATEX cleaning, industrial dust removal, and high-level industrial cleaning services, call 01752 424 873 or contact us today.