PORTABLE VACUUM CLEANERS AND DUST COLLECTORS FOR USE IN ATEX HAZARDOUS AREAS
Equipment ATEX Cat. 1D – Zone 20 areas & Zone 20 collection tank
Equipment ATEX Cat. 2D – Zone 21 areas & Zone 20 collection tank
Equipment ATEX Cat. 3D – Zone 22 areas & Zone 20 collection tank
The inner part of portable vacuum cleaners and dust collectors designed to collect and recover combustible / conductive dusts, in presence of a hazardous area, is always Zone 20, regardless of the quantity of dust recovered.
Protection level inside the collection tank:
Only a 3rd party Notified Body certification can validate the protection level inside the collection tank, no “self-certification” as per Annex VIII of ATEX Directive 2014/34/EU is possible in this case.
A complete ignition hazards assessment shall be performed, and specific protection measures shall be designed, tested and validated in order to be able to certify the inner part of the portable vacuum cleaner or dust collector as ATEX Category 1D for providing a very high level of protection.
Degree of protection (IP) by enclosure
Enclosures around electrical components shall be dust-tight = no ingress of dust.
Only portable vacuum cleaners and dust collectors tested and marked as IP6X or higher are acceptable.
The test procedure for electrical equipment to be used in hazardous locations is
· Thermal endurance to heat
· Thermal endurance to cold
· Resistance to impact
· Drop test
· Degree of protection (IP) by enclosure
Other considerations
· Hoses and accessories shall be static dissipative
· All parts of the vacuum cleaner or dust collector shall be bounded and grounded
The misleading marketing around unsafe self-certified vacuum cleaners for use in hazardous areas must end!
Don’t compromise on safety and make sure the equipment you use is:
· Marked as IP 6X or higher ensuring it is dust-tight
· The collection tank has been certified ATEX Category 1D for providing a very high level of protection
Rocco Mariani, Industry Expert