Certifications and proof of conformity

There are currently 3 important rule sets for explosion-protected products:

  1. ATEX for the European Union
  2. IECEx system
  3. HazLoc-NA® for North America
ATEX

ATEX stands for Atmosphère Explosible and is a synonym for the European Union's ATEX directives.

Directive 2014/34/EU is the rule set that governs explosion-protected devices within the EU. It is based on the EN 60079 and EN 80079 series of standards.

Directive 1999/92/EC defines the minimum regulations for improving health and safety protection and the safety of employees who may be placed at risk by a potentially explosive atmosphere.

The EU declaration of conformity certifies that the introduced motor complies with the basic health and safety requirements of all relevant European guidelines. It is a part of the operating instructions that are included with the motor upon delivery.

IECEx system

IECEx is a certification system from the IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) for explosion-protected devices for use in potentially explosive atmospheres. It is based on the IEC 60079 series of standards and ISO/IEC 80079.

The Certificate of Conformity (CoC) certifies that the motor meets current IEC standards and that a tested quality assurance system is used during production. The Certificate of Conformity can be viewed on and downloaded from the IECEx website (www.iecex.com).

HazLoc-NA®

HazLoc-NA® is a term defined by SEW‑EURODRIVE that stands for "Hazardous Locations – North America". In North America, areas exposed to explosion hazards are called "hazardous locations". In the USA, the "hazardous locations" are described in the National Electrical Code (NFPA 70) and in the Canadian Electrical Code (C22.1) in Canada. A distinction is made between two different classification systems (division and zone system).

The division system is described in NEC 500 and C22.1-15 (Appendix J) and the zone system in NEC 505, NEC 506 and C22.1 – 15 (Section 18).

The motors are certified by the CSA, the "Canadian Standards Association". The test mark offers visible proof that the product has been tested and certified according to North American standards. The certificate of conformity is available from SEW-EURODRIVE upon request.