The NEW ATEX Directive.
The NEW ATEX Directive.Did you know there was going to be a new/revised ATEX Directive, most probably with an updated Directive Number? (Thats a lot of D of C’s that will need updating!)
NEW LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORK (NLF) ALIGNMENT PACKAGE is a Commission Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on the harmonisation of the laws of the Member States relating to ”equipment and protective systems intended for use in potentially explosive atmospheres”
The proposal clarifies the obligations of manufacturers and authorised representatives and introduces obligations for importers and distributors. Importers must verify that the manufacturer has carried out the applicable conformity assessment procedure and has drawn up a technical documentation. They must also make sure with the manufacturer that this technical documentation can be made available to authorities upon request. Furthermore importers must verify that the products are correctly marked and accompanied by the required documents, instructions and safety information.
Contact ExVeritas if you require an audit of manufacturers ATEX technical documentation and marking
Other highlights include the competence of a notified body being demonstrated by an accreditation certificate (in the UK this has always been the case, but in may EU countries this was not the case and governments could ‘Notify’ bodies with out auditing them to see if they were competent!)
It is possible that this provision will greatly reduce the number of Notified Bodies and potentially make it slower or more difficult to get certified to the ATEX Directive.