Fire Protection Document and Compliance with ATEX 137 Directive

Fire Protection Document is a legal requirement that documents fire hazards assessment, safety measures and employee training. It is important for ensuring safety in case of fire.

In December 1999 the European Parliament and Council agreed and passed the so called ATEX 137 Directive or Directive 99/92/EC which sets out minimum requirements for the safety and health protection of workers potentially at risk from explosive atmospheres.

This requires that the employer carries out an assessment of the risks from a possible explosion and that appropriate measures are taken to ensure the safety of the employees. The Directive applies irrespective of the number of employees or the likelihood of an incident. The result of the risk assessment as well as the resulting safety measures must be recorded by the employer in an explosion protection document (EPD).

The Explosion Protection Document required by Directive 99/92/EC is intended to demonstrate that the employer has complied with the requirements of the Directive. Thus, it should demonstrate that explosion risks have been determined and assessed and show that adequate prevention and/or protection measures have been taken.

An explosion protection document has to be prepared for every plant and process and it must be revised when changes are made to the workplace or process so as to take into account the altered conditions. The explosion protection document should be prepared before commissioning new installations.