Page 63: of Offshore Engineer Magazine (Jan/Feb 2026)

62 64

TECH FEATURE SAFETY

All photos © Altech Corp.

HOW TO MAINTAIN TERMINAL

BLOCK SAFETY IN HAZARDOUS

OIL & GAS APPLICATIONS

Exploring why compliance with NEC, CEC, ATEX and

IECEx codes is crucial for terminal block technologies in explosive atmospheres in the oil and gas industry.

By Markus Kraess, Product Manager, Altech Corp.

he oil and gas industry — with its continuous explosive atmospheres, ensuring every component and sys- handling of fammable gases, vapors and mists tem is engineered, manufactured and rigorously tested to — is inherently prone to explosion hazards, eliminate explosion risks. making safety in these environments non-ne- Even seemingly simple electrical components like termi-

T gotiable. From offshore platforms to processing facilities, nal blocks play a critical role in this safety ecosystem. Though electrical installations in these areas demand more than often viewed as simple connecting devices, their compliance standard components; they need equipment specially de- with NEC, CEC, ATEX and IECEx is paramount to main- signed and certifed to prevent ignition. taining the overall safety and integrity of electrical systems in

Navigating these hazardous areas necessitates strict oil and gas facilities with potentially explosive atmospheres. adherence to NEC, CEC, ATEX and IECEx standards. Here’s how advanced terminal block connection tech-

These global and North American benchmarks provide nologies that comply with these codes signifcantly en- a comprehensive framework for equipment operating in hance safety and reliability.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2026 OFFSHORE ENGINEER 63