Page 64: of Offshore Engineer Magazine (Jan/Feb 2026)

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TECH FEATURE SAFETY and tested to prevent explosions and promote personnel

Understanding North American and Global and equipment safety. Specifcally:

Directives • ATEX (A tmospheres Explosibles) is a mandatory

The oil and gas industry continues to grow, with 2024 global oil demand averaging 103.75 million barrels per European Union directive that provides a legal framework day, amplifying the need for safety-compliant automation for controlling explosive atmospheres. It outlines health systems. Terminal blocks serve as critical interconnection and safety requirements for equipment and protective sys- points where electrical energy transitions between circuits, tems intended for use in these environments. • IECEx (I nternational Electrotechnical Commis- and any failure at these junctions in explosive atmospheres sion S ystem for Certifcation to Standards Relating to could have severe consequences.

Addressing these challenges necessitates strict adherence Equipment for Use in Explosive Atmospheres) is a global to standards. In North America, the National Electrical certifcation system that facilitates trade in equipment and

Code (NEC) in the U.S. and Canadian Electrical Code services for use in hazardous areas. It aims to lower testing and certifcation costs for manufacturers and enhance end- (CEC) provide standards for the installation and use of electrical equipment in user safety. • potentially explosive environments. These codes include

NEC and CEC: Scope and Protection Types provisions for both ordinary and hazardous locations, with

Despite their similarities, the four codes vary in scope hazardous locations posing explosion risks due to the pres- and use different classifcation systems. NEC and CEC ence of fammable gases, vapors and dust.

Similarly, ATEX (2014/34/EU) in Europe and IECEx categorize locations based on the presence of hazardous provide guidance for equipment and systems intended for materials during normal (Division I) or abnormal (Di- use in potentially explosive atmospheres. Both consider not vision II) conditions. They further divide locations into only electrical sources of ignition, but also the presence of three classes based on the hazard type: Class I (gases and potentially explosive concentrations of gas or vapor in the vapors); Class II (dusts); and Class III (fbers).

In addition to the Class/Division system (Article 501), air. Their primary goal is to ensure that the components used in these environments are designed, manufactured NEC divides locations into zones (Article 505), which 64 OFFSHORE ENGINEER OEDIGITAL.COM