This report is a standard document for the analysis of hazardous phenomena

within the scope of the ATEX directive concerning every valve family with its

non-electric manual and automatic actuators.

The AFPR federates and contributes to the vitality of the French valve industries

more specifically via permanent regulatory monitoring and collective actions

conducted together with Cetim (French Industrial and Mechanical Technical Centre)

as soon as a technical expertise is deemed necessary.

As soon as the new regulations applicable for material intended for use in Potentially

Explosive Atmospheres (Directive ATEX 94/9/CE) were published, the French valve

manufacturers took the necessary measures to ensure the conformity of their

devices.

However, after a number of months of application, some questions remained

unanswered:

- Is it relevant to exclude manual valves from the scope of these texts?

- What are the risks inside the equipment?

- What are the risks linked to static electricity discharges?

This last point in particular is extremely hard to quantify. It required the cooperation

of Cetim, who had already drafted a number of risk analyses.

This performance report is a standard document for the analysis of hazardous

phenomena within the scope of the ATEX directive concerning every family of

valves with its non-electric manual and automatic actuators.

It is by no means a "turnkey" programme for conformity with the requirements of

Directive 94/9/EC. This conformity can only be the result of a rigorous analysis for

which a template is provided. Drafted in cooperation with Ineris (National Institute

for Risk Analysis), notified for Directive 94/9/EC, it offers the advantage of facilitating

the dialogue with the Notified Organisations.