Currently, explosion-proof certification systems across the globe mainly include the following:
ATEX Certification in the European Union, which adopts EN standards;
IECEx Certification by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), which follows IEC standards;
UL and FM Explosion-Proof Certifications in North America, which primarily use NEC standards.
Most standards for China Ex Certificates directly adopt international IEC standards.
The global trend for explosion-proof standards is to align with IEC requirements. For example, the current European ATEX standards are almost identical to IEC standards; the requirements of the U.S. NEC 505 standard are also basically consistent with IEC standards.
At present, the technical content of the EU’s ATEX Certificate and the IECEx Certificate is nearly the same—one is mainly based on the EN 60079 series, and the other on the IEC 60079 series. Products holding an ATEX Certificate are mutually recognized by EU member states and can be sold in the EU market. In theory, products with an IECEx Certificate can be marketed in IEC member states. If a country is both an EU member state and an IEC member state, manufacturers do not need to apply for IECEx Certification and only need to obtain ATEX Certification. This is because ATEX falls under the scope of CE marking and is a mandatory certification, whereas IECEx is not mandatory.
Countries such as Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore have accepted IECEx international certification certificates. Products with IECEx Certificates do not need to apply for additional national explosion-proof certification when exported to these countries.
According to the regulations of the IECEx system, IEC member states that currently cannot accept IECEx Certificates due to national differences and other reasons shall recognize the Ex Test Reports and Quality Audit Reports (QAR) issued by Ex Certification Bodies (ExCBs) of other IECEx member states during their national Ex certification processes. They only need to conduct supplementary tests or inspections on the parts that differ from national standards. This provides a fast-track channel for manufacturers from other IECEx member states holding IECEx Certificates to apply for national or regional certifications.
For example, China is also an IEC member state, but explosion-proof products sold in China must obtain a China Ex Certificate or MA Certification—neither of which can be replaced by IECEx Certification.
In summary, if an IEC member state has its own mandatory national explosion-proof certification scheme, manufacturers must apply for this mandatory certification and cannot simply rely on IECEx Certification as a substitute. Of course, in some cases, manufacturers can use existing IECEx Test Reports (additional test items may be required) to convert them into national mandatory explosion-proof certification certificates, but this process must be confirmed and reviewed by the relevant certification body.
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