The final part of the ATEX regulations is being finally implemented in July, controlling the use of electrical and mechanical devices in hazardous areas. Numerous companies in the food and beverage industry are subject to ATEX, many of them without being aware of this fact. While hazardous atmospheres are normally associated with the oil and gas industries, the subject is also highly relevant in food and beverage as ATEX covers hazardous atmospheres with combustible dust as well as gas. The control of combustible atmospheres with dust in this way is something completely new and affects applications and industries that have never had to deal with these issues before. While hazardous area management is a way of life in some areas of industry, it is something the food and beverage sector has yet to get used to.
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