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9.4 Explosion Protection
In the Federal Republic of Germany, explosion protection is above all subject to the statutory
provisions for plants requiring supervision, which have been regulated since 1992 in the Technical
Plant and Equipment Act (Equipment Safety Law-GSG).
Besides the GSG, there are laws which can possibly also include explosion protection measures
under certain circumstances, e.g. the Chemicals Law (ChemG) with the Ordinance on Hazardous
Materials (GefStoffV) and the Federal Immision Protection Law (BlmSchG) with the Ordinance on
Incidents (StörfallV) and the Federal Mining Law (BBergG) and the Labour Protection Law
(ArbSchG).
9.5 ExVO/12.96 (New Ordinance on Explosion Protection)
On 20th December 1996, the “Second Ordinance on the Equipment Safety Law and for the
Amendment of the Ordinances on the Equipment Safety Law“ dated 12
th
December 1996 came
into force.
In this so-called article ordinance, article 1 contains the “Ordinance on the Bringing onto the
Market of Equipment and Protective Systems for Potentially Explosive Areas“ – Ordinance on
Explosion Protection – ExVo.
With this ordinance, the “Directive 94/9/EC of the European Parliament and the Council of 23
March 1994 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States concerning equipment and
protective systems intended for use in potentially explosive atmosive atmosheres“ – ATEX 100 a –
was implemented in German law.
According to this, equipment and protective systems may only be brought onto market if they meet
the essential safety and health requirements (set out in Annex II of 94/9/EC) and the prescribed
conformity assessment procedure (article 8 of Directive 94/9/EC).
9.6 Equipment Groups for Hazardous Areas
For equipment in hazardous areas, at least K3 (see User Classes) is required.
Equipment group I covers equipment for use in underground mines (explosion proofing).
Equipment group 11 applies for general explosion protection and for dust explosion protection.
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