Solutions · Hazardous areas (ATEX)
We design and build the radio network that covers explosion-risk areas, and supply the ATEX certified terminals.
We supply portable and vehicle terminals and Push-to-Talk devices over the cellular network, in the models the manufacturer declares ATEX certified. We design DMR, TETRA, and VHF/UHF coverage for classified areas: radio coverage study, equipment and antennas installed outside the area, terminal programming, communication tests in the field, and maintenance.
In process plants, fuel depots, and chemical works, some areas are classified by the operator because an explosive atmosphere can form inside them. Only certified equipment can be used there: an ordinary radio, an unsuitable battery, or an earpiece swapped for any other model becomes a source of ignition. But the terminal is not the only problem: if coverage does not reach the tank farm or the service tunnels, the emergency call does not go out exactly where the risk is highest.
ATEX certification is issued by the manufacturer of the device: as an authorized reseller for Motorola Solutions, Hytera, and Kenwood we choose the models certified for the areas concerned together with the customer, and program them with the plant’s channels. In parallel we design the radio network that has to reach those areas: coverage study, communication tests at the points where the teams work, DAS and radiating cable where the signal from outside does not arrive. Where conditions allow, base stations and antennas stay outside the classified area.
What makes communication difficult in a classified area.
The four points we address on every plant, before we even choose the terminals.
The zone decides the equipment
An area classified as Zone 1 and one classified as Zone 2 do not admit the same equipment: the zone depends on how long an explosive atmosphere can be present, and each zone corresponds to an equipment category. The classification is established by the plant operator in the explosion protection document: the choice of terminals starts there, not from a catalog.
Equipment admitted into the area
In classified areas the plant operator admits only equipment certified for use in an explosive atmosphere. The rule applies to accessories too: a battery or an earpiece swapped for any other model voids the suitability of the device.
Coverage inside the classified area
Tanks, pipework, and process buildings shield the signal and create dead zones exactly where the team is working. Coverage has to be studied on the real plant, because the antennas generally stay outside the classified area and the signal has to get in from outside.
Batteries, spares, and repairs
A terminal used in a classified area stays suitable only if batteries, accessories, and spares are the ones the manufacturer declares. Repairs go through the manufacturer’s channel, and every replacement is recorded in the equipment register.
Where the equipment sits and where the coverage reaches.
The base station and the antennas stay outside the classified area: the signal gets in from outside and reaches the certified terminals used by the teams.
- Classified area
- The dashed perimeter marks the area classified by the plant operator. Only equipment certified for use in an explosive atmosphere may be used inside it.
- ATEX certified equipment
- The portable and vehicle terminals and the Push-to-Talk devices over the cellular network used by the teams. Certification is issued by the manufacturer of the device: we choose the suitable models, program them, and look after their maintenance.
- Radio coverage
- The tinted area is the coverage of the radio network. The antennas stay outside the classified area and the signal gets in from outside.
- Technical room and control room
- The base station is installed in the technical room, outside the classified area, and is connected to the control room where operators follow the teams’ calls.
The ATEX zones.
The classification depends on how long an explosive atmosphere can be present, and each zone corresponds to an admitted equipment category. The areas are classified by the plant operator, in the explosion protection document.
Zone 0 · gases, vapors, and mists
The explosive atmosphere is present continuously or for long periods. It is the strictest classification and admits only the single equipment category defined for this zone.
Zone 1 · gases, vapors, and mists
The explosive atmosphere can form occasionally during normal operation. This is the zone that most often covers the areas where teams work with a radio in hand.
Zone 2 · gases, vapors, and mists
The explosive atmosphere is unlikely during normal operation and, if it occurs, lasts only a short time. It admits a different equipment category from the one required in Zone 1.
Zone 20 · combustible dusts
The combustible dust cloud is present continuously or for long periods. It corresponds to Zone 0 for gases and is typical of the inside of silos and enclosed conveying systems.
Zone 21 · combustible dusts
The dust cloud can form occasionally during normal operation. It corresponds to Zone 1 for gases: loading and unloading areas, transfer points, bagging zones.
Zone 22 · combustible dusts
The dust cloud is unlikely during normal operation and, if it occurs, lasts only a short time. It corresponds to Zone 2 for gases and is the most common classification in production areas.
What a radio solution for classified areas includes.
The work we carry out on every plant, from analyzing the areas together with the customer to maintaining the equipment.
Analysis of the areas together with the customer
- A walk-through of the plant with the safety manager and the maintenance department
- Collection of the area classification documentation, which remains the responsibility of the plant operator
- Identification of the teams’ routes and of the points where they have to be able to communicate
- A list of the requirements the plant imposes on the equipment and accessories admitted into the area
- Identification of the zones the radio signal has to reach from outside
Choice of terminals and accessories
- DMR, TETRA, and VHF/UHF portable and vehicle terminals chosen among the models the manufacturer declares ATEX certified
- Push-to-Talk terminals over the cellular network in ATEX certified versions, for teams that move outside the coverage of the plant radio network
- Accessories the manufacturer declares compatible: speaker microphones, earpieces, batteries, and chargers
- Verification of the manufacturer’s documentation for every device before delivery
- A comparison between DMR and TETRA based on the size of the plant, the number of teams, and the services required
Coverage study of the plant
- Radio coverage study over the plant area, with signal levels calculated zone by zone
- Identification of the dead zones created by tanks, pipework, steel structures, and process buildings
- Field measurements and communication tests at the points where the teams work
- Choice of band and radio technology based on the obstacles present on the plant
- Coverage maps, link budget, and a proposal for the equipment to install
Base stations, antennas, and signal distribution
- Base stations and repeaters installed in the technical room or the technical shelter, outside the classified area
- Antennas on masts and towers in the adjoining areas, aimed at the zones to be covered
- DAS with distributed antennas in the buildings and rooms the signal from outside does not reach
- Radiating cable in the service tunnels and galleries, where antennas do not provide coverage
- Power boards, uninterruptible power supplies, surge arresters, and earthing of the equipment and the antenna supports
Integration with the radio network and the control room
- Certified terminals brought into the radio network already in service, without replacing the existing infrastructure
- Programming of channels, talkgroups, and user profiles for operations, maintenance, security, and fire response
- A Respondr console in the control room, with the DMR, TETRA, and VHF/UHF networks and Push-to-Talk communications over the cellular network brought together in a single interface
- GPS location of the teams on the control room map, and recording of every channel in service
- Radio equipment status collected in Track-TP and made available to the plant supervision systems via SNMP, relay contacts, and APIs
Operating procedures and emergency calls
- A talkgroup plan for the teams entering and leaving the classified areas
- The terminals’ emergency button configured to reach the control room directly
- The man-down function on terminals that provide it, enabled together with the safety manager
- Tests of the emergency procedures with the control room staff and with the teams
- Recording of the communications, with the date, time, and channel of every call
Staff training
- Courses for control room operators on using the console and on call procedures
- Training for the teams on using the terminals, the accessories, and the emergency button
- Rules for using the equipment in a classified area, agreed with the plant’s safety manager
- User manuals and operating sheets handed over together with the equipment
- Support alongside the teams during the first weeks of operation
Maintenance, spares, and repairs
- A maintenance contract with scheduled visits on the radio equipment, the antennas, and the lines
- Replacement of batteries, accessories, and spares only with the models the manufacturer declares
- Repairs entrusted to the manufacturer’s channel, so the conditions the device was certified under are not altered
- An equipment register with serial number, position, and firmware version, updated at every visit
- Periodic checks of terminals, accessories, and antennas together with the customer’s maintenance department
Frequently asked questions.
The questions we are asked most often about this type of system.
What is the difference between Zone 1 and Zone 2?
The classification depends on how often an explosive atmosphere can be present. In Zone 1 it is likely to form occasionally during normal operation; in Zone 2 it is unlikely and, if it happens, lasts only a short time. For combustible dusts the corresponding zones are 21 and 22. Each zone corresponds to an admitted equipment category. Area classification is established by the plant operator in the explosion protection document: that document is where we start from when choosing, together with the customer, the models the manufacturer declares suitable.
Can an ATEX certified radio also be used outside the classified area?
Yes. A terminal the manufacturer declares certified for use in an explosive atmosphere is still a professional radio in every respect: it works on the same channels and the same talkgroups as the rest of the radio fleet, so the team does not have to change device when it leaves the area. The constraint runs the other way, because an ordinary terminal cannot enter a classified area. That is why it is worth issuing a certified device to everyone who moves in and out of the hazardous zones, instead of having the teams swap terminals at the entrance.
How much does an ATEX certified terminal cost compared with a standard model?
It costs more than an equivalent uncertified model, but the difference depends on the manufacturer, the model, and the requirements of the area, so the comparison does not end at the price of the device. The accessories have to be counted in too: batteries, speaker microphones, and earpieces have to be the ones the manufacturer declares for that model, and they are not interchangeable with those of the standard versions. Spares and repairs also go through the manufacturer’s channel, and that weighs on the running cost of the radio fleet over the years.
How often should terminals and accessories used in a classified area be checked?
There is no interval that fits every plant: the frequency is set by the maintenance plan together with the safety manager, based on how much the equipment is used and the conditions it works in. The check covers the state of the enclosure and the contacts, the battery and the accessories, and whether what the teams have in use matches what the manufacturer declares for that model. Under a maintenance contract we carry out these checks together with the customer’s maintenance department and update the equipment register, with serial number and position, at every visit.
What happens if a certified terminal takes a knock or is damaged in service?
It has to be taken out of service in the classified area until it has been checked. A cracked enclosure, a broken display, or a deformed battery compartment can compromise the conditions the manufacturer certified the device under, so a damaged terminal is not repaired on site: the repair goes through the manufacturer’s channel, the only one that can restore the device to the condition the certification requires. That is why it is worth keeping a few spare terminals already programmed with the plant’s channels and talkgroups, so the team can keep working while the device is being repaired.
Request a proposal for solutions for hazardous areas (atex).
For every project we provide a tailored technical and commercial proposal based on your requirements — feasibility analysis, RF coverage study, and intervention planning.