Monthly ATEX support for industrial facilities
Ex register, inspection deadlines, coordination of third-party tests and change management – and, if you wish, we carry out the periodic Ex inspections as well. For plants where ATEX compliance cannot be a last-minute campaign.
Why continuous support pays off
- Deadlines for periodic inspections and third-party tests (gas detector calibration, equipotential bonding, lightning protection) don't slip.
- During an authority inspection – or towards the insurer after an incident – every inspection and report is in one place and verifiable.
- A predictable monthly cost instead of ad-hoc rush jobs and emergency surcharges – and far cheaper than a full-time in-house ATEX specialist.
- An external ATEX expert for technical managers and EHS teams.
- Practical control of Ex equipment, zone boundaries and process changes.
- Subscriber priority: clients with monthly support get priority for any other ad-hoc request throughout the subscription.
ATEX compliance doesn't happen once a year
Processes, materials, maintenance, equipment purchases and operating conditions change all the time. Yet in many companies the explosion protection document and the Ex inspections only come out of the drawer when an audit, an insurer's question or an authority inspection is approaching.
Typical problems
- It is unclear whether the documentation is still up to date
- There is no current Ex register – nobody knows when each device was last inspected
- New equipment is installed without an ATEX pre-check
- Everything has to be checked in a rush before an audit
- Defects are found late, when intervention is already more expensive
The solution: monthly ATEX expert support
- A maintained Ex register and annual inspection plan
- Deadline tracking and coordination of third-party inspectors
- ATEX review of changes before they happen
- A maintained defect list with recommended actions
- If needed, the periodic Ex inspection itself
A skipped inspection is not a saving – it's a risk
Neglecting explosion protection is a financial risk, not just a technical one. A missing inspection or register rarely causes trouble on a normal day – it causes trouble exactly when it costs the most.
Authority inspection
If an inspection finds overdue Ex inspections, an out-of-date explosion protection document or unsuitable Ex equipment, this can mean a fine – or even a ban on using the equipment or plant area, i.e. lost production.
Insurance claims
After an incident the insurer typically checks whether the required inspections and documentation were in place. If they were not, the payout may be reduced or refused. More: Insurance won't pay without an EPD?
Incident and liability
A fire or explosion can mean, beyond injuries and repair costs, employer and management liability and a long shutdown. Where this is at stake, regular control is not a cost but risk reduction.
Who is monthly ATEX support for?
Industrial companies where flammable gas, vapour, mist, dust or other combustible materials require continuous technical control.
Paint, solvent and chemical plants
Paint mixing, washers, solvent cleaning, chemical storage and dosing, closed or partly open processes.
Food and dust-producing processes
Flour, sugar, powders, granules, packaging material, dosing, conveying, bagging, extraction.
Printing, packaging and manufacturing
Solvent-based processes, printing inks, cleaning agents, adhesives, foaming, process modifications.
Plants with heavy maintenance and audit load
Where EHS, technical or maintenance managers regularly have to prepare ATEX decisions.
Why EHS capacity alone is often not enough
In many companies ATEX topics are naturally handled by the EHS, HSE or safety team. That is an important internal role, but explosion protection often needs specialist engineering, on-site and instrument-based support as well.
EHS is essential – but not always enough
- EHS does not necessarily have a detailed Ex electrical and mechanical background
- There is not always capacity for regular on-site ATEX control
- Assessing the condition of Ex equipment requires specialist experience
- The link between documentation, zoning, machine changes and maintenance easily breaks down
- Before an audit it often turns out too late that a certificate or record is missing
We add ATEX expertise alongside EHS
- ATEX engineering support for technical decisions
- On-site explosion protection walkdowns and practical checks
- Prior review of Ex equipment, machines and process changes
- Structuring documentation gaps and action items
- A professional bridge between EHS, maintenance, management and project teams
What is included in monthly support?
The aim is not to produce new documents every month, but to keep the plant's ATEX status under control at all times. The following are included in both packages, together with online and e-mail access to expert advice.
Maintaining the Ex register
Every Ex device with a unique ID (QR label), marking, zone and inspection history – kept up to date.
Annual inspection and maintenance plan
Scheduling in line with EN 60079-17 and tracking deadlines so nothing slips.
Coordinating third-party tests
Gas detector calibration, manufacturer safety-system function tests, equipotential bonding, lightning protection, pressure vessels – we request, track and record them.
Report review and defect list
Professional review of internal and external reports; findings and recommended actions organised into a trackable list.
Change management
ATEX review of a new machine, new material, process modification or maintenance change before it happens.
Annual report and preparation
Annual compliance summary, preparation for audits, authority inspections and insurer questions, training where needed.
Field-level ATEX support and specialist tools
Inspecting, documenting and identifying defects in hazardous areas cannot always be done with ordinary office tools or general maintenance equipment.
A mindset suited to hazardous areas
In ATEX zones it matters which device, instrument, camera or hand tool is used. On-site work has to be planned according to the zoning, ignition-source risk and site rules.
Practical control of Ex equipment
Not just paperwork: the aim is a practical review of Ex equipment, zone boundaries, ventilation, markings, condition and maintenance issues.
Inspections and records
The inspection, registration and maintenance records of Ex equipment are strictly regulated — we either carry out the inspection ourselves or review and record your team's work.
Finding defects on site
Many ATEX problems show up in the field, not on paper: a damaged cable gland, wrong cable entry, missing marking, aged equipment, an undocumented intervention.
Expensive specialist tools without investment
Cameras, thermal imagers and instruments suitable for ATEX zones are a serious investment. For many companies it does not pay to maintain a full tool set of their own.
Engineering and site reality together
Not just a documentation viewpoint: practical aspects of operation, maintenance, electrical systems, machines and the process environment are taken into account too.
How the cooperation starts
Monthly support is not template consulting. First we need to understand the plant's real process, documentation and risk points.
Online pre-screening
A short call about the process, materials, documentation and in-house inspection capacity.
Initial site walkdown
Review of the main ATEX exposures, zones, equipment and documentation status; setting up or taking over the Ex register.
Package and annual plan
We agree who carries out the periodic inspections, and the annual inspection and maintenance plan is drawn up.
Continuous control
Deadline tracking, coordination, a monthly check-in and on-site work according to the plan.
ATEX Control – or ATEX Full Control
The two packages differ in one question only: do you have your own person competent for Ex inspections (or a contracted inspector)? If yes, we run the system and they inspect. If not, we do both.
ATEX Control
We run your Ex compliance system – the periodic inspection is done by your competent person, and we review and record it.
- Maintaining the Ex register (QR-label identification)
- Annual inspection and maintenance plan, deadline tracking
- Coordinating third-party tests (gas detection, function tests, bonding, lightning protection)
- Review of internal and external reports, defect list
- Change management (new machine, material, modification)
- Annual compliance report, preparation for audits, authority and insurer questions
- Online and e-mail access to expert advice
ATEX Full Control
Everything in ATEX Control – plus we carry out the periodic Ex inspections ourselves, from one hand, with a report.
- The full scope of the ATEX Control package
- Periodic inspection to EN 60079-17 according to the plan – typically visual/close annually, detailed at least every 3 years
- On-site equipment checks: marking, cable entries, glands, condition, photo documentation
- Inspection reports, results entered directly into the register
- Inspection days spread evenly across the monthly fee – no year-end surprise invoice
- Regular on-site presence according to the plan
| ATEX Control | ATEX Full Control · Recommended | |
|---|---|---|
| For whom | you have your own person competent for Ex inspections, or a contracted inspector | no in-house Ex inspector, or you don't want to keep separate capacity for it |
| Ex register | ✓ maintained by us | ✓ maintained by us |
| Annual plan, deadline tracking | ✓ | ✓ |
| Third-party test coordination | ✓ | ✓ |
| Periodic Ex inspection (EN 60079-17) | done by your person – we review and record it | ✓ carried out by us, with a report |
| On-site equipment checks | – | ✓ |
| Defect list, change management | ✓ | ✓ |
| Annual compliance report | ✓ | ✓ |
| On-site presence | review visit according to the plan | inspection days + review visit |
| Minimum term | 12 months | 12 months |
Fee: the monthly fee depends on the size of the Ex register and on whether we also carry out the inspections; it starts from a few hundred thousand HUF per month (net). The exact fee is set in an individual quote after the free needs assessment. Extensions, re-zoning or review of contractor designs can be called off within the framework, with a prior quote. Minimum term: 12 months.
What is included, and what is not?
Monthly support is about continuous professional control. Larger design or documentation work is quoted separately.
Monthly support typically includes
- Ex register, annual plan, deadline tracking
- Coordination of third-party tests, review of reports
- Defect list and recommended actions
- Prior ATEX review of minor modifications
- Online consultation, short ATEX opinions
- In ATEX Full Control: periodic Ex inspection and on-site equipment checks
- Support with audit, insurer or authority questions
Quoted separately
- A complete new explosion protection document (EPD)
- A full new hazardous area classification, re-zoning for extensions
- Larger ATEX design tasks, review of contractor designs
- Multi-day site surveys or construction support
- Accredited measurements and laboratory tests
- Full legal or authority representation
- Repair, electrical installation, modifications (we coordinate, not execute)
Request a quote for monthly ATEX support
If your plant has hazardous processes, solvents, dust, combustible materials or Ex zones, monthly expert support can keep ATEX compliance under control.
- Briefly describe the process and the ATEX exposure
- Tell us whether you have an existing explosion protection document and Ex register
- Let us know whether you have your own person for periodic Ex inspections
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between the two packages?
One thing only: who carries out the periodic Ex inspection. In ATEX Control we run the register, the plan, the deadlines and the coordination, and your competent person does the inspection, which we review. In ATEX Full Control we also carry out the inspection and the on-site equipment checks.
We have our own electrician or inspector – which package do we need?
If that person is also competent for inspecting Ex equipment (with knowledge and practice in line with EN 60079-14/-17), ATEX Control is enough and we review their reports. A general electrical inspection is not the same as an Ex inspection – we clarify this together at the start.
How much does it cost?
The monthly fee depends on the size of the Ex register and on whether we also carry out the inspections; it starts from a few hundred thousand HUF per month (net). The exact fee is set in an individual quote after the free needs assessment. For comparison: a refused insurance claim or an authority shutdown can cost many times more.
Wouldn't it be better to hire our own ATEX specialist?
Rarely. In a typical plant the explosion protection workload is a few hundred hours a year – a full-time, Ex-competent specialist's salary, contributions, training and instruments cost tens of millions of forints a year, idle most of the time – and there is no cover during leave or sickness. With monthly support you pay only for the capacity you actually need, experience and instruments included.
Does this replace the explosion protection document?
No. Monthly support is not the automatic preparation of a complete new EPD. The aim is continuous professional follow-up of the current status, changes and ATEX questions. If a new or complete document is needed, it is quoted separately.
Does this replace the EHS or HSE team?
No. The aim is to strengthen EHS, not replace it. EHS remains the owner of internal compliance processes; we add explosion protection engineering, on-site and documentation support for specialist ATEX questions.
Do you also do repairs or installation?
No. Repair of Ex equipment (EN 60079-19), electrical installation and the function test of the manufacturer's safety system are the responsibility of the operator or a contracted specialist – we coordinate, request and record them. This keeps the inspection independent.
Why think in monthly support rather than a one-off inspection?
Because ATEX risk does not exist only on inspection day. A new machine, new material, modified ventilation, maintenance intervention or audit question can come up at any time – and inspection deadlines keep running. Monthly support gives continuous professional backing for all of this.
Is it worth it for a smaller plant?
Yes, if there are flammable materials, dust, solvents, paint, alcohol, chemicals or equipment in Ex zones. External ATEX expertise is especially valuable for smaller companies, which usually have no dedicated explosion protection specialist.
Is there a minimum contract term?
Yes, 12 months. Inspections are based on an annual plan and the inspection days are spread evenly across the monthly fee – this works well over a full annual cycle.