Atex guidelines

-47-Explosive atmospheresMixture with air, under atmospheric conditions, offlammable substances in the form of gases, vapours,mists or dusts in which, after ignition has occurred,combustion spreads to the entire unburned mixture.Potentially explosive atmosphereAn atmosphere which could become explosive due tolocal and operational conditions.Equipment groups and categoriesEquipment group I applies to equipment intended foruse in underground parts of mines, and to those partsof surface installations of such mines, liable to beendangered by firedamp and/or combustible dust.Equipment group II applies to equipment intended foruse in other places liable to be endangered byexplosive atmospheres.The categories of equipment defining the requiredlevels of protection are described in Annex I.Equipment and protective systems may be designedfor a particular explosive atmosphere. In this case, theymust be marked accordingly.Intended useThe use of equipment, protective systems, and devicesreferred to in Article 1 (2) in accordance with theequipment group and category and with all theinformation supplied by the manufacturer which isrequired for the safe functioning of equipment,protective systems and devices.4. The following are excluded from the scope of thisDirective: - medical devices intended for use in amedical environment,- equipment and protective systems where theexplosion hazard results exclusively from the presenceof explosive substances or unstable chemicalsubstances,- equipment intended for use in domestic and noncommercialenvironments where potentially explosiveatmospheres may only rarely be created, solely as aresult of the accidental leakage of fuel gas,- seagoing vessels and mobile offshore units togetherwith equipment on board such vessels or units,- means of transport, i.e. vehicles and their trailersintended solely for transporting passengers by air orby road, rail or water networks, as well as means oftransport in so far as such means are designed fortransporting goods by air, by public road or railnetworks or by water. Vehicles intended for use in apotentially explosive atmosphere shall not beexcluded,- the equipment covered by Article 223 (1) (b) of theTreaty.Article 21. Member States shall take all appropriate measuresto ensure that the equipment, protective systems anddevices referred to in Article 1 (2) to which thisDirective applies may be placed on the market andput into service only if, when properly installed andmaintained and used for their intended purpose, theydo not endanger the health and safety of persons and,where appropriate, domestic animals or property.2. The provisions of this Directive shall not affectMember States' entitlement to lay down, in dueobservance of the provisions of the Treaty, suchrequirements as they may deem necessary to ensurethat persons and, in particular, workers are protectedwhen using the equipment, protective systems, anddevices referred to in Article 1 (2) in questionprovided that this does not mean that such equipment,protective systems, or devices are modified in a waynot specified in the Directive.3. At trade fairs, exhibitions, demonstrations, etc.,Member States shall not prevent the showing ofequipment, protective systems, or the devices referredto in Article 1 (2) which do not conform to theprovisions of this Directive, provided that a visiblesign clearly indicates that such equipment, protectivesystems, and devices referred to in Article 1 (2) donot conform and that they are not for sale until theyhave been brought into conformity by themanufacturer or his authorized representativeestablished in the Community. Duringdemonstrations, adequate safety measures shall betaken to ensure the protection of persons.- personal protective equipment covered by Directive89/686/EEC (1),(1) OJ N° L 399, 30.12.1989, p. 18