ATEX, EN & IEC Standards: Complete Guide for Combustible Dust and Explosive Atmosphere Compliance

If you work with flammable gases, vapors, liquids, or combustible dust, ATEX, EN, and IEC standards outline the guidelines. These standards explain how to classify hazardous areas, how to design and certify equipment, how to test dusts and gases, and how to design and verify explosion protection measures.

For organizations that operate globally, these standards complement NFPA 660 and other North American codes. Together, they define your responsibilities for managing combustible dust and electrostatic hazards.

At Stonehouse Process Safety, we help clients understand and implement these standards in real plants and processes. Our services range from dust explosion labs and gas/vapor flammability testing to electrostatic hazard analysis, hazardous area classification, and explosion protection design support. Our ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accredited laboratory and expert consultants collaborate with companies in chemical, pharmaceutical, food, metals, plastics, and many other sectors.

Why ATEX, EN & IEC Standards Matter

• Legal and regulatory compliance

In Europe, ATEX and EN standards support the legal framework for equipment and protective systems used in potentially explosive atmospheres, while IEC and IECEx standards provide an internationally harmonised basis for certification.

• Worker protection and asset integrity

They guide how to prevent fires and explosions, limit the consequences if they occur, and manage ignition sources including electrostatics, hot surfaces, mechanical sparks and more.

• Robust design and change management

Standards give designers and plant engineers a shared technical language for area classification, equipment selection, explosion venting/isolation, and instrumented safety systems.

• International trade and equipment approval

Manufacturers and end-users alike rely on ATEX / IECEx conformity and EN/IEC compliance to place products on the market and to demonstrate due diligence.

Key ATEX, EN & IEC Standards for Combustible Dust and Explosive Atmospheres

1. Explosive Atmospheres and Area Classification 

These standards explain how to classify explosive atmospheres and how to design and certify equipment for safe use in hazardous locations. 

• IEC 60079 Series, Explosive Atmospheres (IEC website) 
• IEC 80079, Material characteristics and combustible dusts 
• ATEX 2014/34/EU, Equipment for explosive atmospheres (EU ATEX Directive) 
• ATEX 1999/92/EC, Worker protection in explosive atmospheres 
• IP 15, Hazardous area classification for flammable fluids 

2. Combustible Dust Behavior and Explosion Protection 

• EN 15188, Spontaneous ignition of dust accumulations 
• EN 14491, Dust explosion venting protective systems 
• EN 16447, Explosion isolation flap valves 
• IEC 61511, Functional safety (Safety Instrumented Systems) 

3.  Electrostatic Hazards and ESD Control 

• IEC 61340 Series, Electrostatics and ESD control programs 
• IEC 60695, Fire hazard testing of materials and components

How Stonehouse Helps You Apply ATEX, EN & IEC Requirements

ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accredited combustible dust testing (Kst, Pmax, MIE, MIT, MEC, LOC)

• Gas and vapor flammability testing
• Self-heating and thermal instability testing aligned with EN 15188
• Dust Hazard Analysis (DHA) aligned with NFPA 660 and ATEX principles 
• Electrostatic hazard assessments and material testing
• Hazardous Area Classification for gases, vapors and dusts 
• Explosion venting and explosion isolation design support

Related Stonehouse Services

• Combustible Dust Testing: View service 
• Electrostatic Testing: View service 
• Dust Hazard Analysis (DHA): Learn more 
• Hazardous Area Classification: Learn more  
• Contact Stonehouse: Get in touch