Of course, when defining the requirements for labelling equipment in hazardous environments, such as chemical plants, facilities that deal with oil and gas, grain storage, and paint spraying booths, regard for safety is paramount and labelling is certainly not an afterthought. In accordance with the ATEX directives and DSEAR regulations, equipment that is installed in locations where there may be explosive atmospheres must have permanent labels that detail the equipment group and category, gas and dust classifications, as well as the temperature ratings for the equipment. Equipment that is improperly labelled is easily subjected to audit failure and more critically poses an ignition source in an area that has been specifically designed to avoid ignition sources.

Much hazardous area labelling is treated no differently than any other asset tagging that is done around the facility. Once an area has been tagged out, if surface markings, stick on labels or printed tags were adequate on the day of installation, in six months they will look like a disaster. In an industrial environment that involves the presence of solvents, high humidity, UV light, cleaning, and dissolving agents, labels can be scratched off, remain unrecognizable, or not exist at all. For an ATEX-compliant environment, this presents an insurmountable challenge and since insurers and inspectors demand that the ATEX label be visible, it cannot be filed away in a folder, unless it is a site office.

This is where marking the actual surface, as opposed to printing, is advantageous. Unlike printed labels, which rely on an ink coating to show the graphics, engraved and laser marked name plates have the graphics cut into or fused with the surface of the nameplate. Therefore, there is nothing to wear off, fade, or chip. For work in hazardous areas, we usually suggest using anodised aluminium or stainless steel, both of which resist solvents, oils, and cleaning cycles, without the classification marks deteriorating. In facilities that are highly corrosive like offshore platforms or wastewater treatment, the extra cost for marine-grade stainless steel is justified because changing a plate on live equipment is hardly a quick job.

There is a notable point related to procurement that is frequently overlooked. ATEX marking consists of more than just the Ex symbol and a category code. Depending on what kind of equipment it is, a compliant plate has to contain the manufacturer’s name, model and serial number, year of manufacture, IP rating, and special use conditions (along with the other criteria for compliance). The text must be a size that is legible from an arm’s length distance. If the goal is to avoid an unreadable block of text, placing all of this information on a small plate requires thoughtful design. Ask your engraving supplier to review the layout against the relevant standard before a complete batch is produced. If the temperature class was in six-point type that’s not discernible on site, a reprint run will be an avoidable cost.

While each facility manager might have their own preferences for the style of name plate or site label used at their location, standardising site labels and name plates across multiple locations can save on maintenance and regulatory compliance time. This means uniformity in materials, engraving depth, and layout, which is beneficial for maintenance and inspections across sites. This is particularly important when time spent on site is limited, such as during HSE site inspections or operational shutdowns.

If your business installs, maintains or audits equipment within classified hazardous areas, it is advisable to be proactive in updating your nameplates rather than waiting for your next inspection to highlight any issues with a faded label. This can be as simple as an engraving supplier who deals with ATEX signage in order to identify deficiencies in your marking that may create problems during audits. This is preferable to a generic sign printer.