Working in potentially explosive atmospheres requires careful safety planning and thorough documentation. The explosion protection document refers to the set of documentation through which a company can demonstrate that hazardous areas and activities within them have been properly identified and controlled. ATEX legislation sets requirements not only for technical solutions but also for documentation and this is precisely where many organizations face challenges. Often, the explosion protection document is created in connection with a single inspection or the start of operations, but its lifecycle is not managed systematically. Preparing and keeping the document up to date is the employer’s obligation under the ATEX Workplace Directive (1999/92/EC). In this blog, we look at why the lifecycle of the documentation matters and how it can be managed in practice.
Why is maintaining the explosion protection document important?
In explosive atmospheres, practical safety work always comes first: identifying risks, implementing protective measures, and maintaining the right solutions in daily operations. ATEX documentation, with the explosion protection document at its core, is a summary of this work. It outlines how explosion risks have been assessed and what measures are in place to control them. This makes the document not just a regulatory obligation, but clear evidence that practical safety measures have been recognized and documented.
Managing the lifecycle of ATEX documentation ensures that documented information reflects actual risks. Changes in processes, practices, or the introduction of new chemicals can quickly alter the level of risk. If documents are not updated, a false sense of security may arise, leading to critical protective measures being overlooked. An up-to-date document supports regulatory inspections, employee training, and emergency preparedness and most importantly, it protects workers.
Common pitfalls
Managing ATEX documentation often runs into the same challenges as safety information management in general. One of the most common issues is that the document is created solely to meet a regulatory requirement, but its practical use in daily work remains minimal. As a result, employees are unfamiliar with its contents and may not even know where it is located.
Another typical problem is related to updates: changes in facilities, processes, or equipment are made, but the documentation lags behind reality. Unclear responsibilities may also lead to no one taking overall ownership of maintaining the document. In addition, technical challenges such as scattered files or difficult formats make information harder to use.
Steps in the document lifecycle
Explosion protection document is not a one-off report created just to meet requirements. It is a living document that should always reflect the current explosion hazards and protective measures in the facility.
Its lifecycle can be divided into four key phases:
1. Preparation: The first version of the document is often created with expert support, combining risk assessment, zone classification, and practical safety measures. The goal is to provide an overall picture of how explosion risks have been identified and controlled.
2. Approval and implementation: The document is reviewed, approved, and put into use. Employees are introduced to its contents and instructions. For day-to-day safety, it is essential that the information becomes part of daily operations and that everyone knows where to access the documentation.
3. Updating: The document must be revised whenever changes occur, such as new equipment, modifications to processes, or structural changes to facilities. Planned change management and regular reviews ensure the information remains accurate.
4. Archiving and monitoring: The documentation must remain accessible, and its update history should be recorded. Annual reviews confirm whether the information is still sufficient and up to date.
Through regular monitoring, newly identified risk situations and technological changes may highlight the need for a new ATEX assessment or an update. In this way, the document lifecycle forms a cycle of continuous improvement that ensures safety even as conditions evolve.
Codeax ATEX: digital tool to support documentation
We are developing a dynamic digital ATEX tool that adapts in real time to changes in the operating environment. It integrates visual zone classifications, chemical and equipment data, and risk control measures into one unified system, where information is always accessible and easy to use. The system is not just an archive – it is an active tool that guides users and ensures explosion risks are comprehensively assessed.
Managing the lifecycle of ATEX documentation becomes significantly easier with a digital platform that supports the entire process from creating documents to maintaining and archiving them. Compared to traditional, manually maintained documentation, digital tools offer many advantages: they improve accessibility, simplify version control, and enable faster responses to changes.
