Queensland Electrical Safety Regulation

The Queensland Electrical Safety Regulation requires all electrical installations located in a hazardous area to be inspected by an accredited auditor before being initially connected or re-connected to a source of supply.

To become an accredited auditor a person must show an understanding of the Electrical Safety Act and relevant standards, knowledge of principles associated with classification of hazardous areas, suitability of electrical equipment in a hazardous area, and the specific installation requirements for various explosion protection techniques.

QLD Gov link. http://www.justice.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/9057/es-hazardous-installs.pdf

In Australia, only the following certifications of explosion protected equipment may legally be installed:

• AUS Ex (where the product was made before the expiry date of the certificate – scheme now superseded)
• ANZEx (does not expire – current Australian and New Zealand scheme)
• IECEx (does not expire – World Ex certification scheme, accepted in Australia and New Zealand)

Other certifications or approvals, including ATEX, CSA, FMR and UL may not be legally installed – unless equipment certified or approved to these schemes can be proven to provide at least an equivalent level of safety to that provided by Australian standards. The Queensland Government has a safety alert issued regarding ATEX. This also covers CSA, UL and FM approvals – as well as others not listed as acceptable.

The process of obtaining a “Conformity Assessment” and is well documented in AS/NZS 60079.14:2009 Annex ZD. The process is MANDATORY if products with “other” certification are to be installed.