It establishes minimum requirements for improving the safety and health protection of workers potentially at risk from explosive atmospheres*.
It is the fifteenth individual directive within the meaning of Directive 89/391/EEC which introduces general rules to encourage improvements in the health and safety of workers at work.

KEY POINTS

The directive requires employers to:

take technical and/or organisational measures to:
- prevent the formation of explosive atmospheres,
- avoid the ignition of explosive atmospheres,
- mitigate the effects of an explosion in a way that ensures the health and safety of workers.
ensure that an ‘explosion protection document’, describing explosion protection measures and satisfying the requirements of Directive 89/391/EEC, is prepared and kept up to date;
inform workers and/or their representatives of all the measures to be taken for their safety and health at work;
take the necessary steps to ensure that workers potentially at risk from explosive atmospheres receive appropriate training;
ensure that work equipment for use in places where explosive atmospheres may occur must comply with the minimum requirements laid down in the annex to the directive.

Workplaces which were already in use before 30 June 2003 and which contained places in which explosive atmospheres could occur had to comply with its minimum requirements within 3 years after that date.

The directive contains 3 annexes which concern:

the classification of places where explosive atmospheres may occur;
the minimum requirements for improving the safety and health protection of workers potentially at risk from explosive atmospheres and criteria for the selection of equipment and protective systems;
the warning sign for places where explosive atmospheres may occur.

In 2003, the European Commission issues a non-mandatory guide to good practice in implementing the directive. It is being used alongside the directive concerning equipment and protective systems intended for use in potentially explosive atmospheres. EU countries should ensure that relevant information is made available to employers and refer them to this guide on good practice.

Directive 2007/30/EC simplified the requirements on reporting to the Commission concerning the implementation of Directive 89/391/EEC and its various individual directives. EU countries now have to prepare a single report every 5 years covering the implementation of all of these directives.

FROM WHEN DOES THE DIRECTIVE APPLY?

It has applied since 28 January 2000 and had to become law in the EU countries by 30 June 2003.

BACKGROUND

For more information, see:

Directive 99/92/EC — risks from explosive atmospheres (European Agency for Safety and Health at Work).

KEY TERMS

Explosive atmosphere: a mixture with air, under atmospheric conditions of flammable substances in the form of gases, vapours, mists or dusts in which, after ignition has occurred, combustion spreads to the entire unburned mixture.

MAIN DOCUMENT

Directive 1999/92/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 1999 on minimum requirements for improving the safety and health protection of workers potentially at risk from explosive atmospheres (15th individual Directive within the meaning of Article 16(1) of Directive 89/391/EEC) (OJ L 23, 28.1.2000, pp. 57-64)

Successive amendments to Directive 1999/92/EC have been incorporated in the original text. This consolidated version is of documentary value only.