Workplace ATEX Maturity · Directive 1999/92/EC
Your ATEX zones, EPD and organisational measures placed on a maturity scale, then quantified into an action plan.
10 themes, a 5-level scale. And the action that moves each level to the next.
The framework’s 10 themes, already written from L1 to L5. One company, one business unit, or 300 at once.
Workplace ATEX Maturity · Directive 1999/92/EC
10 themes, 5-level scale.
Nordhavn Industries
53 / 100
They measure their maturity with Datamensio
An example
This could be your situation.
Take one company as an example: three sites, three spreadsheets, no shared answer.
Nobody can consolidate.
Nordhavn Industries, 2,400 people in Hamburg, Lyon and Porto. A client asks where the group stands. Each site answers in its own spreadsheet, with its own scales.
Three weeks, a single base.
One Directive 1999/92/EC of 16 December 1999 (ATEX "workers") assessment launched across all three sites at once, from the managers’ interview notes. The framework was already written, its 10 themes and levels L1 to L5 too.
Two costs avoided before being committed.
A score of 53 out of 100, with the gap concentrated on three themes. The AI companion spotted that two actions duplicated those of another audit. The committee report took one sentence to request.
What it saved them
- 3sites measured on the same base, instead of three questionnaires to reconcile
- 2duplicate actions caught before the spend
- 1committee report, with no manual rework
These figures are an example. They could be yours.
The standard imposes processes. Datamensio says where you stand.
01
The framework is already written
Themes, questions and levels L1 to L5, all written. You do not start from an empty spreadsheet.
02
The score lands the same day
Online, by self-assessment link or in interview. Theme by theme, comparable over time.
03
The gap becomes a costed plan
Every step up carries its action. The AI prioritises on expected effect, not on the order of the standard.
04
Progress can be demonstrated
Campaign after campaign, against your target and against your own past. That is what your board asks for.
The maturity scale
One level, the next, and the action that links the two.
It is this mechanism, one level, the level above, and the action that connects them, that turns an observation into a trajectory.
Is the zoning plan kept up to date and taken into account when the plant is modified?
- N1
No usable zoning plan exists. Hazardous locations are known to a few operators, with no written record.
- N2
A zoning plan exists, produced during an earlier study. It is not updated when the process or layout is modified.
- N3
The plan is revised for significant modifications, on site signage matches it, and it is communicated to external contractors.
- N4
Zoning revision is built into the change management process, with formal sign off before restart and an updated EPD.
- N5
Zoning is periodically reviewed based on site measurements and operational feedback, with each revision recorded and justified.
Action to move from L2 to L3
Make the zoning review a mandatory item in the monthly change review, check the match between plan and signage during the HSE walkround, and attach the up to date plan to the prevention plan issued to external contractors.
« With Datamensio, we meet our objectives far more efficiently. The ERDF inspection services and our supervising ministry particularly appreciated an approach that gives them reliable data. »
Director, CCI 94CCI Île-de-France
« We believe this is the most suitable solution to scale our transformation project and measure impact according to our needs. »
Maja SucekChief Operating Officer, Interreg Danube
Rarely on its own
Frameworks combine. Put several together to cover your business, or have the AI write yours.
Take your first measurementon ATEX.
What this framework covers
Directive 1999/92/EC, known as ATEX "workers", sets minimum safety and health requirements for workers potentially at risk from explosive atmospheres. It requires employers to prevent the formation of explosive atmospheres, avoid their ignition, mitigate the effects of an explosion, classify areas into zones 0, 1, 2 for gases and vapours and 20, 21, 22 for dust, and record all of this in an explosion protection document, the EPD. National transposition adds obligations for signage, marking and worker authorisation.
In practice, the requirement runs up against the real life of the installation. Zoning was often set once, by a contractor, on a drawing that no longer reflects process changes. The EPD exists, but who has reviewed it since the last extension of the milling workshop? Do external contractors receive the zoning plan before starting work, or discover it at the hot work permit stage? Are ignition sources linked to static electricity, portable tools and handling vehicles genuinely addressed in dust zones?
One confusion keeps coming back: 1999/92/EC and 2014/34/EU do not cover the same ground. The latter addresses manufacturers and governs the placing on the market of equipment intended for explosive atmospheres, with marking and categories. The former addresses employers and covers the organisation of work. Buying certified equipment is therefore not enough: what is checked is the fit between the equipment and the zoning, its maintenance, and the associated operating procedures. In the extractive industry and mineral processing, the combustible dust risk is most often underestimated compared with the gas risk.
A compliance audit concludes with a gap or a pass: the EPD is present or absent, the zoning is marked or not. The maturity assessment asks a different question: what level of control does each practice sit at, and what specific action moves it up a level. This is what allows investment to be prioritised between a newly acquired site and an already well documented installation, rather than treating every non conformity as equally urgent.
The framework is ready to use in Datamensio and remains adaptable. AI adjusts themes, questions and levels to your process, gas or dust, or builds a variant from your existing EPDs, zoning plans and risk assessments.
Reference standard: Directive 1999/92/EC of 16 December 1999 (ATEX "workers")
The themes assessed
Explosion risk assessment
Inventory of flammable substances and combustible dusts, known flammability characteristics, explosive atmosphere formation scenarios, alignment with the occupational risk assessment.
Area classification
Zones 0, 1, 2 and 20, 21, 22 defined, extent justified, plans kept up to date after modification, consistency between plans, site conditions and signage.
Explosion protection document
Existence and completeness of the EPD, technical and organisational measures described, responsibilities identified, periodic review and review after modification.
Prevention of explosive atmosphere formation
Containment, extraction and ventilation, housekeeping and dust deposit management, inerting, monitoring of process parameters.
Control of ignition sources
Fit between installed equipment and required categories, earthing and static electricity, tools, handling vehicles, hot surfaces, hot work.
Mitigation of effects
Vents and relief panels, decoupling, explosion suppression, siting of occupied buildings, alarm and evacuation arrangements.
Organisation of work in zones
Authorisations and hot work permits, operating procedures, isolation, coordination with external contractors, prevention plan and handover of zoning information.
Worker training and information
Content and frequency of ATEX training, authorisations, information for temporary staff and subcontractors, posted instructions, verified understanding.
Verification and maintenance
Initial inspection before first use, periodic inspection of installations and equipment in zones, compliant spare parts, traceability of interventions.
Lessons learned and improvement
Analysis of ignition events and near misses, follow up on actions from inspections, indicators, comparison between sites and over time.
A short version of the framework is available for the online self-assessment.
Frequently asked questions
Does this assessment count as an ATEX compliance certificate?
No. Directive 1999/92/EC is not a certifiable framework: it creates obligations for the employer, checked by the labour inspectorate and, in some cases, by the authority responsible for licensed installations. The assessment measures the maturity of practices and prepares for these checks.
What is the difference with Directive 2014/34/EU?
2014/34/EU governs the design and placing on the market of equipment intended for explosive atmospheres. 1999/92/EC covers the organisation of work: zoning, EPD, training, hot work permits. The two meet on one point, the fit between installed equipment and the categories required by the zone.
Is the EPD the only expected deliverable?
It is the reference document, but it only has value if it describes measures that are actually applied. The assessment evaluates separately the existence of the document and the effective implementation of the technical and organisational measures it sets out.
How long does the assessment take?
The short version takes 20 to 30 minutes for an HSE manager to complete. The full version, run collaboratively with maintenance, methods and operations, generally spans one to two weeks, most of the time going into gathering plans, inspection reports and training records.
Can the framework be adapted to our process?
Yes. Themes, questions and levels can be modified, with AI support to emphasise dust risk, gas risk or drilling activities. You can also start from your own EPDs to build an internal variant.
How can several sites be compared?
Each site is assessed against the same framework, making the scores per theme comparable across business units. A cross site roadmap consolidates the assessments and groups recurring actions, with AI prioritising them by gap to the target level.
Is the action plan quantified?
Each gap can be linked to a service from the catalogue, with cost, timeframe and expected impact on the score. You can therefore weigh up a zoning update, a training programme or an extraction investment on comparable terms.
Where is the data hosted?
In France, with OVH, backed up with Scaleway. No transfer outside the European Union. The AI models used can be selected, including from European providers.