A chemical manufacturer seeks a cloud-based solution to improve efficiency of storing Hazardous Area Compliance documentation and keeping it up-to-date at all times, as well as making it easily accessible to personnel wherever they are. They also need to track equipment installed in the facility. However, personnel work throughout the facility, constantly moving in and out of hazardous areas classified as ATEX Zone1, where combustible materials are constantly present. Much of the installed equipment is also located in Zone 1 areas. To access documents and inspect equipment in Zone 1 areas, personnel need a mobile device that is specially certified for those zones.
Under the ATEX 137 (IEC) directive, hazardous location operations like this chemical plant must maintain explosion protection documentation, including:
Documentation Using the Windows-based Aegex10 IS Tablet, chemical plant operators can enter the most volatile hazardous areas (ATEX/IECEx Zone 1; Class I ,II,III Div 1) and employ the EPDS system to document all equipment and processes. With the Aegex10 IS Tablet running the EPDS system, all Hazardous Area Compliance information can be updated in real time and be accessible to all personnel onsite and offsite. Equipment Tracking In addition to documentation, the EPDS system can track all hazardous area equipment, even in the most volatile zones, when running on the Aegex10 IS Tablet. Near Field Communication (NFC) Tags can be used to identify all installed electrical and non-electrical devices. Because the Windows 10 Aegex tablet can move through all zones, it can scan NFC tags, or take photos of each piece of equipment with the tablet’s intrinsically safe camera, and enter the appropriate information into the EPDS databaseon the spot without the need for additional equipment. Operators can also use a number of Windows 10 applications to communicate information about equipment to teammates, such as:
About Aegex: Aegex is a technology engineering and design company that provides intrinsically safe Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and mobile solutions for hazardous industries. Our globally certified intrinsically safe Windows 10 tablet, sensors and partner monitoring systems, form an IoT platform that manages big data to improve efficiency, safety and productivity in hazardous industrial environments in oil & gas, chemical, pharmaceutical, utilities, public safety, defense and other industries with potentially explosive atmospheres.
Explosion Protection Documentation System (EPDS) that documents mandatory hazardous area compliance records.