From 05.11. to 09.11.2012 in Tuzla, The Faculty of Electrical Engineering from Tuzla and Institute for Standardization of Bosnia and Herzegovina jointly organized a seminar “Training of personnel in the domain of explosion protection for electrical and non-electrical equipment and installations”. The seminar was opened by the Director of the Institute for Standardization of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mr Alexander Cincar and professor of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering in Tuzla, Ph.D. Vlado Madžarević.

During the seminar the following topics were covered: European regulations regarding explosion protection; existing regulations in BiH and transposition to the EU Directives ATEX 95 and ATEX 137; Explosion hazard in underground mines and surfaces; Sources of release and dilution of an explosive atmosphere in the surfaces and in underground mines; Implementation of protection measures against methane; Implementation of protection measures against dust with special emphasis on coal dust; Classification of surfaces and underground mines; Electrical installations in hazardous areas with special reference to the optical information transfer; Design of installations in hazardous areas; Testing and certification; Technical monitoring and maintenance, Ex documents.

Speakers were experts from Ex-Agency (Agency for Explosive Atmospheres) from Zagreb, the Institute for prevention from Novi Sad, Ex-Commission of BiH and Technical Committee BAS/TC 6 - Equipment for explosive atmospheres, Bureau Veritas from Slovenia and manufacturers of explosion protected apparatus (BARTEC VARNOST Ltd. - Zagorje ob Savi, TEVELE, TEVE Varnost Elektronika Ltd. - Kisovec, TEPEx Ltd. - Zabok and KONČAR PEX Ltd. - Zagreb) as well as users of this type of devices (coal mines and industrial complexes in BiH).

The aim of the seminar is a training of personnel in the domain of explosion protection for electrical and non-electrical equipment and installations in order to enhance security of facilities, installations and personnel involved in potentially explosive atmospheres, as well as raising awareness of the BiH public about the role and importance of standards and standardization. Seminar participants were also introduced to the professional and legislative implementation of European standards for potentially explosive atmospheres in companies engaged in designing, testing and issuing certificates of compliance with security measures, manufacturers, maintainers and installers in electrical and other areas, as well as the authorities.

The seminar emphasized the importance of regulations, and the complex theory and practice of Ex-protection was presented to the engineers, with an emphasis on the connection between global, European and national standards and knowledge. The relationship between the IEC, EN, other standards, still valid JUS and newly adopted BAS standards was demonstrated. EU New Approach Directives, primarily Atex Directives, as well as other relevant laws and regulations were addressed. The implementation of EU directives into Bosnian technical legislation in the area of ​​product safety, construction, maintenance and monitoring facilities and plants with explosive hazardous areas, safety and health at work, training of personnel in all areas - government, manufacturing and maintenance, services, etc. was specifically analyzed.

During the seminar at the premises of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering production program of manufacturers of explosion protected apparatus (BARTEC VARNOST Ltd. - Zagorje ob Savi, TEVE Varnost Elektronika Ltd. - Kisovec and TEPEx Ltd. - Zagreb) was presented.