Four schemes cover explosion protection around the world, and they recognise each other's paperwork only in part. Which one your site needs is decided before the explosion-proof forklift is specified, by the authority that inspects the plant.
The four schemes, side by side
| Scheme | Where it governs | Who issues | What appears on the plate |
|---|---|---|---|
| ATEX | EU and EEA, mandatory under Directive 2014/34/EU | Notified bodies | Ex marking, plus CE and the equipment category, for example II 2 G |
| IECEx | International, voluntary, built on IEC 60079 | IECEx certification bodies | Ex marking, plus the IECEx certificate number |
| Class I Division 1 | United States and Canada, NEC Article 500 and the CEC | NRTLs such as UL, FM and CSA | Class, Division and Group letters |
| China GB | China, GB/T 3836 series | Chinese accredited bodies | Ex marking, plus the GB certificate number |
The first three are what most export inquiries ask about. The fourth matters because a large share of the world's explosion-proof forklifts are built in China, and a GB certificate is a separate document from an ATEX one.
Where each one applies
ATEX. Inside the EU and the EEA, ATEX is law rather than a preference. A plant in Germany or the Netherlands gets inspected against Directive 2014/34/EU for the equipment and Directive 1999/92/EC for the workplace. The UK runs UKEX on the same technical basis after leaving the EU scheme, with DSEAR covering the site side.
IECEx. Voluntary, and useful because of it. It is built on IEC 60079 and gets accepted in markets that have no strong national scheme of their own. Australia works to AS/NZS 60079, which mirrors IEC 60079, and IECEx certificates are commonly accepted there. For an Australian site, IECEx is usually the shortest route through the paperwork.
Class I Division 1. North America classifies areas by Class and Division rather than by Zone, though the NEC has also allowed the Zone system since Article 505 arrived. A US site inspected under Article 500 wants a Division marking and a listing from a recognised NRTL.
China GB. The GB/T 3836 series follows IEC 60079 in structure and in marking, and the certificate comes from a Chinese accredited body. It is the document a Chinese-built explosion-proof forklift normally ships with.
Division and Zone, roughly mapped
| Division system | Zone system | Typical EPL |
|---|---|---|
| Class I Division 1 | Zone 0 and Zone 1 | Ga or Gb |
| Class I Division 2 | Zone 2 | Gc |
Rough equivalence, for orientation only. The two systems are written differently, and a certificate under one is a certificate under that one.
The four lines that decide the answer
Whichever scheme is in play, a certificate has to answer four questions.
Where it can go. The Equipment Protection Level sits at the end of the marking string. Ga covers Zone 0, Gb covers Zone 1 and Gc covers Zone 2. For dust, Da, Db and Dc cover Zones 20, 21 and 22. On an explosion-proof forklift assembled from several protected parts, the whole assembly takes the lowest level among them.
Which gas. Group IIA covers propane and most common solvents, IIB covers ethylene, IIC covers hydrogen and acetylene. The groups nest, so IIC equipment also covers IIA and IIB. The measurable difference is the maximum experimental safe gap: above 0.9 mm for IIA, between 0.5 and 0.9 mm for IIB, below 0.5 mm for IIC.
Which temperature. The T class is the hottest surface the explosion-proof forklift can reach. T6 is 85°C, T4 is 135°C, T3 is 200°C. The class has to sit below the ignition temperature of whatever is in the air.
Whether the marking is complete. A full string reads Ex db ib mb sb IIB T4 Gb for gas and Ex tb mb IIIB T130°C Db for dust. Every protection letter carries its level suffix, and the string closes with the EPL. Abbreviations such as "Exsd II BT4" turn up in supplier brochures rather than on certificates. The nameplate guide takes the string apart letter by letter.
How the decision gets made in practice
The scheme belongs to the site, and it gets set before any supplier is contacted. The plant's explosion protection document names the directives or codes the site is inspected against, and the insurer usually has a view as well. Ask the site's HSE engineer which certificate the authority will accept, and get the answer in writing.
That answer sets the shortlist. An explosion-proof forklift carrying a GB certificate suits a project in a market that accepts one. For a site inspected under ATEX, the same forklift needs ATEX documentation, and the conversation turns on whether a given supplier can provide it for that build.
What to ask any supplier for
Four documents, and the last one is the one buyers skip.
The certificate number, and the marking string printed on the plate that certificate covers. Those two have to match letter for letter.
The issuing body, and whether the authority governing your site recognises it.
The zone and EPL the certificate was issued for, stated as a number rather than as a description.
A photograph of the nameplate on the actual forklift being shipped. A certificate for a model family and a plate on a specific forklift are two different pieces of evidence, and the plate is what the inspector reads.
Certification drives price as much as any component does. The same 2-tonne forklift carries a 50–200% premium over the standard build, and the certificate accounts for a large slice of it. Where that premium goes is worth reading before the quotation stage. The CPDB range is where these configurations start.