Practical issues concerning the receipt of Ex TRs

Practical issues concerning the receipt of Ex. TRs by Ex. CBs when issuing national certification/approval Jim Munro Director Test. Safe Australia 1

Some Statistics l On database – 40 Ex. TRs by 8 Ex. CBs l On certificates – additional 2 Ex. TRs not on database 2

What do you take on as Ex. CB? For the certificate or approval that you issue: l Responsibility; and l Liability 3

What do you have to base your decision on? No original test data l Often no calculations l No original assessment notes l No marked up drawings l Option – not even a sample l 4

What do you have to base your decision on? l Just the Ex. TR: and l Additional information such as drawings 5

Ask yourself this question l Do I have enough evidence to issue the certificate? l A properly completed Ex. TR and accompanying information should give you this 6

The next question l Does that Ex. TR provide me with enough evidence to be confident the equipment complies with the standards? 7

What should you do? l Start by reading OD 010 Operational Decision “Guidance for the Preparation of IECEx Test Reports (Ex. TRs) by IECEx Certification Bodies (Ex. TRs) and the Processing of Ex. TRs by Receiving Ex. CBs”. 8

Steps for acceptance l Review – can be administrative or technical l Whether Ex. TR registered l Ensure Ex. TR has been issued – get a signed copy 9

Does Ex. TR need to be issued for review? l Can work with a draft initially l Ensure issued before you issue certificate 10

What about where tests have been omitted? l Where the issuing body elected not to do some tests, this needs to be backed up by sound engineering rationale 11

What about if you find problems? l Go back to issuing Ex. CB l If not resolved – go to Ex. TAG Secretary 12

Typical issues l Most involve: • Incomplete Ex. TRs; • Errors in the Ex. TRs; or • Scheme rules not followed 13

Issues l Ex. TR not listed on website l Wrong descriptions l Lack of test data l Incorrect or incomplete test data l Bits missed 14

Issues l Tests done or referenced that aren’t the ones in the standard l Inadequate reference to marking requirements 15

Issues l Difference in opinion of interpretation of standards l Use of European interpretations or draft standards changes to establish compliance 16

Issues l No cover page l Lack of justification in comments column of Section 1 l ACB Review not completed l No statement of compliance 17

Issues l Signing of cover page/Section 1 and Section 2 (evaluation record) by same person l Reference to certificates, such as ATEX in the Ex. TR for components 18

Issues l Reference to ‘vast experience’ as basis for compliance l Mismatch between the checklist in Section 1 and the information in Section 2 (evaluation record) 19

Issues l Use of manufacturer’s testing without any evidence that it was witnessed l Numerous errors 20

Issues l Ex. TRs not signed at all or not in all correct places l Page numbers, issuing body information etc ignored within report 21

Any more? ? ? 22