This special interest group is dedicated to matters related to the management of Explosive Atmosphere (Ex) hazards, that will be familiar territory for many members. In some respects, the SIG is a sister to the established functional safety SIG that also serves a discipline that enjoys(?) interest from the regulatory authorities.

The Ex-SIG is responsible for promoting awareness and understanding of Ex matters. The main focus is the set of associated practices and regulations. These areas continue to develop and represent significant challenges for guidance and understanding.

The SIG aims to organise conferences, workshops and seminars on Ex matters, and to prepare papers for publication. These may be self-initiated, by agreement with other SIG or Local Sections, or by co-sponsorship with other bodies where appropriate. The SIG will provide a forum for the members to meet, exchange experiences and share learning.

The SIG also aims to be a disinterested (as distinct from uninterested!) voice in the industry, providing a corrective to the promotion, by vested interests, of provisions that may not be properly aligned with the interest of users.

The SIG oversees a new qualification in the Ex domain: ‘Registered Explosive Atmospheres Engineer’ (RExE). This differs from many of the qualifications available following short course attendance, (many of which are specifically designed for artificers), in that it is only available to registered engineers (IEng/CEng, or equivalent qualification in jurisdictions beyond the UK), that can demonstrate through peer review, the appropriate competence & commitment at a professional level.

Membership of the SIG is open to all InstMC members and is simply a matter of electing to join on the ‘Manage Personal Details’ section of the ‘My InstMC’ page of the institute’s website.

For more information, visit: https://www.instmc.org/Special-Interest-Groups/Explosive-Atmosphere