What Is an Explosion Protection Document (EPD)? Preparation Guide
For whom is an Explosion Protection Document mandatory? EPD preparation steps, zoning, Ex equipment, required documents and.
The Explosion Protection Document is a workplace document showing that, at workplaces with a possibility of forming an explosive atmosphere, risks have been assessed, hazardous areas have been classified, and technical-organisational measures have been determined. The responsibility for ensuring the document is prepared, implemented and kept up to date lies with the employer; support from an external consultant does not transfer this legal responsibility.
What is an Explosion Protection Document?
The Explosion Protection Document (EPD) records that the specific risks arising from an explosive atmosphere at the workplace have been assessed, hazardous locations have been classified, and the measures necessary to protect employees have been determined. An EPD is not a certificate or official approval, but a facility-specific management document that the employer must implement and keep up to date. In Turkey, the fundamental basis is the Regulation on the Protection of Employees from the Dangers of Explosive Atmospheres, dated 30 April 2013 and numbered 28633. The EPD is not merely a drawing, certificate or official approval. Under Articles 6 and 10 of the Regulation, explosion risks are identified and assessed; process information, combustible substances, release sources, ventilation, ignition sources, zone classification, equipment suitability and organisational measures are addressed together.
For which workplaces is an EPD mandatory?
The EPD requirement is assessed not solely by looking at the name or hazard class of the workplace, but according to the likelihood that flammable gas, vapour, mist or dust will form an explosive mixture with air. Article 2 of the Regulation covers workplaces falling within the scope of Law No. 6331 where there is a possibility of forming an explosive environment. A definitive decision should not be made based solely on the sector name without examining the facility's substances, normal and abnormal working conditions and exceptions. The exceptions under Article 2 of the Regulation include places and treatments where medical treatment is administered to patients, use of certain gas-burning devices, production-processing-use-storage and transport of explosive materials, mining extraction by drilling methods, and certain means of transport within the scope of international regulations.
Employer's responsibility
Under Articles 5-10 of the Regulation, the employer is responsible for preventing and assessing explosion risk, classifying hazardous locations, coordinating measures, preparing the EPD before work begins, and updating it upon significant changes. Competent persons with knowledge of process, electrical/Ex, mechanical, maintenance, production and OHS can contribute; an external consultant does not assume the employer's responsibility.
How is hazardous zone classification carried out?
Hazardous zone classification is carried out according to the frequency of occurrence and duration of the explosive atmosphere. Article 9 and Annex-1 of the Regulation define Zone 0/1/2 for gases, vapours and mists, and Zone 20/21/22 for combustible dusts. Actual zone boundaries are not determined by an automatic distance table, but by jointly evaluating the release source, substance properties, degree and availability of ventilation, process conditions and site geometry.
Ex equipment selection and ignition sources
Ex equipment selection is not completed merely by asking 'in which zone will it be used?' The equipment group/category and marking under the Turkish 2014/34/AB product Regulation and the 2014/34/EU product Directive are assessed together with the gas/dust group, temperature class or maximum surface temperature, and protection type. The Equipment Protection Level (EPL) is a concept related to the applicable EN/IEC 60079 standard family, not the Directive's own classification. In addition to electrical equipment, ignition sources such as static electricity, hot surfaces, mechanical sparks, open flame, hot work, lightning and adiabatic compression must also be assessed.
Essential sections the EPD must contain
The EPD is structured specific to the facility so as to show that explosion risks have been identified and assessed, hazardous locations classified, and necessary measures defined. Article 10 of the Regulation provides the minimum legal framework, including: description of the workplace, processes, substances used and working conditions; assessment of explosion risks and the method used; classification of hazardous locations and scaled zone drawings; ignition sources and suitability assessment of electrical/non-electrical equipment; technical and organisational measures with priorities and responsible parties; earthing, equipotential bonding, ventilation, detection and protection systems; work permits, maintenance, cleaning, training and emergency arrangements; areas requiring principal employer-subcontractor coordination; revision history, change management and site verification records.
EPD versus risk assessment and emergency plan
The EPD does not replace the general occupational health and safety risk assessment or the emergency plan. The risk assessment addresses workplace hazards broadly, while the EPD focuses on explosive atmosphere risks; the emergency plan defines pre-incident preparedness, response and evacuation arrangements. The documents may use the same data but have different purposes and update triggers.
EPD preparation process
The EPD preparation process consists of data collection, site verification, explosion risk analysis, hazardous zone classification, equipment/measure assessment and controlled documentation. Steps: preliminary assessment — process, substance, equipment and existing documents are gathered; site inspection — release sources, ventilation, equipment and working practices are verified; risk and zone analysis — probability of explosive atmosphere, ignition sources and zone boundaries are determined; compliance/gap analysis and measure planning; documentation and approval; implementation, training and monitoring.
When is the EPD updated?
Instead of a fixed 'annual renewal' rule, a change-based review approach applies to the EPD. Article 10 of the Regulation requires that the EPD be reviewed and updated when there is a significant change, expansion or modification in the workplace, work equipment or work organisation. The revision decision must be recorded by assessing the impact on zone classification, ignition sources, equipment suitability and protective measures. Good practice note: a new chemical, accident/near-miss, change of maintenance method or new technical information are practical review triggers that question the validity of existing classification and measures, even if not separately and automatically counted as revision obligations in legislation.
What determines EPD preparation time and cost?
It would not be accurate to give a single reliable figure for EPD preparation time and cost without seeing the facility. Scope varies according to facility size, number of processes and sites, diversity of combustible materials, quality of existing data, hazardous zone drawing, number of Ex equipment items, measurement needs, and separate technical expertise studies. A quote should only be prepared once the scope and assumptions have been clearly defined.
Scope of service and deliverables
Europe Carbon provides consultancy support for determining a facility-specific EPD scope, collecting site data, substance/process analysis, coordinating the hazardous zone study, and preparing a control plan and technical documentation. The precise scope is clarified in a written proposal according to processes, data adequacy, number of sites and separate expertise needs. When measurement, testing, Ex inspection or specialised engineering is required, the competent party who will perform the work and the deliverable are defined separately; consultancy does not assume the employer's responsibility.
Common mistakes in EPD work
The most important mistake in EPD work is treating the document as disconnected from the site and a one-off report. Zone drawings, equipment inventory, process changes and work permits must be based on the same up-to-date data set. Common errors: mismatch between zone drawing and actual equipment/labels on site; illegible Ex marking or untraceable certificate/annexes; equipment selection based solely on zone number; failure to verify earthing and equipotential continuity by records; uncontrolled use of portable electrical devices in hazardous areas; failure to assess the impact of ventilation failure on zone and alarm/interlock; failure to update the EPD when chemical inventory or SDS changes; hot work permits remaining only on paper without site verification of gas/dust safety; ignoring the secondary explosion risk of combustible dust layers; failure to coordinate subcontractor activity risks in the same work area.
Legal basis and official sources
The fundamental regulation in Turkey is the Regulation on the Protection of Employees from the Dangers of Explosive Atmospheres, dated 30 April 2013 and numbered 28633. The scope, exceptions, risk assessment, zone classification, measure priorities and EPD obligation should be re-checked from the current official text before publication. The EU basis for workplace obligations regarding protection of employees is Directive 1999/92/EC. Product rules for equipment and protective systems intended for use in potentially explosive atmospheres are addressed under 2014/34/EU. Workplace risk management and product conformity are not the same thing; the EPD brings together evidence relating to both in the facility context.
How we work
- 1Preliminary assessment: process, substance, equipment and existing documents are gathered.
- 2Site inspection: release sources, ventilation, equipment and working practices are verified.
- 3Risk and zone analysis: probability of explosive atmosphere, ignition sources and zone boundaries are determined.
- 4Compliance/gap analysis and measure planning.
- 5Documentation and approval.
- 6Implementation, training and monitoring.