UKCA Ex (UKEX) Certification: Equipment for Explosive Atmospheres in the UK

Equipment for explosive atmospheres placed on the market in Great Britain (England, Scotland, Wales) is regulated by the Equipment and Protective Systems Intended for Use in Potentially Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2016, the UK version of the ATEX Directive. Since 1 October 2024 GB law recognizes CE marking with no end date, so manufacturers can use either the ATEX route (EU notified body, CE marking) or the UK route (UK approved body, UKCA marking), often called "UKEX". Northern Ireland still follows EU rules and needs CE marking.

Legal basis

The product regulations are SI 2016/1107, originally made to implement Directive 2014/34/EU. After the UK left the EU they were amended by the Product Safety and Metrology etc. (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (SI 2019/696, Schedule 25), which created the UK marking, UK approved bodies and the UK declaration of conformity. The essential health and safety requirements, equipment groups and categories are the same as in ATEX 2014/34/EU.

• Policy owner: Department for Business and Trade (DBT).
• Enforcement: the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) enforces the Regulations for products intended for workplace use in GB; the Office for Nuclear Regulation covers products for nuclear sites.
• "UKEX": not a term used in the legislation. Certification bodies use it (or "UKEx") as shorthand for UKCA certification of Ex equipment under the 2016 Regulations.

CE marking in Great Britain: current position

The Product Safety and Metrology etc. (Amendment) Regulations 2024 (SI 2024/696) were made on 23 May 2024 and came into force on 1 October 2024. The government's statutory guidance for the 2016 Regulations states that they extend recognition of CE marking indefinitely in GB. For explosive-atmosphere equipment this means:

• CE marked equipment that meets the EU requirements (ATEX, EU notified body where one is required) can be placed on the GB market. No UK certificate is needed.
• Manufacturers may instead use the UKCA route. Both routes are legally equal in GB.
• UK approved bodies can only certify products for UKCA marking. They cannot issue certificates for CE marking.
• Until 31 December 2027 the UKCA marking may be placed on a label affixed to the equipment or on an accompanying document instead of on the equipment itself. Importer details may also be given on the packaging or documentation until that date.

ATEX route vs UKCA route

The technical standards are in practice the same: EN/BS EN 60079 and EN ISO 80079 parts, which are harmonized in the EU and designated in GB. Whether an approved body can reuse an existing IECEx test report (ExTR) or an ATEX test report is its own decision; ask before ordering new tests.

Conformity assessment by category

Regulation 39 and Schedule 3A of the 2016 Regulations mirror the ATEX modules:

See ATEX equipment categories for what each category means in zones.

UKCA marking for Ex equipment

Regulation 41 requires the UK marking to be followed by the approved body number (where an approved body is involved in production control), then the specific marking of explosion protection (the Ex hexagon), the equipment group and category and the other Schedule 1 markings. The technical Ex code is unchanged:

UKCA XXXX   (Ex) II 2 G   Ex db IIB T4 Gb

XXXX is the approved body's four-digit identification number and (Ex) stands for the hexagon symbol. For reading the rest of the plate, see How to read an ATEX nameplate.

Approved bodies vs notified bodies

UK conformity assessment bodies lost EU notified body status at the end of the transition period (31 December 2020). Several now operate as UK approved bodies for UKCA and hold separate notified body status through EU-based entities for CE work. Under Schedule 2 of the 2016 Regulations an approved body must be established in the UK or in a party to the CPTPP trade agreement. SI 2026/40 adds India; it comes into force when the UK-India Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (signed 24 July 2025) enters into force, a date the government will publish in the London Gazette.

The EU does not recognize UK approved body certificates or UKCA marking. Equipment sold into both markets therefore needs either CE marking alone (accepted in both) or both certifications.

Northern Ireland

Under the Windsor Framework, EU product rules continue to apply in Northern Ireland. DBT's sector table lists the requirement for explosive-atmosphere equipment in Northern Ireland as "CE, or UKNI and CE". The UKNI mark is added next to CE when a UK-based body acting as a Northern Ireland notified body carried out the mandatory third-party assessment. UKNI is never used on its own. Qualifying Northern Ireland goods bearing CE (or CE and UKNI) can be placed on the GB market.

Relationship to DSEAR

The 2016 Regulations govern what manufacturers place on the market. DSEAR 2002 governs how employers use it. Schedule 3 of DSEAR requires equipment in hazardous areas to be selected on the basis of the categories in the 2016 Regulations, unless the risk assessment finds otherwise: category 1 in zone 0 or 20, category 1 or 2 in zone 1 or 21, and category 1, 2 or 3 in zone 2 or 22. A CE marked or a UKCA marked product of the right category both satisfy this in GB. The zones themselves come from the employer's area classification (see zone classification).

Practical checklist for manufacturers

1. If you already hold an EU-type examination certificate and CE mark, you can continue to supply GB. Check that your UK importer's name and address appear on the product, packaging or documents.
2. Choose UKCA only if you have a reason to (for example a customer requirement or a UK approved body relationship). It adds a second certificate and quality notification to maintain.
3. For Northern Ireland, keep CE marking.
4. For markets outside the UK and EU, see Ex certification schemes by country and ATEX vs IECEx.

This page summarizes regulations and guidance as published on legislation.gov.uk and GOV.UK in September 2026; confirm the current position with DBT guidance or your approved body before placing products on the market.

Frequently asked questions

Is CE marking still accepted in the UK for ATEX equipment?

Yes in Great Britain. The Product Safety and Metrology etc. (Amendment) Regulations 2024, in force since 1 October 2024, recognize CE marking indefinitely, so CE marked ATEX equipment can be placed on the GB market without UKCA. Northern Ireland requires CE marking.

What is UKEX certification?

UKEX is industry shorthand for UKCA certification of equipment for explosive atmospheres under the Equipment and Protective Systems Intended for Use in Potentially Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2016. It uses a UK approved body, a UK-type examination certificate and the UKCA mark.

Can a UK approved body issue ATEX certificates?

No. UK approved bodies can only certify for UKCA marking. ATEX certificates for CE marking must come from an EU notified body.

Do I need UKCA marking to sell Ex equipment in Northern Ireland?

No. Northern Ireland follows EU rules, and the requirement is CE marking, or CE plus UKNI when a UK-based body did the third-party assessment. UKNI is never used alone.

How does DSEAR relate to UKCA and ATEX?

DSEAR is the workplace law for employers. Schedule 3 requires equipment in zoned areas to be selected by category under the 2016 Regulations, and both CE and UKCA marked equipment of the correct category meet this in Great Britain.

Sources

1. legislation.gov.uk: The Equipment and Protective Systems Intended for Use in Potentially Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2016 (SI 2016/1107)
2. GOV.UK (DBT): Equipment and Protective Systems Regulations 2016, Great Britain statutory guidance
3. GOV.UK: Product regulations by sector and current approaches to product marking (UKCA and CE)
4. GOV.UK: Using the UKCA marking
5. GOV.UK: Using the UKNI marking
6. legislation.gov.uk: SI 2026/40, Treatment of Conformity Assessment Bodies (UK-India CETA) Regulations 2026
7. legislation.gov.uk: DSEAR 2002, Schedule 3
8. HSE: Equipment and protective systems for use in potentially explosive atmospheres