Whereas the existing Directives on the approximation of the laws of the Member States to electrical equipment for use in potentially explosive atmospheres have made positive steps towards protection against explosions via measures linked with the structure of the equipment at issue and which have helped to remove barriers to trade in this area; whereas, in parallel, a revision and expansion of the existing Directives is necessary since, more particularly, in an overall context, action must be taken to guard against the potential hazards arising from such equipment. This implies in particular that measures intended t ...[+++]o guarantee effective protection of users and third parties must already be contemplated at the design and manufacturing states;

Whereas compliance with the basic safety and health requirements is essential in order to ensure the safety of protective equipment and systems; whereas those requirements have been subdivided into general and additional requirements which must be met by protective equipment and systems; whereas, in particular, the additional requirements are intended to take account of existing or potential hazards; whereas protective equipment and systems will, therefore, embody at least one of those requirements where this is necessary for their proper functioning or is to apply to their intended use; whereas the notion of intended use is of prime importance for the explosion-proofing of protective equipment and systems; whereas it is essential that ...[+++] manufacturers supply full information; whereas specific, clear marking of said equipment, stating its use in a potentially explosive atmosphere, is also necessary;