KCs Ex certification (explosion proof components) for South Korea

Under the Occupational Health and Safety Act, the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency (KOSHA) requires the KCs Ex certification of explosion proof electrical components. Since 1992 Korea has an approval system for ex-proof components.

KOSHA joined the IECEx scheme and became an internationally recognized certification body (ExCB) and testing laboratory (ExTL) in 2000.

The certification cannot be carried out by the manufacturer of a complete machine or facility but must be applied for by the producer of the electrical Ex components. In the context of an import certification, active participation of the manufacturer is required as a minimum. This is a consequence of the requirements under the certification procedure and is described in more detail in the section below.

 

 

The KCs mark was established to ensure the fundamental safety in the design and manufacturing of hazardous machinery and protective equipment in dangerous workplaces. The ultimate goal is to protect the health and safety of workers by preventing accidents.

Apart from the KCs Ex certification, the KOSHA regulations also cover machine safety and the KCs certification also extends to machine approval in Korea. Of that the KCs certification for Ex components is one important part.

There are three authorities that can issue KCs certificates for Ex components. Apart from the obtaining the Ex certification from KOSHA, one can also apply for the KGS explosion protection certification at the Korea Gas Safety Corporation. Additionally, the KCs Ex certification can also be obtained from KTL.

As one of the most important authorities for issuing KCs Ex certificates, KGS (Korea Gas Safety Corporation) has been performing certifications for electrical ex-components since 1995.

Generally, explosion-proof electrical components that fall under the following international Ex-standards, should be considered for a KCs explosion proof certification:

 

Ex-Type	IEC Standard
	‧ IEC 60079-0 (ed.4.0:2004)_General requirements
Flame proof enclosure “d“	‧ IEC 60079-1 (ed.5.0:2003)_flameproof enclosures “d”
Positive pressure housing type “p”	‧ IEC 60079-2 (ed.4.0:2001)_pressurized enclosure “p”
Increased safety „e“	‧ IEC 60079-7 (ed.3.0:2001)_increased safety “e”
Liquid immersion „o“	‧ IEC 60079-6 (ed.2.0:1995)_liquid immersion “o”
Intrinsic safety „i“	‧ IEC 60079-11 (ed.4.0:1999)_intrinsic safety “i”
Type of protection „n“	‧ IEC 60079-15 (ed.3.0:2005)_type of protection “n”
Encapsulation „m“	‧ IEC 60079-18 (ed.2.0:2004)_encapsulation “m”
Sand filling „q“	‧ IEC 60079-5 (ed.3.0:2007)_powder filling “q”
Enclosure type „tD“	‧ IEC 61241-1 (ed.1.0:2004)_Protection by enclosures “tD”

 

Certification Process

The certification process under the KOSHA regulations for the KCs manufacturer certification includes the following steps:

 

 

A regular inspection is normally conducted every two years after obtaining the KCs certification in order to ensure that the product is being produced under the standards that were confirmed during the certification process.

In case the manufacturer already has an IECEx certification for their product, there is a simplified certification process to obtain a Korean explosion proof certificate. For this process the IECEx documentation will be examined, so that the ExTRs can replace the product tests and the IECEx QAR can substitute for the initial factory inspection. Regular follow-up inspections by the Korean authority will still have to be passed, in order to uphold the validity of the certificates.

If only ATEX certificates are available, a certification for KCs based on ATEX is only possible under certain circumstances and should always be checked individually. Since ATEX as a system for mutual recognition of ex-proof components among European member states and Korean is not a member, ATEX is not directly accepted for the Korean Ex certification.

It mainly depends on the institution that issued the ATEX certificates and whether they have a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Korean authority. In case the ATEX documentation is accepted, only product tests might be avoided. An initial factory inspection is still required.

For importing smaller quantities of Ex-proof components to Korea, there is also an alternative to the KCs manufacturer certification. There is the simplified KCs import certification according to which a maximum quantity of 10 identical Ex components can be imported under one certificate. The import certification requires the cooperation of the importer. When applying for the KCs import certification based on a valid IECEx certificate, no tests and no factory inspection is required.

 

Marking

After obtaining the KCs certification, the products need to be marked with the KCs mark.

The size of the certification mark can be freely adjusted according to the actual size of the product, but cannot be smaller than 5mm in vertical height.

Normally the standard indigo blue should be used as the color for the label (Munsell 5PB 2/8 according to standard KS A 0062).

For special effects, the following alternative colors can be used (acc. to KS A 0062)

• Gold (10YR 6/4)
• Silver (N 7)
• Black (N 2)

 

Here is a brief Video about the KCs Ex certification for explosion proof components

Presented by Julian Busch, director of Korea Certification:

You can also watch this video on our Video Channel.

Our services for your KCs Ex certification

We can assist with the certification of your explosion proof products in Korea.

If you need assistance or have any questions, feel free to contact us any time.

Tel.: +49-69-2713769259
Email: info@korea-certification.com

 

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