Benefits to Management of using IndEx to aid ATEX Compliance

ATEX is the abbreviated name of the European Directive 2014/34/EC, which was introduced on July 1st 2003. Since that date, all electrical and mechanical equipment, components and protective systems designated as explosion-proof have been subject to it. ATEX 137 is a supplementary directive issued by the European Commission to improve the health protection and safety of employees who may be endangered by explosive atmospheres. As such, engineers must carry out checks on all equipment and environments affected by the directive. The ATEX directive places the responsibility on employers to control and/or eliminate the risks arising from their operations which may contain potentially explosive atmospheres, and to ensure that employees have a safe place of work. Employers must also demonstrate that they have considered the risks for overall protection safety measures, providing evidence for each explosion protection measure implemented. As a manager tasked with checking and reporting on equipment covered by ATEX 137, you will already know how complex and time-consuming the administrative task behind the inspections can be. That is why we have developed IndEx to help you and your team gain and maintain compliance while leaving you to focus on running your business.

1. Site Safety

The ATEX directive was initially set up to ensure site safety for employees, but our IndEx software takes that compliance to a new level for your business. It goes without saying that site safety is the main priority for a business, but with IndEx, we can turn that site safety process into a business management tool, not only keeping your employees safe but increasing their productivity and your manufacturing processes.

It used to be a case of safety first and business second, but with the help of IndEx, both can be improved.

2. Reduced Costs

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Reduced time to do inspections

We have had instances where customers have reported that, before the instigation of IndEx within their business, 25% of the time spent on an inspection relates to the completion of records, usually in Excel.

With IndEx, all the data gathering is done at the point of inspection by the engineer when it is fresh in their mind. In addition, photographs and documents can be filed alongside the equipment record in the database, with each item of equipment identified by a Near Field Communication (NFC) Tag, which is attached to your equipment to ensure the correct items are audited, and all information is associated with the right item. With a Wifi connection, engineers can complete and upload reports in real-time in a simplified and efficient format, which leads to a reduction in inspection time and results in engineers achieving a higher number of inspections.

Less time finding data to produce HSE reports

Because IndEx was designed to collect and collate the data needed to comply with ATEX 137, we already have all the data required to submit the correct data to HSE and hold the data that allows you to back up your submissions should HSE decide to audit your site. Using IndEx by Transform is far more efficient and less time-consuming than using any paper-based data management method, especially when it comes to having your site audited.

Proactive maintenance means equipment is replaced less often

IndEx ensures that your assets are inspected regularly by collecting critical data about proactive and reactive maintenance. IndEx makes it possible to reduce downtime and general wear on equipment, leading to longer operational life and less frequent replacement of expensive plant and machinery. Our technology can determine common faults before they become a more significant problem, which can help reduce the time lost in production when these parts need replacing.

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3. Increased Productivity

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Reduced downtime

The bane of any manufacturing business is the threat of unplanned downtime. One of the positives of a well-documented inspection regime is that potential downtime can be spotted before it happens. You can use the data held within IndEx to pre-empt potential equipment failures based on historical data. IndEx will allow you to spot trends in your data. For instance, if your engineers are recording that they have replaced a particular component every six months when it breaks, you can take a proactive stance and do a planned inspection at a convenient time to replace that component, thus reducing the hassle and panic of having a failure during peak production times.

Job continuity between shifts

IndEx can help you better manage your engineering resource by allowing job lists or workflows to be passed between shifts. Once a job list has been drawn up in IndEx, it can be passed from shift to shift, ensuring that no tasks are overlooked and that the changeover time between shifts is kept to a minimum. This simplifies the jobs for your engineers and allows for a smoother transition between shifts.

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4. Visibility

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Work Management

Inspection data can update records instantly, with data analysis and reporting being shared between stakeholders. Corrective maintenance is proactively shared to enable swift approval and planning of remedial works to minimise disruption to plant operations.

Data visible for reports

Once data is entered into IndEx via a tablet or PC, it is immediately available to report on. The tablet makes it possible to update and check previous records on a piece of equipment at the point of inspection. Once the engineer is back in an area with a WIFI signal, it is possible to immediately upload the new data back to IndEx, ready for reporting. Therefore, this updates any reports in real-time, which helps to streamline and speed up your processes, which can result in an 85% reduction in inspection times.

Removes guess work

When allocating a task requiring an inspection or work on a particular piece of equipment, the history of that equipment is made available on the tablet. This allows the engineer to see what other work has been carried out and if an issue has previously occurred. This will enable tasks to be completed quickly and more efficiently by presenting the engineer's complete history.

Visibility to all who need it

There are so many reasons to welcome the visibility of your asset data. In particular, you can ensure that all of your assets are getting the attention that they need and nothing is getting overlooked. Each asset's own NFC tag can easily be identified in the IndEx database. The database can also hold images and documents that pertain to that asset, meaning everything is in the same place for complete visibility.

The NFC tagging process also has the advantage of allowing you to build a complete asset list, ensuring that there are no missing items from your inventory. You can also use the same process to tag and account for non-ATEX 137 compliant assets such as office equipment.

Fully customisable forms

When you first start using IndEx, you are presented with a set of customisable template forms which will allow you to collect the data needed to comply with ATEX 137. This means you can collect data for your assets that may be used for compliance or tracking purposes. Our team are more than happy to speak to you about how IndEx can meet more than just your ATEX needs.

But don’t just take our word for it, head over to the showcases page and see what some of our clients have to say about us and how IndEx by Transform has managed to save them time and money on their sites.

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