Fitness for Purpose
Assessments
Lithium Oil & Gas have team members available to conduct a fitness for purpose assessment in circumstances where no hazardous area certificate of conformity is available. Fitness for purposes assessment will be conducted in accordance with AS/NZS 60079.17 by our experienced compliance team.
When Can I do a Fitness for Purpose Assessment?
Not all equipment is able to be used in a hazardous area, however if you have equipment that does not hold a certificate of conformity either under the AUSEx, ANZEx, IECEx or other foreign certification scheme but you believe the equipment has characteristics that allow it to be safely used in the hazardous area the equipment may be proven to be safe following a detailed fitness for purposes assessment allowing it to be used in the hazardous area.
What Does a Fitness for Purposes Assessment Contain?
A fitness for purposes assessment is a risk assessment that aims to demonstrate that a piece of equipment offers an equivalent level of safety for a hazardous area installation to that offered by an equivalent appropriately certified piece of equipment. The assessment of the equipment takes into account any likely ignition sources, whether they be arcs, sparks or hot surfaces, and considers whether they are likely to occur in normal circumstances or only under fault or abnormal conditions. A fitness for purpose report completed by Lithium Oil & Gas will contain the following elements where required:
- Scope – The assessment report clearly indicates the extent of work undertaken.
- Equipment and its Application – The equipment, its application, function and location will be fully defined.
- Function and Location – The purpose and use of the equipment, its location and any relevant environmental conditions will be documented.
- Specifications – The manufacturer’s electrical performance specification for the equipment is required for the assessment and any relevant drawings and material schedules detailed.
- Standards Compliance -The equipment should be assessed against the relevant requirements of the IEC or AS/NZS standards to demonstrate an equivalent level of safety to certified equipment.
- Product Assessment – The equipment may need to be inspected and tested to verify its ignition protection characteristics.
- Training of Staff – Requirements for staff training, competency and awareness should be assessed and documented.
- Equipment Label: Full details of the identification in the form of a permanent label for attachment to the equipment, to clearly identify that the equipment has been assessed and a full report is included in the verification dossier.
- Assessment Statement: A final summary of the findings and statement by the assessment team as to the safety or risks posed by the equipment under assessment.