Do manual valves and pipes need ATEX certification?

No. Hand-operated valves, fixed pipework and plastic pipes have no ignition source of their own, so they are outside the ATEX product directive 2014/34/EU and must not be ATEX marked. The question changes when the valve gets an actuator, a solenoid, a positioner or limit switches: those parts bring their own energy and must be assessed, and electrical ones need Ex protection suited to the zone.

Short answer

• Manual valves: out of scope. The European Commission's ATEX Guidelines (6th edition, January 2026) explain that they move slowly and cannot form hot surfaces, so they have no own ignition source.
• Valves with plastic parts: also out of scope; the Commission treats charged polymer parts the same way as plastic pipes, which are clearly outside the directive.
• Fixed pipework, tanks and vessels: outside the directive and outside ISO 80079-36, as static process equipment without an energy source.
• Actuated valves: electric actuators, solenoid valves, positioners and limit switches are electrical equipment and need ATEX conformity for use in a hazardous area (a passive switch used as simple apparatus in an intrinsically safe circuit is the usual exception). Whether a non-electrical actuator has an own ignition source is for its manufacturer to assess.
• The user is not off the hook: under Directive 1999/92/EC the employer still has to control static electricity, earthing and leaks from valves and pipes.

Why manual valves fall outside ATEX

The directive covers equipment "capable of causing an explosion through its own potential sources of ignition". The Commission's guidelines list simple mechanical products that usually have no such source: hand tools, ladders, equipment moved by human power and also pressure relief valves and self-closing doors. Hand-operated valves are named explicitly: they move slowly with no possibility of forming hot surfaces.

The guidelines go further on two points that buyers often ask about:

• Some valve designs contain polymer parts that could become charged. The Commission says this is no different from plastic pipes, so such valves stay out of scope, even when a manufacturer advertises minor changes such as more conductive polymers.
• Items that can be charged only by the process, for example polyethylene pipes or plastic containers, are not in scope and should not be CE or Ex marked under the directive.

ISO 80079-36, the standard for non-electrical Ex equipment, draws the same line. Its scope excludes hand tools, manually operated equipment without energy storage, and static process equipment such as tanks, vessels, fixed pipework and hand-operated valves with no energy source of their own.

What does need assessment

For a valve with an actuator, the Commission's approach to a pump and its motor is a useful guide: the parts can be treated as separate items or as one, depending on whether putting them together adds an ignition hazard. If the actuator manufacturer's ignition hazard assessment finds no potential ignition source, the actuator is not ATEX equipment and must not be marked as such.

What the plant operator must still check

Leaving the product directive does not mean leaving the risk assessment. Under 1999/92/EC the employer assesses the whole installation, and the Commission explicitly reminds users to assess electrostatic ignition risks wherever flammable atmospheres may exist. In practice:

• Earthing and bonding: metal valve bodies and pipe sections isolated by gaskets, linings or plastic parts can charge up; the bonding design must cover them.
• Plastic parts and linings: check the charging risk for the substances and the zone.
• Releases: valve stems, packings and flanges are typical secondary grade sources of release in area classification.
• Purchasing documents: ask for material and pressure ratings and, if useful, a written statement that the item has no own ignition source, instead of an ATEX certificate that cannot legitimately exist.

Common mistakes

• Accepting an "ATEX declaration" for a manual valve. The Commission says such items must not be marked under the directive; the paper adds nothing to safety.
• Assuming the whole automated valve is covered by the actuator's marking. The marking covers the actuator; accessories such as switches and solenoids need their own conformity.
• Ignoring static on lined or plastic valves because they are "outside ATEX".

Related on excodex

• Non-electrical equipment in hazardous areas: Ex h, constructional safety c, control of ignition sources b and liquid immersion k
• Does the ATEX directive apply to non-electrical equipment such as pumps, fans and gearboxes?
• What is an ignition hazard assessment for non-electrical equipment?
• Are flanges and valves secondary grade releases?
• Earthing, bonding and equipotential bonding in hazardous areas

Standards and further reading

• Directive 2014/34/EU, Article 2 (definitions of equipment and protective systems): legislation.gov.uk
• European Commission, ATEX 2014/34/EU Guidelines, 6th edition (January 2026), sections on simple products, own ignition sources and non-electrical equipment: ec.europa.eu
• ISO 80079-36:2016, non-electrical equipment for explosive atmospheres, scope and exclusions: public copy
• Directive 1999/92/EC, the employer's explosion risk assessment.

This article is general technical information prepared by the excodex editorial team. It does not replace the applicable standards, the equipment certificates and instructions, national regulations or the assessment of a competent person.