Occupational safety International framework and country guides
How are explosive atmospheres and Ex equipment regulated in Azerbaijan?
Part of: Occupational safety and health in Azerbaijan: law, authorities and employer duties
Short answer
Through the 1999 Law on Technical Safety: sites with flammable or explosive substances are hazard-potential facilities supervised by the Ministry of Emergency Situations, and their equipment must be certified by accredited bodies. No national ATEX-type Ex regulation was found.
Azerbaijan regulates explosion risks mainly through the Law on Technical Safety of 2 November 1999 (No. 733-IQ). Sites that produce, store, process or transport flammable, explosive or oxidising substances are hazard-potential facilities supervised by the Ministry of Emergency Situations, and the technical devices and equipment used there must be certified for conformity by accredited conformity assessment bodies. We found no national regulation equivalent to the EU ATEX directives for Ex equipment or for zoning, so the certification route must be agreed with the authorities for each project.
Short answer
- Legal basis: Law on Technical Safety No. 733-IQ (1999), amended by Law No. 139-VIIQD of 14 February 2025; sector technical safety rules of the Ministry of Emergency Situations.
- Supervisor: the ministry's State Agency for Control of Safe Work in Industry and Mining.
- Ex equipment: devices, machines and mechanisms used at hazard-potential facilities must be certified by accredited conformity assessment bodies (Art. 7); under its statute the agency organises this certification and approves the list of certified devices.
- No ATEX-type product regulation for Ex equipment was found on e-qanun.az in November 2026; Azerbaijan is not in the Eurasian Economic Union, so EAC certification is not a legal requirement in itself.
- Workers: explosion and fire hazardous areas are on the list of jobs needing a medical certificate; staff of hazard-potential facilities need medical examination and attestation at least yearly.
What the Law on Technical Safety requires
Annex 1 of the law lists the hazardous production facilities: sites handling flammable gases, flammable liquids, oxidising, explosive and toxic substances, plus oil and gas production and trunk pipelines, oil refining, petrochemicals and gas supply, mining, metallurgy, grain elevators and flour milling, pressure equipment and lifting equipment. The 2025 amendment defines hazard-potential facilities as those handling the Annex 1 substances or having radioactive sources or explosion and other accident-prone structures, and requires them to be entered in a single state register.
Operators must comply with technical standards, use certified equipment, have equipment and buildings diagnosed, tested and examined, pass technical safety expertise of designs and equipment, prepare a technical safety declaration where substances reach the Annex 2 quantities, organise internal production control, train and attest staff, and stop operation immediately in an accident (Arts. 7 to 12). Equipment at these facilities undergoes technical safety expertise during operation (Art. 7.5). Sector rules exist, for example the 2023 technical safety rules for operating trunk oil pipelines approved by the ministry.
The law does not apply in the Alat Free Economic Zone, which has its own regime.
Ex equipment: what suppliers and plant engineers should do
| Question | Position found |
|---|---|
| Is there a national Ex product regulation? | Not found; the first national technical regulations under the 2019 Law on Technical Regulation (2026) cover gas appliances and toys |
| Who certifies equipment for hazard-potential facilities? | Accredited conformity assessment bodies; the emergency ministry agency organises certification and approves the list |
| Are ATEX or IECEx certificates accepted? | Not stated in the law; the October 2026 rules on recognising foreign conformity documents apply only to goods covered by a national technical regulation, and Azerbaijan is not an IECEx member country |
| Is zone classification regulated? | No national zoning regulation found; define the standard in the design documents that pass technical safety expertise |
Example: A supplier offers gas detectors and junction boxes with ATEX and IECEx certificates for a new compressor station. Before shipping, the buyer asks the emergency ministry agency, or the accredited body it names, whether the equipment needs national certification, whether it is on the approved list, and which documents (certificates, test reports, translations) are required. The design documents state the area classification standard used, for example IEC 60079-10-1 for gas, so that the technical safety expertise can check equipment selection against the zones.
Liability
Breaching safety rules at explosion-hazardous facilities or workshops is a crime when it causes harm: Criminal Code Art. 223 provides for a fine of AZN 2,000 to 4,000, restriction of liberty or up to 2 years' imprisonment for less serious or serious harm, 3 to 6 years' imprisonment where death or other grave consequences result, and 5 to 10 years for two or more deaths.
Common mistakes
- Assuming CE or ATEX marking alone settles conformity in Azerbaijan: check with the agency and accredited bodies.
- Assuming the EAC mark is required because neighbouring countries use it: Azerbaijan is not in the Eurasian Economic Union.
- Leaving the zoning standard undefined in design documents that go to expertise.
Related on excodex
- Occupational safety and health in Azerbaijan: law, authorities and employer duties
- Major-hazard chemical sites in Azerbaijan
- Ex certification in other markets
- Hazardous area zones explained
- Does ATEX apply outside the EU?
Standards and further reading
- Law on Technical Safety No. 733-IQ of 2 November 1999, Arts. 2, 7 to 15 and Annexes 1 and 2: https://e-qanun.az/framework/21
- Law No. 139-VIIQD of 14 February 2025 amending the Law on Technical Safety: https://e-qanun.az/framework/59123
- Statute of the State Agency for Control of Safe Work in Industry and Mining (Decree No. 695, 2007): https://e-qanun.az/framework/14328
- Law on Technical Regulation No. 1669-VQ of 30 September 2019: https://e-qanun.az/framework/43689
- Cabinet of Ministers Decision No. 352 of 23 October 2026 on recognition of foreign conformity documents: https://e-qanun.az/framework/62822
- First national technical regulations: TR 001/2026/AZ on gas appliances (Decision No. 131 of 6 May 2026): https://e-qanun.az/framework/61789 and TR 002/2026/AZ on toys (Decision No. 327 of 7 October 2026): https://e-qanun.az/framework/62731
- IECEx member countries: https://iecex.com/who-we-are/countries
- Technical safety rules for operating trunk oil pipelines, ministry decision No. 20/01-020 of 13 April 2023: https://e-qanun.az/framework/54002
- Criminal Code, Art. 223: https://e-qanun.az/framework/46947
- IEC 60079-10-1, Explosive atmospheres: classification of areas, explosive gas atmospheres
This article is general occupational safety and health information prepared by the excodex editorial team. It does not replace the applicable legislation, standards, manufacturers' instructions or the assessment of a competent OSH professional or occupational physician.
More questions on this topic
- What is the main occupational safety and health law in Azerbaijan and who enforces it?
- Must an employer in Azerbaijan appoint a safety professional or an occupational physician?
- Is a written risk assessment mandatory in Azerbaijan, and how often must it be reviewed?
- How and within what time must a workplace accident be reported in Azerbaijan?
- What OSH training must employers provide to workers in Azerbaijan?
- Are pre-employment and periodic medical examinations required for workers in Azerbaijan?
- What are the penalties for breaking occupational safety rules in Azerbaijan?
- Is a safety committee or a worker safety representative required in Azerbaijan?
Part of: Occupational safety and health in Azerbaijan: law, authorities and employer duties