How are explosive atmospheres and Ex equipment regulated in Kyrgyzstan?

Ex equipment placed on the market in Kyrgyzstan must comply with the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) technical regulation TR CU 012/2011 "On the safety of equipment for work in explosive atmospheres" and carry the EAC mark with the Ex marking; an ATEX or IECEx certificate on its own is not enough. Sites that handle flammable gases, combustible liquids or gases, or plant raw materials and grain that form explosive dust are hazardous production facilities under the Industrial Safety Law No. 160 of 2016, with design expertise, production control and state supervision.

Short answer

• Product rules: TR CU 012/2011 (in force in the Customs Union from 15 February 2013) applies in Kyrgyzstan as an EAEU member. Equipment needs an EAC certificate of conformity from an accredited body in the EAEU before it is placed on the market.
• Standards: the standards listed for TR CU 012/2011 are interstate GOST standards largely based on IEC 60079 (gas) and the related dust standards, so Ex protection concepts, groups and temperature classes match IEC practice.
• Workplace rules: Law No. 160 of 2 August 2016 (as amended 10 January 2023) treats sites where flammable gases, combustible liquids or gases, oxidising or explosive substances are handled, and sites storing or processing plant raw materials that form explosive dust-air mixtures or grain, as hazardous production facilities (Article 5).
• Duties at the site: identification and registration, industrial safety expertise of the design documentation, diagnosis, testing and inspection of technical devices at the intervals the Cabinet sets, production control, qualified and certified personnel, emergency planning and liability insurance (Articles 9, 10 and 13).
• Not an IECEx member: Kyrgyzstan is not on the IECEx list of member countries, so an IECEx certificate has no formal status there.
• No ATEX-style workplace directive: no separate Kyrgyz act equivalent to EU Directive 1999/92/EC was found; area classification and Ex inspection are driven by industrial safety, fire safety and construction rules and by the standards.

Two sides: the product and the workplace

Product side. TR CU 012/2011 covers electrical and non-electrical equipment and Ex components intended for explosive atmospheres. The manufacturer (or its authorised representative in the EAEU) obtains an EAC certificate based on type testing and production assessment by an accredited body. Existing ATEX or IECEx test reports may be accepted by the EAEU body as supporting evidence, at its discretion, but the EAC certificate is the document that matters at customs and on site.

Workplace side. Law No. 160 requires a positive industrial safety expertise of the design documentation before construction, operation or modification of a hazardous production facility (Articles 9 and 13). Technical devices must be diagnosed, tested and inspected at the intervals the Cabinet sets, and used under the conditions it lays down (Article 10). Law No. 82 of 2026 adds that machines, equipment and PPE, including imported ones, must meet Kyrgyz labour protection requirements (Article 8). In practice the client's design institute classifies hazardous areas to the GOST/IEC standards, selects equipment with EAC Ex certificates, and the operator's production control keeps the installation in condition.

Practical case: supplying gas detectors to a Kyrgyz terminal

A European supplier is asked to deliver fixed gas detectors and Ex junction boxes for a fuel terminal in Kyrgyzstan.

1. Check that each model has a valid EAC certificate under TR CU 012/2011 covering the exact variant, Ex marking and temperature class.
2. Provide the Ex marking on the nameplate as certified, plus the operating manual and certificate copy in Russian.
3. Match the marking to the client's hazardous area drawing (zone, gas group, temperature class).
4. Expect the operator to include the equipment in the design documentation that goes to expertise and in its production control and inspection records.
5. If a model holds only ATEX and IECEx certificates, start the EAC process before the order; it cannot be fixed on site.

Common mistakes

• Shipping ATEX-only equipment and expecting acceptance on site.
• Assuming the EAC certificate of a similar model covers a different enclosure or variant.
• Forgetting non-electrical Ex equipment, which is also within TR CU 012/2011.

Related on excodex

• Occupational safety and health in Kyrgyzstan: law, authorities and employer duties
• What is the EAC Ex certificate and is it needed for Russia and Kazakhstan?
• Ex certification in other markets: UKEX, EAC, INMETRO, CCC, PESO and others
• Hazardous area zones explained: Zone 0, Zone 1 and Zone 2
• Which rules apply to major-hazard chemical sites in Kyrgyzstan?

Standards and further reading

• EAEU technical regulation TR CU 012/2011 "On the safety of equipment for work in explosive atmospheres": Eurasian Economic Commission, regulations in force.
• Law No. 160 "On industrial safety of hazardous production facilities", 2 August 2016, as amended 10 January 2023, Articles 5, 9, 10 and 13: official text.
• IECEx member countries: iecex.com.
• IEC 60079 series, explosive atmospheres (equipment protection, area classification, installation and inspection).

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.