How are explosive atmospheres and Ex equipment regulated in Egypt?

Egypt does not have a stand-alone explosive-atmosphere law like the EU ATEX directives, as far as we could verify. The Labour Law issued by Law No. 14 of 2025 lists "explosion risks" among the physical risks every establishment must control (Article 246), and Ministerial Decree No. 211 of 2003 requires earthing, lightning protection, ventilation and non-sparking, explosion-proof electrical equipment wherever flammable or explosive petroleum and chemical substances are stored, handled or used. It does not define zones or a national Ex certification scheme, so zoning and certified equipment are normally set by project specifications to IEC 60079 standards.

Short answer

• General duty: protect workers against explosion risks (Labour Law 2025, Art. 246), assess risks and disasters and keep emergency plans (Art. 253). Fines EGP 5,000 to 100,000 for breaches (Art. 296).
• Technical rules: Decree 211 of 2003 on storage, handling and use of flammable and explosive materials, natural gas and petroleum gases: protective earthing and lightning protection, tested periodically; electrical equipment of a non-sparking and explosion-proof type; local and general ventilation; preventing explosive mixtures in boiler furnaces; maintenance, inspection and non-destructive testing of tanks and equipment holding flammable gases.
• Electrical section of the same decree: electrical equipment must be of a type permitted by locally approved standard specifications and suited to the place and activity; switches where gas or dust hazards exist must be spark-resistant; only well-trained, skilled people may install and repair electrical equipment.
• Not found: a legal requirement for zone classification, an Explosion Protection Document, or a national Ex equipment certification or marking scheme. Egypt is not among the member countries of the IECEx system listed by IECEx.
• In practice: industry specifications usually require IEC 60079 area classification and equipment certified under IECEx or ATEX. This comes from contracts and sector rules, not from a verified Egyptian statute.

What Decree 211 of 2003 requires

Decree 211, issued under the old Labour Law and kept in force until replaced, has a section on explosives and explosion prevention. For areas where flammable or explosive petroleum and chemical substances are stored, handled or used, it requires:

1. a protective earthing and lightning protection system, tested and maintained regularly;
2. all electrical installations to be of the non-sparking type and made to resist explosion (explosion-proof);
3. removal of flammable gases and vapours by an integrated system of local and general ventilation in furnaces, areas and stores;
4. technical and engineering measures to prevent an explosive mixture of air and flammable gases or vapours inside boiler furnaces and fireboxes burning natural gas or petroleum gases;
5. preventive and periodic maintenance and engineering inspection of stores, tanks and equipment containing flammable natural or petroleum gases, with safety and alarm devices and non-destructive testing to the specifications and the manufacturer's manual, recorded in a register.

The same decree covers explosion prevention in pressure vessels and steam boilers (relief valves, inspection) and the safe storage and use of explosives in construction work.

The decree's general electrical provisions add that equipment, cables and switches must be of a type permitted by locally approved standard specifications and suited to the conditions of the workplace, that switches in places with a gas or dust hazard must be spark-resistant, and that installation and repair must be done by highly trained and skilled people after isolation.

Under Decree 134 of 2003, the OSH unit of an establishment with 50 or more workers maintains fire and explosion protection, issues permits to work before dangerous maintenance, and must be informed before any hazardous operation.

How to comply in practice

Because the decree uses performance language ("explosion-proof") without a certification route, buyers and plant engineers usually work to international standards:

Oil, gas and petrochemical operators often impose their own specifications, and the Ministry of Petroleum and civil protection authorities may have sector requirements. We could not verify these. Egypt is not an IECEx member country, so an IECEx certificate is accepted on contractual grounds rather than under a national recognition agreement; confirm with the client and the competent authority what evidence they accept before supply.

Common mistakes

• Assuming "CE" or "ATEX" marking is legally required in Egypt. It is a contractual or sector requirement unless the authority states otherwise.
• Skipping area classification because the law does not mention zones. Without zones, "explosion-proof" equipment cannot be selected correctly.
• Forgetting earthing tests. Decree 211 requires earthing and lightning protection to be tested and maintained regularly.

Related on excodex

• Occupational safety and health in Egypt: law, authorities and employer duties
• Which rules apply to major-hazard chemical sites in Egypt?
• ATEX vs IECEx: differences, similarities and which one you need
• How to carry out a gas hazardous area classification
• Ex certification in other markets

Standards and further reading

• Law No. 14 of 2025 issuing the Labour Law, Articles 246, 253 and 296: https://manshurat.org/content/qnwn-lml-ljdyd-rqm-14-lsn-2025
• Ministerial Decree No. 211 of 2003, section on explosives and explosion prevention, Al-Waqa'i' al-Misriya No. 227 (supplement b), 5 October 2003: https://manshurat.org/node/12155
• Ministerial Decree No. 134 of 2003, tasks of the OSH unit: https://manshurat.org/node/12136
• IEC 60079 series (explosive atmospheres): parts 10-1, 10-2, 14 and 17.
• IECEx, member countries: https://iecex.com/who-we-are/countries

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.