WH SCOTT
Explosion Proof (EX) Lifting Equipment for ATEX Hazardous Areas
Certified hoists, crane kits and manual lifting equipment for gas, vapour and dust zones — specified, supplied, installed and inspected by WH Scott across the UK and Ireland.
Lifting Equipment Built for Classified Zones
Standard cranes and hoists cannot be used where flammable gas, vapour or combustible dust can form an explosive atmosphere. Explosion proof lifting equipment is designed and certified so that no part of it — motor, brake, control gear, load chain or trolley wheel — can become an ignition source.
WH Scott specifies, supplies and installs EX rated lifting equipment for chemical, pharmaceutical, energy, waste and process operators across the UK and Ireland. We match it to your zone classification, gas or dust group and temperature class, then keep it compliant through servicing and statutory examination.
The EX Lifting Range
We supply explosion protected equipment from SWF Krantechnik, covering powered and manual lifting from a few hundred kilos to twenty tonnes.
- EX electric chain hoists — the SWF ATHLO chain EX range is ATEX and IECEx certified for Zones 1, 2 and 21, rated to 2,500 kg, with frequency inverter control as standard for smooth load positioning
- EX wire rope hoists and crane kits for higher capacity overhead and gantry installations
- EX manual lifting equipment, including CRAFTsterEX hand chain blocks for loads up to 20,000 kg in Zones 1, 2, 21 and 22
- EX beam trolleys and low headroom hoist and trolley combinations where hook height is restricted
- Galvanised load chain, stainless steel hand chain and bronze-coated hooks and wheels to limit friction and impact sparking, with overload protection on manual units
Where a standard unit will not suit the building or the duty cycle, we engineer the crane around it using EX rated crane and hoist components and design the overhead or gantry structure to match.
Lifting Solutions
Part of a complete lifting range
This is one of the complete lifting solutions delivered by WH Scott across the UK and Ireland — from radio remotes, hoists and crane components to fully bespoke crane systems. Explore the full range to find the right fit for your operation.
Zone Ratings, Equipment Categories and Certification
Equipment is selected against the zone classification recorded in your explosion protection document or DSEAR risk assessment. The category rules are the same in the UK and Ireland:
- Zone 0 and Zone 20 — Category 1 equipment only
- Zone 1 and Zone 21 — Category 1 or Category 2 equipment
- Zone 2 and Zone 22 — Category 1, 2 or 3 equipment
Our EX range covers Group II gas atmospheres in groups IIB and IIC as well as combustible dust atmospheres, with a standard ambient range of −20°C to +40°C. Electrical components are certified to the EN IEC 60079 series; non-electrical components are assessed to EN ISO 80079-36 and -37, which replaced the EN 13463 series.
Every unit is supplied with its EU-type examination certificate and full Ex marking — group, category, gas or dust group, type of protection, temperature class and ingress protection. We confirm those details against your zone classification before we quote, not after the equipment reaches site.
Where EX Lifting Equipment Is Used
Typical installations include chemical and petrochemical plant, fuel and solvent storage, paint and coatings manufacture, and pharmaceutical production where solvent vapours are present. Dust zones are just as common: grain, flour, sugar and feed handling, wood and biomass processing, and energy from waste and biogas facilities, along with distilling and brewing.
The requirement is rarely a single hoist. It is usually a maintenance lift over a reactor, a motor change in a classified bay, or drum handling in a solvent store — each with a different zone, headroom and duty.
EX Equipment Compliance in the UK and Ireland
In Great Britain, classifying zones and controlling ignition sources is the employer’s duty under the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002 (DSEAR), and equipment placed on the GB market must meet the Equipment and Protective Systems Intended for Use in Potentially Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2016. In Ireland, Part 8 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations 2007 (S.I. No. 299 of 2007) requires zone classification and an explosion protection document, while S.I. No. 230 of 2017 implements ATEX Directive 2014/34/EU for equipment placed on the Irish market. The Health and Safety Authority publishes the supporting ATEX guidance.
An EX rating does not remove your statutory examination duties. Explosion proof hoists and accessories still require LOLER thorough examination in the UK — six-monthly for lifting accessories and equipment used to lift people, twelve-monthly otherwise — and the equivalent intervals set out in Schedule 1 to S.I. No. 299 of 2007 in Ireland. Our engineers examine EX equipment in place, so certification does not depend on a specialist visit from elsewhere.
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Tell Us About Your Project
Whether you need a single piece of equipment or a fully engineered lifting system, our specialists can help. Tell us your load, environment and compliance requirements — we’ll do the rest.