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9 July 2009

A First for UK Rotary Machine Repairers

Baseefa, foremost certification body within the global IECEx Certification Scheme, has issued the UK's first IECEx Service Facility Certificate covering the repair and overhaul of rotating machines for use in explosive atmospheres, to Dowding & Mills (UK) Ltd.

Established in 1910, Dowding & Mills is the leading independent provider of electro-mechanical services, specialising in the inspection, maintenance and repair of all makes of electric generators, motors and associated equipment, electronic process control equipment as well as extensive calibration and repair services. Its network of workshops spread throughout the world, housing over 1500 highly skilled employees, and supplemented by trade associations, enables it to service customers across every continent and business sector.

The IECEx Certificate issued to Dowding & Mills provides users with a means of showing compliance with ATEX / DSEAR requirements that they have selected a provider on the basis of proven competency in respect of repair and overhaul of electrical equipment. The certificate covers the repair and overhaul of flameproof d, increased safety e and non sparking n protection concepts in accordance with the requirements of IEC 60079-19:2006 and the IECEx Certified Service Facility Scheme operational documents.

In presenting the certificate to Carl Mudd, Manager of the certified branch in Middlesbrough and Regional Manager of Dowding & Mills, Ron Sinclair, Managing Director of Baseefa congratulated the facility on its achievement at being the first UK rotating machine service facility to gain this status and hoped their relationship with Baseefa would go from strength to strength.

Speaking about the IECEx Certified Service Facility Scheme, Baseefa Facility Certification Manager, Allan Ogden, highlighted that it covers the repair and overhaul of equipment used in potentially explosive atmospheres, providing both OEMs and end-users with the confidence that repair workshops operate in accordance with strict technical and quality system requirements, laid down within an international (IEC) framework. He said, "The certificate issued to Dowding & Mills attests that their service facility has been independently assessed and found to have the appropriate equipment, competent staff and operating procedures, which in turn will provide added confidence to their customers that the repair and overhaul work complies not only with the requirement of the existing international standards but also with additional requirements of the recently developed IECEx CoC Scheme."

John Allen, Technical Director at Dowding & Mills, who led the team towards achieving certification, said, "We believe that the IECEx Certified Service Facility Certificate of Conformity will soon become a requirement for all repairers of Ex Equipment. It will also go on to become a pre-qualification for acceptance as third party repairers for users of Ex Equipment. This will affect many companies operating in hazardous areas across many industries ranging from oil & gas, petrochemical and mining to food, fertilizer & pharmaceutical. The IECEx CoC for a Service Facility will be more important than an ISO 9000 QMS. In securing it now, we have proved to be one step ahead of the marketplace. Having our branch in Middlesbrough certified is of course just first step along the road with many other branches to follow.

 

Associated File: News - A 1st for UK Rotary Machine Repairer.pdf

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