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Author: Veress Árpád · Explosion-protection expertDAILY Ex - 9 NOVEMBER 2026
TODAY'S FOCUS: The most dangerous operating condition may be the one that has become routine. A newly published investigation into a pharmaceutical centrifuge explosion in China, enforcement action over an inadequately controlled hazardous-material operation in the UK, upcoming ATEX/IECEx certification discussions, and developments in industrial safety technology lead today's edition. For Heads of Operations: A procedure used successfully for years is not necessarily safe. Explosion protection depends on whether the actual operating conditions remain within the assessed limits.
⚡ DAILY Ex | 9 NOVEMBER 2026
Explosion Protection | Operational Ex | Global Watch
TODAY'S FOCUS: The most dangerous operating condition may be the one that has become routine.
A newly published investigation into a pharmaceutical centrifuge explosion in China, enforcement action over an inadequately controlled hazardous-material operation in the UK, upcoming ATEX/IECEx certification discussions, and developments in industrial safety technology lead today's edition.
For Heads of Operations: A procedure used successfully for years is not necessarily safe. Explosion protection depends on whether the actual operating conditions remain within the assessed limits.
🔴 1. CHINA | Pharmaceutical centrifuge explosion: investigation findings
RECENT INVESTIGATION - Report published 13 October 2026
An investigation report concerning a pharmaceutical facility in Rizhao, Shandong Province, describes an explosion and subsequent fire involving a centrifuge.
The incident occurred on 28 May 2025 at Rizhao Baluote Pharmaceutical.
One worker died and two were injured.
The investigation documentation became publicly available in October 2026. The accessible report summary confirms the incident and consequences but does not provide sufficient detail to establish the complete ignition sequence.
Why it matters operationally: Centrifuges handling flammable solvents combine mechanical ignition sources, electrical equipment, vapour generation and potentially hazardous operating transitions.
Management action: Review solvent compatibility, inerting where required, bearing condition, mechanical seals, operating speeds, protective interlocks and safe opening procedures.
https://www.safehoo.com/Case/Case/Hightemperature/202610/5818664.shtml
⚖️ 2. UK | £800,000 fine following hazardous-material handling failure
RECENT ENFORCEMENT - 5 October 2026
The Health and Safety Executive reported that GMK Limited was fined £800,000 after a worker suffered burns while disposing of pyrotechnic waste.
The original incident occurred in January 2023.
Investigators found that an unapproved disposal method had become established practice without adequate risk assessment or management oversight.
Hazardous materials were also stored in areas not authorised under the company's explosives licence.
Why it matters operationally: Repeatedly performing an unsafe task without an incident can create false confidence.
Although this case involved pyrotechnic materials rather than an ordinary ATEX atmosphere, the management lesson is directly relevant to Ex operations.
Management action: Identify maintenance, cleaning and disposal practices that have developed informally outside approved procedures.
📘 3. IECEx / ATEX | Certification challenges under discussion this week
UPCOMING INDUSTRY EVENT - 13 November 2026
https://www.sgs.com/ has announced a technical webinar on navigating ATEX and IECEx product certification.
The event will address certification challenges, technical documentation, quality systems and international market access.
The announcement was published on 26 October. It is an industry education event, not a new regulatory requirement.
Why it matters operationally: Equipment purchased internationally may require different conformity documentation depending on the country where it will be installed.
An IECEx certificate does not automatically replace every national approval or EU ATEX conformity obligation.
Management action: Confirm the destination country's requirements before procurement, particularly for packaged machinery and equipment assemblies.
https://agilitypr.news/SGS-webinar-addresses-ATEX-and-IECEx-cer-1006861
🔬 4. GLOBAL | A protection function is only as effective as its final action
GOOD ENGINEERING PRACTICE
Industrial explosion prevention increasingly uses oxygen analysers, gas detectors, temperature monitoring, vibration sensors and automated shutdown systems.
However, detection alone does not establish protection.
A complete protective function includes the sensor, logic, final element, response time, failure behaviour and periodic verification.
For example, detecting excessive bearing temperature is insufficient if the machine cannot be stopped before an effective ignition source develops.
Why it matters operationally: Monitoring systems may provide useful information without delivering the risk reduction assumed in the explosion-protection assessment.
Management action: Identify safety-critical protective functions and verify their complete response, including final elements and foreseeable failures.
📘 5. UK | Fatal recycling accident demonstrates stored-energy hazards
HISTORICAL INCIDENT LEARNING - Enforcement 17 September 2026
A worker died in March 2023 while processing a cartridge-type fire extinguisher at a recycling facility in Oldbury.
The extinguisher experienced a sudden pressure release and exploded.
The HSE investigation identified inadequate risk assessment, unsuitable operating procedures and the absence of appropriate restraint arrangements.
The company was fined £40,000 in September 2026.
Why it matters operationally: Equipment that is being discarded may still contain dangerous stored energy.
Engineering lesson: Decommissioning and recycling require specific procedures. Equipment must not be assumed safe merely because it has reached the end of its service life.
📅 6. EUROPE | Process safety and infrastructure resilience
UPCOMING EVENTS - 10–19 November 2026
Three events are relevant to industrial operators this month.
Germany: protekt 2026 takes place on 10–11 November, addressing critical infrastructure resilience, physical security and operational continuity.
Portugal: PROTEGER 2026 takes place on 17–19 November, covering fire safety, dangerous-goods transport and occupational safety.
UK: Hazards 36 takes place on 17–19 November, focusing on major-hazard management and practical process-safety improvement.
Why it matters operationally: Explosion protection must be integrated with maintenance, process safety, emergency preparedness and business continuity.
https://www.protekt.de/ · https://proteger.pt/ · https://www.icheme.org/training-events/hazards-process-safety-conference/
▶️ OPERATIONAL Ex USE CASE
The solvent centrifuge - when a seal replacement changes the ignition risk
PRACTICAL | Illustrative scenario
A pharmaceutical facility operates a centrifuge separating solids from a flammable solvent.
The machine has an established explosion-protection assessment covering its electrical equipment, mechanical ignition sources, sealing arrangement and operating conditions.
During maintenance, the mechanical seal is replaced with a commercially available alternative.
The replacement fits the shaft and provides the required process containment.
Production wants to restart immediately.
But does the replacement preserve the original explosion-protection assumptions?
Not necessarily.
A different seal design may change frictional heating, dry-running behaviour, leakage characteristics, cooling requirements and the consequences of seal failure.
The replacement may also affect the assumptions used to assess the internal explosive atmosphere.
For machinery relying on ignition-source control, the seal may be part of the safety-critical design.
Required decision: Mechanical Engineering must verify that the replacement seal is technically equivalent for the actual operating conditions and does not introduce an effective ignition source.
Owner: Maintenance Manager, supported by Mechanical Engineering, Process Engineering and the Ex Responsible Person.
Required evidence: Manufacturer's specifications, assessment of mechanical ignition sources, compatibility verification, installation records, relevant protective-function checks and return-to-service authorization.
STOP criterion: Do not restart until the replacement's suitability for the explosion-protected machinery has been established.
Measure: 100% of safety-relevant mechanical component substitutions assessed before return to service.
▶️ TODAY'S CRITICAL Ex QUESTION
A solvent centrifuge uses a mechanical seal whose temperature is controlled by a dedicated cooling system. The seal is replaced with an equivalent-size component, but the cooling arrangement is modified. What is the critical Ex decision?
A. No reassessment is required because the shaft dimensions are unchanged.
B. The replacement is acceptable if leakage remains within the process specification.
C. The complete sealing arrangement must be reassessed for ignition hazards, cooling failure and the actual operating conditions.
D. Only the electrical motor certification needs verification.
Correct answer: C.
A mechanical seal can become an effective ignition source through frictional heating, particularly when cooling or lubrication is inadequate.
The relevant assessment must consider normal operation and foreseeable malfunctions, taking account of the required equipment protection level.
⚡ DAILY Ex | CLOSING THOUGHT
Today's developments reinforce a recurring challenge in industrial explosion protection.
A component can remain mechanically functional while no longer satisfying the conditions required for explosion protection.
A replacement seal may prevent leakage but introduce excessive frictional heating.
A monitoring system may detect an abnormal condition without stopping the process in time.
A procedure may become routine without ever having been properly assessed.
For Heads of Operations, the priority is to ensure that equipment modifications, maintenance decisions and operating procedures remain connected to the original explosion-protection engineering.
The critical question is not simply whether the machine works. It is whether the machine remains safe under the conditions in which it actually works.
That is Operational Ex.