''Explosion protection requirements and standards have changed considerably over the years''

Karel, you have been with BARTEC for over 30 years. What makes working at BARTEC special for you? Can you give us a few personal highlights?

Working at BARTEC is more than just a job for me – it is more like a way of life: waking up in the morning thinking about explosion safety and going to bed at night thinking about it only happens if you're really interested in it. No day is like the other, which is what makes the work so exciting. In my position, I have the opportunity to represent BARTEC on the explosion protection market and make it even better known. As one of the largest manufacturers of explosion-protected electrical products for safety in the (petro)chemical and pharmaceutical industries, BARTEC has a great responsibility, which my team and I naturally want to live up to.

There are several personal highlights: as an expert in the global IECEx Management Committee and standardization at BARTEC, these range from obtaining certificates, speaking at explosion protection conferences such as PCIC Europe, the BARTEC Academy or ATEX/IECEx conferences to my membership of international committees such as CENELEC, IEC TC31 and IECEx. In addition, as a teacher at an IECEx Recognized Training Provider, I now have the privilege of teaching over 1,000 students – from installers to design engineers.

It sounds like you have already experienced a lot of exciting things at BARTEC. How do you think the explosion protection industry and BARTEC have developed over the last few decades and where did you face particular challenges?

The industry has seen enormous progress in the development of new Ex products, particularly in the areas of automation and corporate mobility. This has also resulted in new standards and many Ex products have had to be recertified. This is particularly challenging for electronic products, as they have a shorter service life.

The biggest challenges during my time at BARTEC were setting up and developing the department for control panels and switchgear. In the beginning, I took care of everything with a small team – from acquisition to delivery. As the department grew, this naturally no longer worked. So we expanded our team and defined the distribution of tasks clearly.

Explosion protection requirements and standards have changed considerably over the years. In the past, the requirements were based on European CENELEC standards, but today they are based on international IEC standards. These standards change every five to ten years, so we have to actively monitor developments. We have ensured compliance by applying for product certificates and quality assurance notifications, and I have personally been active on various committees to help shape the standards and ensure that BARTEC always stays up to date

Looking back on your career at BARTEC, what key moments or milestones come to mind and how have you adapted to change?

A significant moment was the ATEX EC-Type Examination Certificate in 2008, which allowed us to use different brands of flameproof enclosures and even different types of protection under a single Ex Equipment certificate. We later expanded this approach to the more strict IECEx System. I have always adapted to the numerous changes and challenges, even though I was often the only BARTEC face on international committees. That was a challenge, but I can handle such situations well and after some years you will remark, you are one of the key members. So, an insight for the next generation: with attention and regular monitoring, everything you do will grow.