An ATEX-certified cable gland carries a stamped Ex marking plus a four-digit Notified Body number on the body itself, and that number is the only reliable starting point for verification [S1]. The certificate itself is the EU-type examination issued under Directive 2014/34/EU by a body listed on the EU NANDO register, and the same gland may simultaneously hold an IECEx Certificate of Conformity if it was assessed to the IEC 60079 series [S2].
Verification is a four-party chain: the manufacturer, the Notified Body, the reseller, and the installer. Each can introduce error, so the engineer on site has to run the same check regardless of who supplied the gland [S1][S2].
What the Ex Marking on the Gland Body Must Show
Every genuine ATEX gland is marked directly on the metal or polymer body, not on the packaging or datasheet, with a string that includes the Ex hexagon symbol, the equipment group (I for mining, II for surface industries), the category (1, 2, or 3), the G or D gas/dust suffix, and the protection concept such as Ex db, Ex eb, or Ex ta [S1][S3]. A typical full string is II 2G Ex db IIC Gb, meaning surface industry, Category 2 (Zones 1 and 2), gas atmosphere, flameproof enclosure, gas group IIC, and equipment protection level Gb [S3]. The four-digit Notified Body number sits adjacent to the CE mark, identifying the body that issued the EU-type examination, and that number is the index entry into the public verification step [S1]. If the marking is missing, painted over, or only printed on a sticker, treat the gland as non-compliant and reject the shipment [S1][S2].
Reading and Parsing the EU-Type Examination Certificate
ATEX EU-type examination certificates follow a fixed naming pattern: a body code (CESI, IMQ, PTB, TUV, Baseefa, etc.), a two-digit year, the word ATEX, a serial number, and optionally a U suffix for component certificates or an X suffix for conditions of safe use [S4][S5][S7]. For example, CESI 13 ATEX 033 X is a 2013 CESI certificate for cable glands with a special condition of use attached [S4]. The certificate must list the manufacturer's trade name and address, the product description, the standards used (typically EN 60079-0, EN 60079-1 for Ex d, EN 60079-7 for Ex e, and EN 60079-31 for dust), the ambient temperature range, the IP rating, and any X-flagged installation constraints [S4][S5][S7]. A real certificate is a multi-page PDF signed by the Notified Body and stamped with its accreditation number; a one-page certificate without a notified body signature, or one whose standards list is empty, fails the audit [S4][S5].
Cross-Checking the Certificate on NANDO and the Body's Own Database
Once the certificate number and four-digit body ID are on hand, the engineer pulls the EU NANDO register, locates the notified body using the four-digit code, confirms the body's scope covers the ATEX directive and the equipment category claimed, and then opens the certificate PDF hosted on the body's own site or the manufacturer's technical file [S1][S2]. For IECEx, the equivalent one-stop lookup is the IECEx online certificate database, where the certificate number, manufacturer, and product type all have to match the gland body marking [S2]. Discrepancies to flag include a certificate issued by a body whose four-digit number does not match the gland marking, a certificate that lists a different manufacturer trade name, and a certificate scope that does not mention the specific cable gland family or the protection concept engraved on the body [S1][S2][S4].
Matching the Certificate to Your Zone, Concept, and Cable
A valid certificate is necessary but not sufficient. The category on the certificate has to match the zone: Category 1 (very high safety) for Zones 0 and 20, Category 2 (high) for Zones 1 and 21, Category 3 (normal) for Zones 2 and 22 [S2][S3]. The protection concept on the gland (Ex d flameproof, Ex e increased safety, Ex t dust) must agree with the concept on the enclosure it enters, since the two halves of the protection are evaluated together [S2]. For a complete entry system, the cable gland seal range has to cover the actual outer diameter and armour type of the installed cable, and the cable gland thread has to match the enclosure's entry hole; off-range cables void the IP rating even when the certificate itself is genuine [S1][S3]. A simple field check is to confirm the gland's IP66, IP67, or IP68 rating, as stated on the certificate, against the area's washdown or submersion requirements [S1].
Common Failure Modes and Counterfeit Indicators
The recurring failure modes seen in 2025 and 2026 industry write-ups are: certificates from a body not in NANDO, certificates with a serial number that does not appear in the body's own database, "ATEX-compliant" wording used in place of a certificate number, and gland bodies with no Ex marking at all [S1][S2][S6]. Another pattern is the use of an X-flagged certificate whose special conditions (typically ambient temperature limits, restricted cable types, or required thread sealant) have not been carried through to the installation drawing [S4][S7]. Resellers who cannot name the original manufacturer or who refuse to provide the EU declaration of conformity alongside the certificate are a supply-chain red flag, since both documents are mandatory under 2014/34/EU and must travel with the product for ten years [S1][S2].
Comparison: ATEX vs IECEx Verification Paths
The two schemes differ more in paperwork routing than in engineering, and so do the verification paths. Under ATEX, the EU-type examination certificate plus the manufacturer's QAN (Quality Assurance Notification) are checked, with the legal hook being EU Directive 2014/34/EU and the lookup index being the EU NANDO register [S2]. Under IECEx, the IECEx Certificate of Conformity plus the QAR (Quality Assessment Report) are checked, with the legal hook being the voluntary IEC CA system and the lookup index being the central IECEx online database [S2]. ATEX is mandatory for the EU and EEA market; IECEx is voluntary but accepted by many national regulators outside Europe, including Australia, South Africa, and parts of the Middle East [S2]. For a project that ships globally, dual-marked glands (ATEX + IECEx) reduce the verification workload to one technical file and two certificate lookups, which is the practical reason dual marking has become common on premium cable gland lines [S2][S3].
Sourcing Standards and Tracking Future Updates
Verification is grounded in three standards families: EN 60079-0 (general Ex requirements), EN 60079-1 (flameproof enclosures, Ex d), EN 60079-7 (increased safety, Ex e), and EN 60079-31 (dust ignition protection, Ex t), all harmonised from the IEC 60079 series [S1][S3][S4]. The legal baseline is EU Directive 2014/34/EU for equipment, paired with EU Directive 1999/92/EC for the operator's workplace zoning obligation [S2]. Trackable signals to watch: any change to a manufacturer's QAN scope, additions to the NANDO register for new notified bodies, and revisions to EN 60079-0 that tighten material or impact requirements for non-metallic gland components. For related plant-side decisions, see how NBR seal compatibility with fuels is specified for hydrocarbon service, since seal material is one of the parameters the ATEX certificate captures but the installer still has to honour. Verifying the certificate before the gland leaves the warehouse is the cheapest place in the project to catch a counterfeit; verifying it again on receipt and a third time at the enclosure wall is what closes the loop.
Spec-level background on the components involved: gland packing.