Comments on the draft revision of DIN EN 17059:2026 will start on 12 November 2026

The standard 
DIN EN 17059:2018 is the European safety standard for plating and anodizing lines. It is a Type C machine safety standard, which means that it specifies safety requirements tailored to these installations and takes precedence over more general standards whenever there is a conflict between the requirements.  
     
Key issues 
Under the previous approach, as set out in DIN EN 17059:2018 as a Type C standard, Section 4.6.3, 'Explosion', specified the procedure to be followed. A risk assessment was required to determine whether a process bath posed a hazard. Recognised rules of good practice (e.g. the ATEX Directive, TRGS, etc.) could be applied to assess this. Appropriate protective measures were required only where it was clearly established that a process bath presented an explosion hazard (e.g. ethanol baths used in grinding-burn testing). 
 
The current revision of DIN EN 17059 is adding a new subsection, 4.6.3.3.4, 'Required category of explosion protection for equipment used in plating and anodising lines with open tanks and/or tanks with lids', to Section 4.6.3, 'Explosion'. This would result in the blanket classification of all electroplating installations as ATEX Zone 1, irrespective of the electrolyte used. However, measurements taken in 2013 and 2026 showed that even above a hard chromium plating electrolyte — the electrolyte with the highest risk of hydrogen generation — hydrogen concentrations were below the previously determined explosion-zone thresholds. 
 
Classifying all electroplating installations as ATEX Zone 1 would impose a disproportionate additional burden in terms of equipment and monitoring technology on newly proposed installations. This is because electrical and mechanical components near the electrolyte would also be subject to explosion-protection requirements. 
 
Existing installations would also need to be retrofitted, which would entail a high level of effort for facilities already in operation. 
 
Timeline  
2026-11-12 Enquiry begins
2027-02-04 Enquiry ends
2027-02-17 Target date for submission of the Formal Vote Draft
2027-04-28 Formal Vote begins → German-language version to be provided beforehand
2027-06-23 Formal Vote ends
 
Sources 
The proposed tightening of DIN EN 17059 is based on the DGUV publication 'FBHM-122: Guidance on explosion protection concepts and hazardous area classification for various processes in electroplating and anodising installations', which was issued by the DGUV Wood and Metal Division on 31 March 2022. Consequently, a European standard would become more stringent based solely on German guidance. 
 
It is assumed that most equipment suppliers and electroplating operators in other European countries are unaware of the forthcoming revision of DIN EN 17059 or the tightening of ATEX requirements. They are even less likely to realise that this tightening is based solely on German guidance. While Germany's national mirror committee for standardisation is broadly constituted, the revision has reportedly been handled by individual representatives in some other EU countries. 
 
Action needed by members 
Check with your national standards body to find out how you can have a say in European standards. For a draft standard such as prEN 17059:2026, stakeholders can normally submit their comments via the relevant mirror committee at your standards body.  
Inform your members and suppliers of plating lines about this tightening of the requirements. 
For the above reasons, it is urgent that relevant European and national electroplating associations are informed of this forthcoming revision so they can inform their member equipment suppliers and electroplating operators, encouraging them to submit comments or objections by 4 February 2027 at the latest.