UNE-EN IEC 60079-0:2021

This part of IEC 60079 specifies the general requirements for construction, testing and

marking of equipment and Ex Components intended for use in explosive atmospheres.

The standard atmospheric conditions (relating to the explosion characteristics of the

atmosphere) under which it may be assumed that equipment can be operated are:

" temperature 20 °C to +60 °C;

" pressure 80 kPa (0,8 bar) to 110 kPa (1,1 bar); and

" air with normal oxygen content, typically 21 % v/v.

This standard and other standards supplementing this standard specify additional test

requirements for equipment operating outside the standard temperature range, but further

additional consideration and additional testing may be required for equipment operating

outside the standard atmospheric pressure range and standard oxygen content, particularly

with respect to types of protection that depend on quenching of a flame such as flameproof

enclosure d (IEC 60079-1) or limitation of energy, intrinsic safety i (IEC 60079-11).

NOTE 1 Although the standard atmospheric conditions above give a temperature range for the atmosphere

of -20 °C to +60 °C, the normal ambient temperature range for the equipment is 20 °C to +40 °C, unless otherwise

specified and marked. See 5.1.1. It is considered that 20 °C to +40 °C is appropriate for most equipment and that

to manufacture all equipment to be suitable for a standard atmosphere upper ambient temperature of +60 °C would

place unnecessary design constraints.

NOTE 2 Requirements given in this standard result from an ignition hazard assessment made on equipment. The

ignition sources taken into account are those found associated with this type of equipment, such as hot surfaces,

electromagnetic radiation, mechanically generated sparks, mechanical impacts resulting in thermite reactions,

electrical arcing and static electric discharge in normal industrial environments.

NOTE 3 Where an explosive gas atmosphere and a combustible dust atmosphere are, or may be, present at the

same time, the simultaneous presence of both should be considered and may require additional protective

measures. Additional guidance on the use of equipment in hybrid mixtures (mixture of a flammable gas or vapour

with a combustible dust or combustible flyings) is given in IEC 60079-14.

This standard does not specify requirements for safety, other than those directly related to the

explosion risk.

Ignition sources like adiabatic compression, shock waves, exothermic chemical reaction, self ignition of dust, naked flames and hot gases/liquids, are not addressed by this standard.

NOTE 4 Although outside the scope of this standard, such equipment would typically be subjected to a hazard

analysis that identifies and lists all of the potential sources of ignition by the equipment and the measures to be

applied to prevent them becoming effective. See ISO/IEC 80079-36.

This standard is supplemented or modified by the following standards and normative technical

Specifications:

IEC 60079-1: Gas Flameproof enclosures "d";

IEC 60079-2: Gas and dust Pressurized enclosures "p";

IEC 60079-5: Gas Powder filling "q";

IEC 60079-6: Gas Oil immersion "o";

IEC 60079-7: Gas Increased safety "e";

IEC 60079-11: Gas and dust Intrinsic safety "i";

IEC 60079-13: Gas and dust Equipment protection by pressurized room p & artificially

ventilated room v ;

- IEC 60079-15: Gas 432 Type of protection n ;

IEC 60079-18: Gas and dust Encapsulation "m";

IEC 60079-25: Gas and dust Intrinsically safe electrical systems

IEC 60079-26: Gas Equipment with equipment protection level (EPL) Ga

IEC 60079-28: Gas and dust Protection of equipment and transmission systems using

optical radiation

IEC 60079-29-1: Gas detectors Performance requirements of detectors for flammable

gases

IEC 60079-29-4: Gas detectors Performance requirements of open path detectors for

flammable gases

IEC/IEEE 60079-30-1: Gas and dust Electrical resistance trace heating General and

testing requirements.

IEC 60079-31: Dust Protection by enclosure t

IEC 60079-33: Gas and dust Special protection s

IEC 60079-35-1: Caplights for use in mines susceptible to firedamp General

requirements - Construction and testing in relation to the risk of explosion

IEC TS 60079-40: Gas - Requirements for process sealing between flammable process

fluids and electrical systems

NOTE 5 Information on explosion protection for non-electrical equipment can be found in ISO 80079-36 .

This standard with the additional standards mentioned above, are not applicable to the

construction of

" electromedical apparatus,

" shot-firing exploders,

" test devices for exploders, and

" shot-firing circuits.