Classification of Hazardous Areas and Installation Requirements

IEC 60079-19:2019 gives instructions, principally of a technical nature, on the repair, overhaul, reclamation and modification of equipment designed for use in explosive atmospheres; it is not applicable to maintenance, other than when repair and overhaul cannot be disassociated from maintenance, neither does it give advice on cable entry systems which may require a renewal when the equipment is re-installed.
This fourth edition cancels and replaces the third edition published in 2010 together with Amendment 1:2015. This edition constitutes a technical revision.
The significance of the changes between IEC 60079-19, Edition 3 (2010), including Amendment 1 (2015), and IEC 60079-19, Edition 4 (2019) are defined in the foreword and cover minor and editorial changes, extension, and major technical changes.

IEC 60079-17:2013 applies to users and covers factors directly related to the inspection and maintenance of electrical installations within hazardous areas only, where the hazard may be caused by flammable gases, vapours, mists, dusts, fibres or flyings. It does not include:
- other fundamental installation and inspection requirements for electrical installations;
- the verification of electrical equipment;
- the repair and reclamation of explosion protected equipment (see IEC 60079-19). This standard supplements the requirements of IEC 60364-6. In the case of dusts, fibres or flyings the level of housekeeping may influence the inspection and maintenance requirements. This standard is intended to be applied where there can be a risk due to the presence of explosive gas or dust mixtures with air or combustible dust layers under normal atmospheric conditions. It does not apply to:
- underground mining areas,
- dusts of explosives that do not require atmospheric oxygen for combustion,
- pyrophoric substances. This fifth edition cancels and replaces the fourth edition published in 2007 and constitutes a technical revision. The significant technical changes with respect to the previous edition are as follows:
- Equipment specific inspection tables for luminaires, heating systems and motors have been added into Annex A to supplement the general protection concept tables;
- Document has been updated to complement the changes made to IEC 60079-14 for initial inspection.

IEC 60079-14:2013 contains the specific requirements for the design, selection, erection and initial inspection of electrical installations in, or associated with, explosive atmospheres. Where the equipment is required to meet other environmental conditions, for example, protection against ingress of water and resistance to corrosion, additional protection requirements may be necessary. The requirements of this standard apply only to the use of equipment under standard atmospheric conditions as defined in IEC 60079-0. For other conditions, additional precautions may be necessary, and the equipment should be certified for these other conditions. For example, most flammable materials and many materials which are normally regarded as non-flammable might burn vigorously under conditions of oxygen enrichment. These requirements are in addition to the requirements for installations in non-hazardous areas. This standard applies to all electrical equipment including fixed, portable, transportable and personal, and installations, permanent or temporary. No account is taken in this Standard of the toxic risks that are associated with flammable gases, liquids and dusts in concentrations that are usually very much less than the lower explosive limit. In locations where personnel may be exposed to potentially toxic concentrations of flammable material, appropriate precautions should be taken. Such precautions are outside the scope of this Standard. This fifth edition cancels and replaces the fourth edition published in 2007. This edition constitutes a technical revision. Refer to the document's Foreward for a listing of the specific revisions and additional Notes

IEC 60079-10-2:2015 RLV contains both the official IEC International Standard and its Redline version. The Redline version is available in English only and provides you with a quick and easy way to compare all the changes between the official IEC Standard and its previous edition.
IEC 60079-10-2:2015 is concerned with the identification and classification of areas where explosive dust atmospheres and combustible dust layers are present, in order to permit the proper assessment of ignition sources in such areas. In this standard, explosive dust atmospheres and combustible dust layers are treated separately. In Clause 4, area classification for explosive dusts clouds is described, with dust layers acting as one of the possible sources of release. In Clause 7 other general considerations for dust layers are described. The examples in this standard are based on a system of effective housekeeping being implemented in the plant to prevent dust layers from accumulating. Where effective housekeeping is not present, the area classification includes the possible formation of explosive dust clouds from dust layers. The principles of this standard can also be followed when combustible fibres or flyings might cause a hazard. This standard is intended to be applied where there can be a risk due to the presence of explosive dust atmospheres or combustible dust layers under normal atmospheric conditions. Please refer to the foreword of the document for a detailed listing of the significant technical changes from the previous edition.

IEC 60079-10-1:2020 CMV contains both the official standard and its commented version. The commented version provides you with a quick and easy way to compare all the changes between IEC 60079-10-1:2020 edition 3.0 and the previous IEC 60079-10-1:2015 edition 2.0. Futhermore, comments from IEC SC 31J experts are provided to explain the reasons of the most relevant changes. The contents of the corrigendum of March 2021 have been included in this copy.

IEC 60079-10-1:2020 is concerned with the classification of areas where flammable gas or vapour hazards may arise and may then be used as a basis to support the proper design, construction, operation and maintenance of equipment for use in hazardous areas.
It is intended to be applied where there may be an ignition hazard due to the presence of flammable gas or vapour, mixed with air, but it does not apply to:
a) mines susceptible to firedamp;
b) the processing and manufacture of explosives;
c) catastrophic failures or rare malfunctions which are beyond the concept of normality dealt with in this standard;
d) rooms used for medical purposes;
e) domestic premises;
f) where a hazard may arise due to the presence of combustible dusts or combustible flyings but the principles may be used in assessment of a hybrid mixture.
Flammable mists may form or be present at the same time as flammable vapour. In such case the strict application of the details in this document may not be appropriate. Flammable mists may also form when liquids not considered to be a hazard due to the high flash point are released under pressure. In these cases the classifications and details given in this document do not apply.
For the purpose of this document, an area is a three-dimensional region or space.
Atmospheric conditions include variations above and below reference levels of 101,3 kPa (1 013 mbar) and 20 °C (293 K), provided that the variations have a negligible effect on the explosion properties of the flammable substances.
In any site, irrespective of size, there may be numerous sources of ignition apart from those associated with equipment. Appropriate precautions will be necessary to ensure safety in this context. This standard is applicable with judgement for other ignition sources but in some applications other safeguards may also need to be considered. E.g. larger distances may apply for naked flames when considering hot work permits.
This document does not take into account the consequences of ignition of an explosive atmosphere except where a zone is so small that if ignition did occur it would have negligible consequences.
This third edition of IEC 60079-10-1 cancels and replaces the second edition, published in 2015, and constitutes a technical revision, see foreword for further details.