COMPLIANCE WITH IEC STANDARDS AND EUROPEAN NORMATIVES
| EQUIPMENT FORM OF PROTECTION | CHANGING STANDARDS REFERENCES | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Protection Method | Code | CENELEC STANDARD | NEW IEC BASED STANDARD |
| General Requirements | N/A | EN 50014 : 1997 +A1 A2 | EN 60079-0 : 2006 (IEC 60079-1 : 2003) |
| Flameproof | Ex d | EN 50018 : 2000 +A1 | EN 60079-1 : 2004 (IEC 60079-1 : 2003 |
| Intrinsic Safety | Ex i | EN 50020 : 2002 | EN 60079-11 : 2006 (IEC 60079-11 :2006) |
| Increased Safety | Ex e | EN 50019 : 2000 | EN 60079-7 : 2003 (IEC 60079-7 :2001) |
| Oil Immersion | Ex o | EN 50028 : 1987 | EN (IEC 60079-6 : 1995) |
| Encapsulation | Ex m | EN 50015 : 1998 | EN 60079-18 :2004 (IEC 60079-18 :2004) |
| Pressurisation | Ex p | EN 50016 : 2002 | EN 60079-2 : 2004 (IEC 60079-2 : 2001) |
| Sand / Quartz filled | Ex q | EN 50017 : 1998 | EN (IEC 60079-5 : 1997) |
| Non-Sparking | Ex nA | EN 50021 : 1999 | EN 60079-15 : 2005 (IEC 60079-15 : 2005) |
| Enclosed Break | Ex nW | ||
| Energy Limitation | Ex nL | ||
| Restricted Breathing | Ex nR | ||
| EQUIPMENT FORM OF PROTECTION NOT RECOGNISED UNDER IEC 60079 SERIES | |||
| Simple Pressurisation | Ex nP | EN 50021 : 1999 | No IEC Replacement Standard |
| Special Protection not covered by other recognised forms of protection | Ex s | E.H.S.R.'s of ATEX 94/9/EC Directive |
No IEC Replacement Standard |
Adoption of the "new" European standards was to be effected at National level (in each EC member country) from 2004 and the date by which most of the old standards were to be withdrawn was 1.3.2007. Implementation of the new IEC based standards means that ATEX approved equipment is now listed as Ex d or Ex e rather than EEx d or EEx e, since the introduction of the new EN 60079 series.
Consequently it is for the foreseeable future very easy to distinguish whether products comply with the latest standards or not.
