IEC 60079-13:2017 gives requirements for the design, construction, assessment, verification and marking of rooms used to protect internal equipment:
– located in a Zone 1 or Zone 2 or Zone 21 or Zone 22 explosive atmosphere without an internal source of gas/vapour release and protected by pressurization;
– located in a Zone 2 explosive atmosphere with or without an internal source of gas/vapour release and protected by artificial ventilation;
– located in a non-hazardous area, containing an internal source of gas/vapour release and protected by artificial ventilation;
– located in a Zone 1 or Zone 2 or Zone 21 or Zone 22 explosive atmosphere containing an internal source of gas/vapour release and protected by both pressurization and artificial ventilation.
The term "room" used in this document includes single rooms, multiple rooms, a complete building or a room contained within a building. A room is intended to facilitate the entry of personnel and includes inlet and outlet ducts. An acoustic hood and other like enclosures designed to permit the entry of personnel can be considered as a room.
This document also includes requirements related safety devices and controls necessary to ensure that artificial ventilation, purging and pressurization is established and maintained.
A room assembled or constructed on site, can be either on land or off-shore. The room is primarily intended for installation by an end-user but could be constructed and assessed at a manufacturer’s facility, where the final construction such as ducting can be completed on site.
This document does not specify the methods that may be required to ensure adequate air quality for personnel with regard to toxicity and temperature within the room. National or other regulations and requirements may exist to ensure the safety of personnel in this regard.
This second edition cancels and replaces the first edition published in 2010. This edition constitutes a technical revision.
This edition includes the following significant technical changes with respect to the previous edition:
a) modification of the title of this document to include artificially ventilated room "v" in addition to pressurized room "p";
b) addition of types of protection "pb", "pc", and "vc" and removal of types of protection "px", "py", "pz" and "pv";
c) definition of the differences between pressurization and artificial ventilation types of protection;
d) removal of protection of rooms with an inert gas or a flammable gas from the scope of this document;
e) addition of an informative annex to include examples of applications where types of protection pressurization or artificial ventilation or pressurization and artificial ventilation can be used and associated guidelines.