Specialist in explosion protection for instrumentation and electrical applications Alex Brady will be presenting at Hazardex Live! 2023 about the protection of electrical equipment in hazardous areas by purge & pressurization. He will provide an overview of the changes to IEC standard 60079-2 and ask the question: did some projects just become simpler?

With multiple protection options for electrical equipment, engineers must determine the most cost-effective method to mitigate the risks, while ensuring compliance with a plethora of UKEX, ATEX, and other certification schemes and standards.

One of the simplest and most flexible protection methods is Purge and Pressurization (Ex p) which is covered by IEC standard 60079-2. The 6^th edition of this standard was first published in 2014. After the latest review process, we now have sight of the final draft of Edition 7 which is due to be published in May 2023.

The introduction to the standard helpfully lists the various updates proposed and highlights 38 “Major Technical Changes. For simplicity, we have grouped the major changes into four broad areas:

1.  Changes around the pressurization control system – for instance, clarification of the safety devices and safety control functions required, and how they should be verified before use.

2.  Changes that impact the completed “pressurized equipment” (enclosure & pressurization control system) – for instance, additional security protection for manual overrides or bypasses that permit the system to operate when not pressurized.

3.  Relaxation of some previous restrictions around low-powered cells & batteries used for computer backup.

4.  Introduction of gas leak detection as a possible mitigation method for some systems with an Internal Source of Release.

The presentation will briefly discuss the first two areas, but will primarily focus on the last two, highlighting, with project case studies, how they could simplify projects and, potentially reduce cost & time.

Alex Brady

Alex Brady is a specialist in explosion protection for instrumentation and electrical applications. His primary focus is developing best-fit 'Ex' solutions by working collaboratively with customers helping them understand the specifics of their application, legal requirements as outlined in the standards and current industry best practice. With over fifteen years in 'Ex' industries Alex has worked with a huge breadth of customers from specialist chemical manufacturers to bespoke Ex panel builders.