IEC 60079 Series Map for Hazardous Areas
When you specify equipment for an explosive atmosphere, you meet IEC 60079 through a scatter of part numbers on datasheets and certificates, and it is easy to lose track of which part governs what. This page maps the series so you can place any 60079 reference: which part classifies the area, which part marks the equipment, and which part defines each type of protection. It is a navigation guide for the series, deferring the deep hazloc engineering to qualified personnel and site procedures.
IEC 60079 series map in one line: IEC 60079 is the series for equipment in explosive atmospheres. Part 0 gives the general requirements and marking, part 10 classifies the area into zones for gas and dust, part 14 covers electrical installation design, part 17 and 19 cover inspection, maintenance, and repair, and a run of parts from 60079-1 upward each defines a single type of protection such as flameproof, increased safety, or intrinsic safety.
The Backbone Parts: General, Classification, Installation
Three parts form the backbone that every hazloc project touches. Part 0 is the general requirements: it defines the common construction and testing rules all Ex equipment must meet and, crucially, the marking scheme you read off a nameplate. Part 10 classifies the area, splitting into 60079-10-1 for gas and 60079-10-2 for dust, and it is where the concept of zones comes from that the site covers under area classification zones.
Part 14 covers the design and selection of electrical installations in the classified area, and parts 17 and 19 govern inspection and maintenance, and repair and overhaul, respectively. Together these four define the lifecycle of an installation independent of which protection method the individual devices use: classify the area, mark and select compliant equipment, install it correctly, then inspect and maintain it. The broader framing of area classification in oil and gas sits on top of this backbone.
The Protection-Method Parts
The larger group of parts each defines one type of protection, the engineering strategy by which a device is made safe in a specific zone. The table below maps the common ones to their Ex code and idea.
| Part | Ex code | Protection idea |
|---|---|---|
| 60079-1 | Ex d | Flameproof: contains an internal explosion |
| 60079-2 | Ex p | Pressurization: keeps the atmosphere out |
| 60079-7 | Ex e | Increased safety: prevents arcs and hot spots |
| 60079-11 | Ex i | Intrinsic safety: limits energy below ignition |
| 60079-15 | Ex n | Non-sparking, for Zone 2 |
| 60079-18 | Ex m | Encapsulation in compound |
| 60079-25 | Ex i | Intrinsically safe systems |
Two of these connect directly to concepts the site covers in depth: 60079-11 is the basis for intrinsic safety and its barriers, and 60079-2 underpins purge and pressurization systems. Each protection method is suited to particular zones, and part 14 is what ties the method to the zone it is allowed in.
The reason there are so many protection-method parts is that there is no single way to make electrical equipment safe in an explosive atmosphere. You can contain the explosion, exclude the atmosphere, prevent the ignition source, or starve it of energy, and each strategy needs its own detailed rules. Reading a certificate means recognizing which strategy the Ex code names and therefore which part governs it.
Reading a Certificate Against the Map
Put the map to work by decoding a marking. A device marked Ex db IIC T4 is telling you it uses the flameproof protection of 60079-1 (the d), was assessed to a defined equipment protection level (the b), suits gas group IIC, and carries a T4 temperature class. Each element points to a part of the series: the protection letter to its protection-method part, the gas group and temperature class to the general requirements of part 0.
This is why the series map is a practical tool and not trivia. A certificate references several parts at once, and being able to place each reference tells you what was assessed and where to look if a detail is unclear. The site's separate explainer on IEC 60079 equipment marking walks the marking string character by character.
Because hazloc decisions are safety-critical, the map guides you to the right document but does not replace the judgment of qualified hazardous-area personnel and the site's own procedures. Use it to navigate, then defer the equipment selection and installation acceptance to the people and processes authorized to make those calls.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which IEC 60079 part classifies a hazardous area?
Part 10 classifies the area into zones. It is split into 60079-10-1 for explosive gas atmospheres and 60079-10-2 for combustible dust atmospheres. Part 10 defines how you assess release sources and ventilation to assign zones such as Zone 0, 1, or 2 for gas, which then determine what protection methods and equipment protection levels are acceptable in each location. Installation design against those zones is covered by part 14.
How do the protection-method parts relate to the Ex code?
Each protection method has a letter in the Ex code and a corresponding part of IEC 60079. Ex d flameproof is 60079-1, Ex p pressurization is 60079-2, Ex e increased safety is 60079-7, and Ex i intrinsic safety is 60079-11. When you read a protection letter on a nameplate or certificate, it points you to the specific part that defines how that method contains, excludes, or limits the ignition risk.
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