CATEGORIES AND PROTECTION LEVEL
USEFUL INFORMATION – EQUIPMENT CATEGORIES AND EPL (EQUIPMENT PROTECTION LEVEL)
The various safety requirements for the equipment used depend on the probability of the occurrence of an explosive atmosphere. The safety level for equipment is coordinated with the risk potential in the various zones.
In Europe, explosion-protected equipment is classified in categories in accordance with 2014/34/EU (ATEX). At an international level, the IEC 60079-0 standard determines the EPL (Equipment Protection Level). Equipment should be designed with explosion protection measures of various levels of protection depending on the equipment category or EPL.
EQUIPMENT CATEGORIES
Categories 1 (very high level of safety), 2 (high level of safety) and 3 (required level of safety) are defined for equipment for use in potentially explosive atmospheres – except in mines susceptible to firedamp.
The additional letters "G" and "D" refer to the use of equipment in potentially explosive gas atmospheres (G = gas) or for atmospheres with combustible dust (D = dust).
For equipment used in mines susceptible to firedamp, a distinction is made between the two categories: M1 (very high level of safety) and M2 (high level of safety).
Useful information – Equipment categories and EPL (Equipment Protection Level)
The various safety requirements for the equipment used depend on the probability of the occurrence of an explosive atmosphere. The safety level for equipment is coordinated with the risk potential in the various zones.In Europe, explosion-protected equipment is classified in categories in accordance with 2014/34/EU (ATEX). At an international level, the IEC 60079-0 standard determines the EPL (Equipment Protection Level). Equipment should be designed with explosion protection measures of various levels of protection depending on the equipment category or EPL.
Equipment categories
Categories 1 (very high level of safety), 2 (high level of safety) and 3 (required level of safety) are defined for equipment for use in potentially explosive atmospheres – except in mines susceptible to firedamp.The additional letters "G" and "D" refer to the use of equipment in potentially explosive gas atmospheres (G = gas) or for atmospheres with combustible dust (D = dust).For equipment used in mines susceptible to firedamp, a distinction is made between the two categories: M1 (very high level of safety) and M2 (high level of safety).
EQUIPMENT PROTECTION LEVEL (EPL)
In accordance with IEC 60079-0, equipment for potentially explosive atmospheres is classified into three protection levels: EPL Ga or Da (very high level of protection), EPL Gb or Db (high level of protection) and EPL Gc or Dc (enhanced level of protection).
For equipment in mines susceptible to firedamp, two protection levels are defined: EPL Ma (very high level of protection) and ELP Mb (high level of protection).
The additional letters "G" and "D" are used here to indicate the use of equipment in potentially explosive gas atmospheres (G = gas) or for atmospheres with combustible dust (D = dust).
Application of equipments in specific category/EPL in hazardous areas is shown in the table below.
