ISA Updates Standard on Electrical Equipment in Hazardous Locations

Phil Black - PII Editor 29/06/2009

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The ISA12 standards committee has approved a newly revised ISA-60079-15 standard specifying requirements for the construction, testing and marking for Group II electrical apparatus with type of protection, “n” intended for use in Class I, Zone 2 hazardous (classified) locations as defined by the National Electrical Code® (NEC®), ANSI/NFPA 70.

“This revised edition is the U.S. adoption of IEC 60079-15:2005 (Edition 3) superseding the IEC 1987 1st edition adopted and published by ISA in 1996,” stated ISA12 chairperson Ted Schnaare with Rosemount. “As IEC 60079-15:2001 (Edition 2) was unsuitable for use in the U.S., ISA12 waited for the publication of Edition 3 in 2005 to revise the ISA document. The result is a closer alignment of the U.S. requirements with those of IEC and ATEX–welcomed by manufacturers and users alike.”

The ISA-60079-15 standard is applicable to non-sparking electrical equipment as well as electrical equipment with parts capable of producing arcs or sparks or having hot surfaces which, if not protected in one of the ways specified in this standard, could ignite a surrounding explosive gas atmosphere.
The ISA12 standards committee on Electrical Equipment for Hazardous Locations formulates standards, recommended practices, and technical reports for safe and practical use of equipment in hazardous (classified) locations, and for equipment used for the detection of combustible gases.

For more information on the full scope of ISA12 committee activity, visit www.ISA12.org or call (919) 549-8411.