prEN 60079-13:2025

This part of IEC 60079 gives requirements for the design, construction, assessment, verification and marking of rooms used to protect internal equipment as either:
a) located in a Zone 1 or Zone 2 or Zone 21 or Zone 22 (an area normally requiring an Equipment Protection Level (EPL) Gb, Gc, Db or Dc) without an internal source of gas or vapour release and protected by pressurization; or
b) located in a Zone 1 or Zone 2 or Zone 21 or Zone 22 (an area normally requiring EPL Gb, Gc, Db or Dc), containing an internal source of gas or vapour release and protected by both pressurization and artificial ventilation; or
c) located in a Zone 2 (an area normally requiring EPL Gc) with or without an internal source of gas or vapour release and protected by artificial ventilation; or
d) located in a non-hazardous area, containing an internal source of gas or vapour release and protected by artificial ventilation.
Equipment with a minimum EPL of Gc or Dc permitted in a room located in a Zone 1 or Zone 21 (EPL Gb or Db) is not addressed in this standard as it is considered not practical in the context of rooms and the equipment that might be required.
NOTE 1 Internal releases of combustible dust are not considered as neither protection by ventilation nor protection by pressurization can prevent hazardous areas from such releases.
NOTE 2 See Annex C for examples of applications.
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. Regions of the “room” where the protection is provided by local ventilation, for example ventilation hoods, can also be considered in the evaluation of the “room”. Enclosures designed to permit personnel to completely enter can also be considered as a room, for example a large acoustic enclosure. This document is not intended to apply to temporary structures, for example, to enable hot work to be completed in an operating plant.
Limitations in the use of protection by ventilation are specified in 7.1.1
NOTE 3 Notwithstanding the above intent for permanent structures, elements of this document are commonly used as guidance for temporary structures.