Comitato Elettrotecnico Italiano

Explosive atmospheres Part 29-2: Gas detectors - Selection, installation, use and maintenance of detectors for flammable gases and oxygen
 N EN 60079-29-2

Annotation

This part of IEC 60079-29 gives guidance on, and recommended practice for, the selection, installation, safe use and maintenance of electrically operated Group II equipment intended for use in industrial and commercial safety applications and Group I equipment in underground coal mines for the detection and measurement of flammable gases complying with the requirements of IEC 60079-29-1 or IEC 60079-29-4.

This standard is applicable for oxygen measurement for the purpose of inertisation where explosion protection is provided by the exclusion of oxygen instead of measuring the flammable gases or vapours present. A similar application is measuring oxygen when inertising a goaf (mined out) area in an underground coal mine.

This standard is a compilation of practical knowledge to assist the user, and applies to equipment, instruments and systems that indicate the presence of a flammable or potentially explosive mixture of gas or vapour with air by using an electrical signal from a gas sensor to produce a meter reading, to activate a visual or audible pre-set alarm or other device, or any combination of these.

Such equipment may be used as a means of reducing the risk whenever there is the possibility of a risk to life or property specifically due to the accumulation of a flammable gasair mixture, by providing such warnings. It may also be used to initiate specific safety precautions (e.g. plant shutdown, evacuation, fire extinguishing procedures).

This standard is applicable to fixed installations and transportable equipment. Similarly it is applicable to the safe use of portable equipment. Since much modern equipment of this type also includes oxygen deficiency detection and/or specific toxic gas sensors, some additional guidance is given for these topics.