EUROPEAN STANDARD EN IEC 60079-10-1

NORME EUROPEENNE
EUROPAISCHE NORM February 202 1

ICS 29.260.20 Supersedes EN 60079-10-1 :2015 and all of its

amendments and corrigenda (if any)

English Version

Explosive atmospheres - Part 10-1: Classification of areas -

Explosive gas atmospheres
(IEC 60079-10-1 :2020)

Atmospheres explosives - Partie 1 0-1 : Classification des Explosionsgefi:ihrdete Bereiche - Teil 1 0- 1 : Einteilung der
emplacements - Atmospheres explosives gazeuses Bereiche - Gasexplosionsgefahrdete Bereiche
(IEC 60079-1 0-1 :2020) (IEC 60079-1 0-1 :2020)

This European Standard was approved by CENELEC on 202 1 -0 1 -22. CENELEC members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC
Internal Regulations which stipulate the conditions for giving this European Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration.

Up-to-date lists and bibliographical references concerning such national standards may be obtained on application to the CEN-CENELEC
Management Centre or to any CENELEC member.

This European Standard exists in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other language made by translation
under the responsibility of a CENELEC member into its own language and notified to the CEN-CENELEC Management Centre has the
same status as the official versions.

CENELEC members are the national electrotechnical committees of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic,
Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, I reland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the
Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of North Macedonia , Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland,
Turkey and the United Kingdom.

European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization

Comite Europeen de Normalisation Electrotechnique
Europiiisches Komitee fur Elektrotechnische Normung

CEN-CENELEC Management Centre: Rue de la Science 23, B-1 040 Brussels

© 2021 CENELEC All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved worldwide for CENELEC Members.

Ref. No. EN IEC 60079-1 0-1 :2021 E

EN IEC 60079-10-1 :2021 (E)

European foreword

The text of document 31 J/307/FDIS, future edition 3 of IEC 60079-1 0-1 , prepared by SC 31 J
"Classification of hazardous areas and installation requirements" of I EC/TC 31 "Equipment for
explosive atmospheres" was submitted to the IEC-CENELEC parallel vote and approved by
CENELEC as EN IEC 60079-1 0-1 :202 1 .

The following dates are fixed:

latest date by which the document has to be implemented at national (dop) 202 1 -1 0-22
level by publication of an identical national standard or by endorsement

latest date by which the national standards conflicting with the (dow) 2024-01 -22
document have to be withdrawn

This document supersedes EN 60079-1 0-1 :20 1 5 and all of its amendments and corrigenda (if any).

Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. CEN ELEC shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.

Endorse ment n otice

The text of the International Standard IEC 60079-1 0-1 :2020 was approved by CENELEC as a
European Standard without any modification.

In the official version, for Bibliography, the following notes have to be added for the standards
indicated:

IEC 60079-0 NOTE Harmonized as EN IEC 60079-0

IEC 60079-1 4 NOTE Harmonized as EN 60079-1 4

IEC 60079-1 3 NOTE Harmonized as EN 60079-1 3

IEC 60079-1 0-2 NOTE Harmonized as EN 60079-1 0-2

IEC 6 1 285 NOTE Harmonized as EN 6 1 285

IEC 6 1 51 1 -1 :201 6 NOTE Harmonized as EN 6 1 51 1 -1 :20 1 7 (not modified)

ISO/IEC 80079-20-1 NOTE Harmonized as EN ISO/IEC 80079-20-1

2
 IEC 60079-10-1
Edition 3.0 2020-12

INTERNATIONAL
STANDARD

NORME
INTERNATIONALE
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inside

Exp l os ive atmospheres -

Part 10-1: Class ification of areas - Explos ive gas atmospheres

Atmosp heres exp l os ives -

Partie 10-1: Classification des emplacements - Atmos pheres exp l os ives
gaze uses

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 IEC 60079-10-1
Edition 3.0 2020-12

INTERNATIONAL
STANDARD

NORME
INTERNATIONALE colour
inside

Exp l os ive atmospheres -

Part 10-1: Class ification of areas - Exp l os ive gas atmos pheres

Atmosp heres exp l os ives -

Partie 10-1: Cl assification des e m p l acements - Atmosp heres exp l osives
gaze uses

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INTERNATIONALE

ICS 29.260.20 ISBN 978-2-8322-8890-0

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 -2- I E C 6 0079- 1 0-1 :2020 © I E C 2020

CONTENTS

FO R E WO R D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
I NT R O D UCTI O N . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 0
Scope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
2 Norm ative refe re n ces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
3 Terms and d efi n itions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
4 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
4.1 S afety p ri n c i ples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 6
4.2 Hazardous area cl ass ification obj ectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 7
4.3 I n te rior o f eq u i p ment conta i n i n g fla m m a b l e materi a l s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 8
4.4 Explosion r i s k assess ment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 8
4.4 . 1 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
4.4.2 Zone o f n e g l i g i b l e exte nt. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
4.5 Catastro p h i c fa i l u res . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 9
4.6 Com pete nce o f perso n n e l . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 9
5 Hazardous area class ification methodology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
5.1 Genera l . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 9
5.2 C l ass ifi cation b y s o u rces o f re lease method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
5.3 U s e o f i n d u stry codes a n d nati o n a l sta n d a rd s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
5 . 3. 1 Gene ra l . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
5.3.2 Fu el g a s i nsta l l ations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
5.4 S i m p l ified methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
5.5 C o m b i nation o f methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
6 Re lease o f fl a m m a b l e s u bsta nce . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
6.1 Genera l . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
6.2 Sou rces o f re lease . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
6.3 Forms o f re lease . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
6 . 3. 1 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
6.3.2 Gaseous re lease . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
6 . 3. 3 Liq uefied u n de r p ress u re re lease . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
6 . 3. 4 Liq uefied by refrigeration re lease . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
6.3.5 Fl a m m a b l e m ists re lease . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
6.3.6 Vapours re lease . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
6 . 3. 7 L i q u i d re lease . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
7 Ve nti lation (or a i r movement) and d i l ution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
7. 1 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
7.2 M a i n ty pes of ventilation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
7.2 . 1 Gene ra l . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
7.2.2 N atural ve n t i l ation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
7.2.3 Artifi c i a l ve ntilation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
7.2.4 Degree of d i l ution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
8 Type of zone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
8.1 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
8.2 I nfl u e n ce o f g rade o f the source o f re lease . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
8.3 I nfl u e n ce o f d i lution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
8.4 I nfl u e n ce o f ava i l a b i l ity o f venti lation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
9 Extent of zone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
I E C 6 0079- 1 0- 1 : 2 020 © I E C 2020 -3-

10 Docume ntation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
1 0. 1 Genera l . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
1 0.2 D raw i n g s , data s h eets a n d ta b l e s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
A n n ex A ( i nform ative ) S ug g ested prese ntation of haza rd o u s a reas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
A. 1 Hazardous area - P referred sym b o l s fo r z o n es . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
A.2 Hazardous a r e a suggested sha pes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
A n n ex B ( i nformative) Esti mation o f s o u rces o f re lease . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
B.1 Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
B.2 Examp les of g rade of re lease . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
B.2. 1 Gene ra l . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
B . 2 .2 S o u rces g iv i n g a co n t i n u o u s g rade of re lease . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
B.2.3 S o u rces g iv i n g a pri m a ry g rade of re l ease . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
B . 2 .4 S o u rces g iv i n g a seco n d a ry g rade of re lease . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
B.3 Assessment o f g rades o f re lease . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
B.4 S u m m ation o f re l eases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
B.5 Hole s ize a n d so u rce rad i u s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
B.6 Forms of re lease . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
B.7 Release rate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
B.7.1 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
B .7.2 Estimation o f release rate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 5
B.7.3 Re lease rate o f eva porative pools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 7
B.8 Release fro m o pe n i n g s i n b u i l d i n g s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
B.8.1 Gene ra l . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
B . 8 .2 O p e n i ngs as poss i b l e s o u rces of re lease . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
B.8.3 O p e n i ngs cl assification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
A n n ex C ( i nformative) Ve nti lation g u i d a nce . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
C.1 Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
C.2 Genera l . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 3
C.3 Assessment o f venti l ation a n d d i l u t i o n a n d its i nfl uence o n hazardous a rea . . . . . . . . . . 5 3
C.3. 1 Gene ra l . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
C.3.2 Effect iveness of venti lation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
C.3.3 Criteria for d i l ution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
C.3.4 Assess m e n t of venti lation velocity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
C.3.5 Assess m e n t of the degree of d i l ution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
C.3.6 D i l ution in a room . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
C.3.7 Criteria fo r ava i l a b i l ity of ve nti l ation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
C.4 Examp les of ventilation arra n g e m e n ts and assessme nts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
C.4. 1 I ntrod uction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
C.4.2 J e t re lease i n a l a rg e b u i l d i ng . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 1
C.4.3 J e t re lease i n a s m a l l n at u ra l ly ve nti l ated b u i l d i n g . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
C.4.4 Jet re lease in a s m a l l artifi c i a l ly venti l ated b u i l d i n g . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
C.4.5 Re lease with low velocity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
C.4.6 Fu g i tive e m issions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
C.4. 7 Loca l venti lation -extra cti on . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
C.5 Natu ral Ve ntilation in b u i l d i n gs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
C.5. 1 Gene ra l . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
C.5.2 W i n d i n d u ced venti l ation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
C.5.3 B u oyancy i n d uced ventilation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
 -4- I E C 60079- 1 0-1 :2020 © I E C 2020

C.5.4 Co m b i nation of t h e natural ventilation i n d uced b y w i n d a n d b u oyancy . . . . . . . . . . . 67

A n n ex D ( i nformative) Esti mation of hazardous areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
D.1 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
D.2 Est i m ating types o f the zones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
D.3 Esti mating t h e extent o f the hazardous area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
A n n ex E ( i nformati ve ) Exa m p les of hazardous a rea c l assification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
E.1 Genera l . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
E.2 Exa m p les . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
E.3 Exa m p l e case study fo r hazard o u s area cl assifi cati on . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
A n n ex F ( i nformative) Sche m at i c a p proach to c l ass ifi cati o n of hazardous a reas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
F.1 S c h e m atic a p proach to class ification of haza rdous a reas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
F .2 S c h e m atic a p proach to class ification of haza rdous a reas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
F.3 S c h e m atic a p proach t o class ification o f h azardous areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
F .4 S c h e m atic a p proach to class ification of h azardous areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
A n n ex G ( i nformative) F l a m m a bl e m i sts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 0 0
A n n ex H ( i nformative) Hydrog e n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 03
A n n ex I ( i n formative) Hybrid m i xt u res . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 0 5
1. 1 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 05
1.2 Use of venti l ation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 05
1.3 Co nce ntration l i m its . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 05
1.4 C h e m ical re actions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 05
1.5 E n e rgy/te m p e rature l i m i ts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 05
1.6 Zo n i n g req u i re m e nts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 05
A n n ex J ( i nformative) Usefu l e q u at i o n s i n s u p port to hazardous a rea cl ass ification . . . . . . . . . . 1 0 6
J.1 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 06
J.2 D i l ution with a i r of a fl a m m a b l e s u bsta nce re lease . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 06
J.3 Est i m ate o f the t i m e req u i red t o d i l ute a fla m m a b l e su bsta nce re lease . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 06
A n n ex K ( i nformati ve ) I n d ustry codes and national sta n d a rds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 0 8
K. 1 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 08
B i b l iography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112

F i g u re 1 - D i l ut i o n Vo l u me . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
F i g u re A. 1 - P referred sym b o l s for zones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
F i g u re A . 2 - Gas or vapo u r at low p ress u re (or at h i g h p ress u re i n case of
u n p red i ctable re lease d i recti o n ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
F i g u re A.3 - Gas or vapo u r at h i g h p ress u re . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
F i g u re A.4 - L i q u efi e d gas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
F i g u re A . 5 - F l a m m a b l e l i q u i d ( n o n boi l i n g eva porative poo l ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
F i g u re B . 1 - Forms of re lease . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
F i g u re B . 2 - S pecific volu metric eva poration rate of l i q u i ds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
F i g u re C . 1 - C h a rt for assess i n g the d e g ree of d i l ut i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
F i g u re C . 2 - Self d iffus i o n of an u n i m peded h i g h velocity jet re lease . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 1
F i g u re C . 3 - S u p ply o n l y venti lation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
F i g u re C .4 - S u p ply and extraction ventilation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
F i g u re C . 5 - Local extracti o n venti l ation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
F i g u re C . 6 - S pecific v o l u metric flow rate of fresh a i r of e q u iva l e nt effective o p e n i n g area . . 67
I E C 60079- 1 0- 1 : 2 020 © I E C 2020 -5-

F i g u re C . 7 - Exa m p l e of o p posing ventilation d riv i n g forces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 8

F i g u re D . 1 - C h a rt for esti mating hazardous area d i stan ces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 1
F i g u re E . 1 - Degree of d i l ution ( Exa m p l e N o . 1 ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
F i g u re E . 2 - H azard o us d ista nce ( E xa m ple No. 1 ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
F i g u re E . 3 - Zone cl assification ( E xa m p l e No. 1 ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
F i g u re E.4 - Degree of d i l ution ( Exa m p l e No. 2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
F i g u re E . 5 - Degree of d i l ution ( Exa m p l e No. 3 ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
F i g u re E . 6 - H azard o us d ista nce ( E xa m p l e N o . 3 ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
F i g u re E . 7 - Zones c l assificati o n ( Ex a m p l e No. 3 ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
F i g u re E . 8 - Degree of d i l ution ( Exa m p l e No. 4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
F i g u re E . 9 - Hazard o us d ista nce ( E x a m p l e N o . 4 ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 2
F i g u re E . 1 0 - Zones classificat i o n ( Ex a m p l e N o . 4 ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 3
F i g u re E . 1 1 - Degree of d i l u tion ( E x a m p l e N o . 5 ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 5
F i g u re E . 1 2 - Hazardous d i stance ( Ex a m p l e N o . 5 ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 6
F i g u re E . 1 3 - E n closed com pressor h a n d l i n g n at u ra l gas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
F i g u re E . 1 4 - Ex a m p l e of hazard o u s area class ification for a compressor fa c i l ity
h a n d l i n g natura l gas (elevat i o n ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
F i g u re E . 1 5 - Ex a m p l e of hazardous area class ifi cation for a compressor fa c i l ity
h a n d l i n g n at u ral gas ( pl a n ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
F i g u re F . 1 - Schematic a p p roach to class i fication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
F i g u re F . 2 - Schematic a p p roach to class i fi cati o n for conti n uo u s g rade releases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
F i g u re F .3 - Schematic a p p roach to class i fi cation for p ri m a ry g rade re leases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 8
F i g u re F .4 - Schematic a p p roach to class i fication fo r seco n d a ry g rade releases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 9

Table A . 1 - Hazardous a rea class ification d ata s h eet - Part I : F l a m m a b l e s u bsta nce
l i st a n d c h a racte ristics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Ta ble A . 2 - H azardous a rea class ification d ata s h eet - Part I I : List of s o u rces of
re lease . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Ta ble B . 1 - S u g g ested hole cross sections for seco n d a ry g rade of re leases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Ta ble B . 2 - Effect of zones on ope n i n g s as poss i b l e sources of re lease . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 1
Table C . 1 - I n d i cative outdoor ventilation velocities (uw) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Table D . 1 - Zones fo r g rade o f re lease a nd effectiveness o f venti lation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Table E . 1 - Com pressor fac i l ity h a n d l i ng natura l gas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Ta ble E . 2 - H azardous a rea class ification d ata s h eet - Part I : F l a m m a b l e s u bsta nce
l i st a n d c h a racteristics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 1
Ta ble E . 3 - H azardous a rea class ification d ata s h eet - Part I I : List o f s o u rces of
re lease . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Table K. 1 - Exa m p l es of codes and sta n d a rd s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 0 9
 -6- I E C 60079- 1 0-1 :2020 © I E C 2020

INTERNATIONAL ELECTROTE CHNICAL COMMISSION

EXPLOSIVE ATMOSP H ERES -

Part 10-1: Class ificat i o n of a reas -

Ex p l os i ve g a s atm o s p h e res

FOREWORD

1) The I nternat i o n a l Electrotec h n i ca l Co m m ission ( I EC) is a worldwide org a n ization for sta n d a rd ization comprising
a l l national el ectrotechn ical committees ( I EC Nat i o n a l C o m m ittees). The o bject of I EC is to promote
i nternati onal co-operation on a l l q uestions concern i n g sta n d a rd ization in the electrical and electro n i c fields. To
this end a n d in a d d i t i o n to other activities, I E C p u b l i s h es I nternational Sta n d a rd s , Tec h n i c a l Specifica ti o n s ,
Tec h n ical Reports, P u b l icly Ava i l a b l e S pecifications ( PAS) a n d G u ides ( h e reafter referred t o as " I E C
P u b l ication (s)"). T h e i r preparation is entrusted t o tech nical comm ittees; any I EC National C o m m ittee i nterested
in the su bject dealt with may partici pate in t h i s p repa ratory work. I nternat i o n a l , govern m ental and non­
governmental organ izations liaising with t h e IEC also p a rtici pate i n t h i s preparat i o n . I EC co l l a borates closely
with t h e I nternati o n a l O rg a n ization for Standard izatio n ( I SO) i n accord a n ce with conditions dete rm i n ed by
ag reement between the two organizations.
2) The fo rmal decisions o r a g reements of I EC on tech nical m atters e xp ress , as n e a rly a s pos s i b l e , a n i n ternational
consensus of o p i n i o n on the releva nt s u b jects s i nce each tech nical c o m m i ttee has representation from all
i n terested IEC National C o m m i ttees.
3) I EC P u b l ications have the fo rm of recommendations for i nternat i o n a l use a n d are accepted by I EC National
Comm ittees i n that sense. While all reasonable efforts are made to e n s u re that the tec h n i c a l content of I E C
P u b l ications is accu rate, I EC can not be held res ponsible f o r the w a y i n w h i c h they are u s e d o r f o r any
m i s i nterpretation by any end u ser.
4) In order to promote i ntern ational u n iform ity, IEC Nat i o n a l Comm ittees u n dertake to apply I EC P u b l ications
tra nsparently to the m a xi m u m extent poss i b l e in their national a n d reg ional pu blicat i o n s . Any d ivergence
between any I EC P u b l icati o n and the correspon d i n g national or reg i o n a l p u b l icat i o n s h a l l be clea rly i n d icated in
the latter.
5 ) I EC itself d oes not provi de any attestation of conform ity. I ndependent certification bodies provide conform ity
assessment services a n d , in some areas, access to I EC m a rks of conform ity. I E C is not respons i ble fo r any
services carried out by i n d e p e n d e n t certification bod i e s .
6) A l l users s h o u l d e n s u re that they h a v e the l atest edition o f t h i s p u b l icat i o n .
7 ) No l i a b i l ity s h a l l attach t o I EC or i t s d i recto rs , employees, servants or a g ents i n c l u d i n g i n d iv i d u a l experts a n d
m e m b e rs o f i t s t e c h n i c a l comm ittees a n d I EC National C o m m ittees f o r a n y personal i njury , property d a m a g e or
other damage of a n y nature whatsoever, whether di rect o r i n d i rect, or for costs ( i n c l u d i n g legal fees) a n d
expenses arising out o f the p u b l icatio n , use o f , or rel i a nce u p o n , t h i s I E C P u blication or a n y othe r I EC
P u b l ications.
8) Attention is d rawn to t h e Normative refe rences cited i n t h i s publ icati o n . Use of the referenced p u b l ications is
i n d ispensable fo r the correct appl ication of t h i s p u b l ication.
9) Attention is drawn to the pos s i b i l ity that some of the e l e m ents of t h i s IEC P u bl ication may be the su bject of
patent rights. I EC shall not be held res p o n s i b l e fo r identify i n g any or all such patent rights.

I n ternational Sta n d a rd I E C 60079- 1 0-1 has been pre p a red by s u b co m m i ttee 3 1 J :

C l ass ifi cation of hazardous a reas and i nsta l l ation req u i re m e nts , of I E C tech n i cal
com m i ttee 3 1 : E q u i p m e n t fo r exp losive atmos p h e res .

This th i rd ed ition of I E C 60079- 1 0- 1 ca ncels and re places the second e d i t i o n , p u b l i s h e d in

2 0 1 5 , and constitutes a tec h n i ca l rev i s i o n . T h e s i g n ifi cant tec h n i ca l changes with res pect to
the prev ious ed ition are as fo l l ows :
I E C 60079- 1 0- 1 : 2 020 © I E C 2020 -7-

Type

Minor and Major

Changes C l ause ed itorial Exte n s i o n tec h n i ca l
changes changes

Deleti ng com m e rcial a n d i n d ustrial a p p l ications fo r

1 C1
fuel g a s from t h e Scope exe m ptions

Updating editorial detai l s a n d n otes to the d efinitions 3 x

Deletion of the p revious edition clause 3 . 7 . 3

defi nition fo r catastrop h i c fai l u re (dealt with i n clause x
4.5)

I ntrod uction of new S u bclause 4.4.2 Z o n e of

4.4.2 x
n e g l i g i b l e extent

I ntrod uction of new clause 5.3.2 F u e l g a s

5.3.2 x
i nsta l l a t i o n s

Ren u m be r i n g of h e a d i n g s 7 x

I ntrod uction of F i g u re 1 - Dil ution volume 7 x

U p g ra d i n g T a b l e A . 1 with U F L a n d its col u m n 1 5

A. 1 x
head i n g with t h e 'sou rce of data'

Updating the flow-chart in F i g u re B . 1 B.6 x

Updating eq uations for evaporation rate to a l i g n with

B.7.3 x
the recent s o u rce mod ifications

Updating the chart i n F i g u re B . 2 accord i n g to the

u pdated equations for evaporation rate a n d the B.7.3 x
ventilation velocity of 0 , 2 5 mis

Restructuring Table C.1 C.3.4 x

Removal of safety factor k a n d deleting it from the

C.3.5 C2
horizontal axis o f t h e chart i n F i g u re C . 1

Rev i s i n g equations ( C . 2 ) a n d ( C . 3 ) C.5.2 C3

Rev i s i n g equations ( C . 4 ) a n d ( C . 5) C.5.3 C4

Rev i s i n g t h e chart in F i g u re C .6 by c h a n g i n g the

C.5.3 cs
label on the horizontal axis

Rev i s i n g equation ( C . 6 ) a n d deleting equation ( C . 7 ) C.5.4 C6

Removal o f safety factor k a n d deleting it from the

D.3 C7
horizontal axis o f t h e charts i n F i g u re D.1

I m po s i n g l i m itations to the use of the chart in F i g u re

D.3 x
D. 1

Updating a n d corrections in Annex E Annex E x

U p g ra d i n g Annex G on F l a m m a b l e m ists Annex G x

I ntrod u c i n g new items in T a b l e K. 1 Annex K x

I ntrod u c i n g new items in the B i b l i o g ra p h y B i b l iogra phy x

N OTE The tech n ical changes referred to include the sig nificance of tech n ical changes in the revised I EC
Standard, but they do not form an exh a u stive l ist of a l l m od ifications from the p revious vers i o n .
 - 8 -
I E C 60079- 1 0-1 :2020 © I E C 2020

Explanations:

A) Defi n itions

Minor a n d ed itorial c h a n ges cla rification

decrease of tech n i cal req u i re m e nts
m i nor tech n i cal c h a n g e
ed itoria I co rrect ions

These a re c h a n g es w h i c h mod ify req u i re m ents i n a n e d i tori a l or a m i n or tech n i ca l way. They

i n c l u d e changes of the word i ng to c l a rify tech n i cal re q u i re m e nts without a n y tech n i cal c h a n g e .

Exte n s i o n a d d i tion o f tec h n ical options

These a re c h a n g es which add n ew or mod ify existi n g tech n i c a l req u i re m ents, i n a way that
new opti ons a re g i ve n , b ut without i ncre a s i n g req u i re m ents.

Maj o r tec h n i ca l changes a d d i t i o n of tec h n ical req u i re m e nts

i n crease of tech n i cal req u i re m e nts

B) I nfo rmati o n about the backg ro u n d of c h a n g e s

C1 T h e p revious e d i t i o n i t e m e ) was : "commercial a n d i n d ustri a l a p p l i cations w h e re only low

press u re fue l gas i s used fo r a p p l i a n ces e . g . fo r cooki ng , water heati n g and s i m i l a r
uses , where t h e insta l l ation is co m p l i a n t with relevant g a s codes". I n d ustri a l
a p p l ications o f a n y k i n d s h o u l d not be exe m pted fro m t h e scope o f t h i s sta n d a rd . See
also new c l ause 5 . 3 . 2 .

C2 The factor k was i n itially i nte nded to p rovide for ad d it i o n a l safety fo r u n ce rta i nties i n
determ i n i n g LFL for fl a m m a b l e su bsta nces, parti c u l arly g a s m ixtu res . H owever, this
was co nsidered as u n necessary and confu s i n g considering the derivat i o n of the ch art.

C3 T h e e q u ations are u p d ated to a l i g n with BS 5 92 5

C4 T h e e q u ations a re u p d ated t o a l i g n w i t h B S 5 92 5

C5 T h e c h a rt i s rev ised to match the new equation ( C . 4 )

C6 T h e e q u ation is u pd ated t o a l i g n with BS 5925

C7 See the ex p l a n ation u n d e r C2

These a re changes to tec h n i ca l req u i re m e nts (add i t i o n , i n c rease of the level or remova l ) .

NOTE These chan ges represent c u rrent tech nological knowledg e . However, these chan ges s h o u l d not normally
have a n i nfl u ence on e q u i pment a l ready placed o n the ma rket.

The text of this sta n d a rd is based on the fo l l ow i n g d o c u m e n ts :

FDIS Report on vot i n g

3 1 J/307/ F D I S 3 1 J/31 0/RVD

Fu l l i nfo rmation o n the voting for the a p proval of th is I n ternational Sta n d a rd can be fou n d i n
t h e report o n voting i n d i cated i n t h e a bove ta b l e .

T h i s d ocument h a s b e e n d rafted i n a ccord a nce w i t h t h e I S O/I E C D i rectives , Part 2 .

A l ist of a l l pa rts o f the I E C 60079 series , u n d e r the g e n e ra l title Explosive a tmospheres, can
be fou n d o n the I E C webs ite .
I E C 60079- 1 0- 1 : 2 020 © I E C 2020 -9-

The co m m ittee has decided t h at the conte n ts of t h i s document w i l l re m a i n u n changed u n t i l the

sta b i l ity d ate i nd icated o n the IEC we bsite under "http ://we bstore . i ec.ch" in the d ata rel ated to
the s p ecific d oc u m e n t . At t h i s date, the document wi l l be

• reconfi rmed ,
• withdrawn ,
• re p l a ced by a revised editi o n , or
• amended .

I M P O RTANT - The 'co l o u r i n s i de' logo on the cover page of t h i s p u b l i cation i n d i cates
that i t conta i n s c o l o u rs which a re co n s i d e re d to be u sefu l fo r the co rrect
u n d e rsta n d i n g of its contents. Use rs s h o u l d t h e refore print t h i s d o c u m e n t u s i n g a
col o u r p r i nter.
 - 10 - I E C 60079- 1 0- 1 : 2 02 0 © I E C 2020

INTRODUCTION

I n a reas w h e re dang erous q u a ntities and concentrations of fla m m a b l e gas or vapour may
arise, measures need to be a p p l i ed i n order to red u ce the risk of exp losions . This part of
I E C 60079 sets out the esse ntial criteria ag a i nst w h i c h the i g n ition hazard s can be assessed
and g i ves g u ida nce o n the d es i g n and control parameters w h i c h can be used i n ord e r to
red u ce s u c h hazards.
I E C 60079- 1 0- 1 : 2 020 © I E C 2020 - 11 -

EXPLOSIVE ATMOSP H ERES -

Part 10-1: Class ificat i o n of areas -

Ex p l os i ve g a s atm o s p h e res

1 Scope

This part of I E C 60079 i s concerned with the classification of areas where fl a m m a b l e gas or
vapour hazard s may a rise and may then be used as a basis to s u p p ort the proper desig n ,
constructi on , operati o n and mai ntenance of eq u i p ment fo r use i n hazardous a reas.

It is i nte nded to be a p p l ied w h e re there m ay be a n ig n it i o n hazard d u e to the p resence of

fl a m ma b le gas or vapour, m ixed with a i r, but it does not a p p l y to :

a) m i nes s u scepti b l e to fireda m p ;

b) the process i n g a n d m a n ufa ct u re o f explosives;
c) catastro p h i c fa i l u res or ra re m a lfu nctions w h i c h a re beyo n d the concept of normal ity dealt
with i n this sta n d a rd (see 3 . 7 . 3 a n d 4 . 5 ) ;
d ) roo ms used for medical p u rposes;
e ) do mestic p re m ises ;
f) where a hazard may arise d u e to the presence of com b usti b l e d u sts or com busti ble flyings
but the pri n ci p les may be used i n assess ment of a hybrid m ixture ( refe r a l s o to
IEC 60079- 1 0-2 ) .

NOTE Additional g u idance o n hybrid m i xt u res i s provided i n Annex I .

F l a m m a b l e m ists may fo rm o r be present a t the s a m e time a s fl a m m a b l e vapour. I n s u c h case

the strict a p p l i cation of the deta i l s in this document m ay not be a p pro p riate. F l a m m a b l e m i sts
may a l s o fo rm w h e n l i q u i ds not co n s i d e red to be a hazard d u e to the h i g h fl ash point a re
re leased u n d e r press u re . I n these cases the cl assificat i o n s a n d deta i l s g iven i n this docu ment
do not apply. I nfo rmati o n o n fl a m m ab l e m i sts i s prov ided i n An nex G .

For the p u rpose of this d oc u m e n t , a n a rea i s a t h ree-d i m e n s i o n a l reg ion o r space.

Atmos p heric co nd itions i n c l u d e variations a bove a n d below reference levels of 1 0 1 , 3 k Pa

( 1 0 1 3 m bar) and 2 0 °C (293 K) , provided t h at the va riations have a n eg l i g i b l e effect o n the
explos ion properties of the fl a m m a b l e s u bsta nces.

In a n y site , i rres pective of size , there may be n u me rous s o u rces of i g n ition a p a rt fro m those
associ ated with e q u i p ment. Ap propri ate preca u t i o n s w i l l be necessary to e n s u re safety in t h i s
context. T h i s sta n d a rd i s a p p l icable w i t h j ud g e ment fo r oth e r i g n ition s o u rces but i n s o m e
a p p l ications oth e r safeg u a rd s may a l s o n e e d t o be considered . E . g . l a rger d ista nces m a y
a p p l y fo r naked fl a m es when cons i d e r i n g h o t work perm its.

This docu ment does not take i nto acco u n t the conseq ue nces of i g n ition of a n exp losive
atmos p h ere except where a zone is so s m a l l that if i g n ition d i d occur it wou l d have neg l i g i ble
conseq u e n ces (see 3 . 3 . 8 a n d 4 . 4 . 2 ) .

2 Normative referen ces

T h i s docu m ent contains no normative refe rences .

 - 12 - I E C 60079- 1 0- 1 : 2 02 0 © I E C 2020

3 Terms a n d defi n itions

For t h e p u rposes o f this d o c u m e n t , the terms a n d defi n it i o n s g iven i n I E C 60079-0 a n d t h e

fo l l owi n g a p ply.

ISO and I E C m a i n ta i n term i n o lo g i ca l databases for use in sta n d a rdization at the fo l l ow i n g

a d d resses :

• I E C E l ectroped i a : ava i l a b l e at http : //www . e l ectro ped i a . o rg/

• I S O O n l i n e brows i n g p latform : ava i l a b l e at http : //www . iso . o rg/obp

NOTE A d d i t i o n a l defi nitions appl icable t o explosive atmos pheres ca n be fou nd i n I E C 60050-426.

3.1
explosive atm osphere
m ixtu re with a i r, u n d e r atmos pheric con d itions, of fla m m ab l e s u bsta nces i n the form of gas,
vapour, o r d u st which, after i g n it i o n , perm its se lf-s usta i n i n g propag ation

[S O U RC E : IEC 60079-0 : 2 0 1 7 , 3 . 38]

3.2
explosive gas atmosphere
m i xt u re with a i r, u n d e r atmos p h e ric co n d i t i o n s , of fl a m m a b l e s u bsta nces i n the fo rm of gas or
vapour, w h i c h , after i g n iti o n , permits se lf-s usta i n i n g flame propagation

N ote 1 to entry: Alth o u g h a m i xt u re w h i c h has a concentration a bove the upper fla m mable l i m it ( U F L ) is n o t a n
explosive g a s atmosp h e re, i t can rea d i ly become so a n d , gen era l l y for hazard o u s area classification p u rposes, it i s
advisable t o consider i t as a n explosive g a s atmosp h e re.

N ote 2 to entry: There a re some g ases a n d vapours which a re explosive with the concentration of 1 00 % ( e . g .
acetylene, GAS n o . 7 4-86-2, C 2 H 2 ; monovinyl acety l e n e , GAS no. 689-97-4, C 4 H 4 ; 1 -p ropyl nitrate (vapo u r ) , GAS
n o . 627-1 3-4 , C H 3 ( C H 2 ) 2 N 0 3 ; isopropyl nitrate (vapour), GAS n o . 1 7 1 2-64-7, ( C H 3 ) 2 CH O N 02 ; ethyle n e oxide
(vapo ur), GAS no. 75-2 1 -8 , ( C H 2 ) 2 O; hydrazine (vapour), GAS no. 302-0 1 -2 , H 4 N 2 .

[SO U R C E : I E C 60079-0 : 20 1 7 , 3 . 4 0 , m od ified ( a d d i t i o n of N otes to entry)]

3.3
hazard o u s a reas a n d zones
3.3.1
haza rdous a rea <o n account of exp losive g a s atmos p h e res>
area i n wh ich an explosive gas atmosphere is p res ent o r can be exp ected to be p resent, in
q u a ntities such t h at s pecial preca utions for the constructi o n , i n sta l lation and use of eq u i p m e n t
are req u i red

3.3.2
n o n-haza rd o u s a rea <o n account o f explosive gas atmos p h e res>
a rea i n w h i c h a n explos i ve gas atmosphere is not expected to be prese nt i n q u a ntities s u c h
that spec i a l preca utions fo r the construction , i n stal lation a n d u s e o f eq u i pment are req u i red

3.3.3
zone
hazardous area cl assification based on the fre q u e n cy of the occu rre nce a n d d u ration of the
explos i ve atm osphere

3.3.4
Zone 0
a rea i n which a n exp losive gas atmos p h e re is present conti n u o u s ly, or for long period s , o r
freque ntly
I E C 60079- 1 0- 1 : 2 020 © I E C 2020 - 13 -

N ote 1 to entry : Both "long" a n d "frequ ently" a re the terms which a re i ntended to describe a very h i g h l i ke l i hood of
a pote ntially explos ive atmosp h e re in the a rea . In that respect, those terms do not n ecessarily need to be
q u a ntified.

3.3.5
Zone 1
a rea i n w h i c h a n exp los ive gas atmos phere is l i ke l y to occur occas i o n a l l y i n normal operation

3.3.6
Zone 2
a rea i n which a n exp losive gas atmos p h e re is not l i kely to occur i n normal ope ration , b ut, if it
does occu r , will exist for a short period o n ly

N ote 1 to entry: I n d ications of the freq u e n cy of the occurre n c e a n d d u ration of the explosive atmos p h e re can be
taken from codes or stan d a rds relating to specific i n d ustries or a ppl icat i o n s .

[ SO U R C E : I E C 60050-42 6 : 2 0 2 0 , 426-03-05]

3.3.7
extent o f zone
d i sta n ce in a n y d i rection fro m the s o u rce of re lease to where a g as/a i r m ixture will be d i l u ted
by air to a conce ntration below the lower fl a m m a b l e l i m i t

3.3.8
Zo ne N E
z o n e o f n eg l i g i ble extent s u ch that i f i g n ition d i d occur it w o u l d have n eg l i g i b l e conseq ue nces

N ote 1 to entry: Zones of n e g l i g i b l e extent could be Zone O N E , Zone 1 N E or Zone 2 N E .

3.4
releases
3.4.1
sou rce o f release
point or locat i o n fro m w h i c h a fl a m m a b l e gas, vapour, m i st or l i q u i d may be re l e ased i n to the
atmos p h ere so th at a n exp losive gas atmos phere cou l d be fo rmed

[SO U R C E : I E C 60050-4 2 6 : 2 0 2 0 , 426-03-06]

3.4.2
conti n u o u s g rade of re lease
re lease wh ich is conti n u ous or is expected to occ u r freque ntly or fo r long periods

N ote 1 to entry : Both "frequ ently" a n d "long" a re the terms which are i ntended to describe a very h i g h l i ke l i hood of
a pote ntial release. I n that res pect, those terms d o not necessarily need to be q u antified.

3.4.3
pri mary g rade of release
re lease wh ich can be ex pected to occur periodica l l y o r occas i o n a l ly d u ri n g normal o pe ration

3.4.4
secondary g ra d e of re lease
re lease which is not expecte d to occ u r i n normal o p e rati o n and, if it does occur, i s l i ke l y to do
so only i nfreq u e n tly a n d for short peri ods

3.4.5
release rate
q u a n tity of fl a m m a b l e g a s , l i q u i d , vapour or m i st e m itted per u n i t t i m e from the s o u rce of
re lease
 - 14 - I E C 60079- 1 0- 1 : 2 02 0 © I E C 2020

3.5
ve ntilation a n d d i l u t i o n
3.5 . 1
ve nti lation
move ment of air and its re placement with fresh air due to the effects of w i n d , te mperature
g ra d i e nts, o r a rtifi c i a l means (for exa m p l e , fa n s or extra ctors)

N ote 1 to entry : Fresh air is i ntended to be synomonous with the term 'clean a i r' used i n I EC 60079- 1 3 . Both terms
mean air that is essentially free of fla m m a b l e g a s or vapour.

3.5.2
d i l u tion
m i x i n g of fl a m m a b l e vapour or gas with air which , over time, w i l l red u ce the fl a m m a b l e
concentrati o n

3.5.3
d i l u tion vo l u m e
vo l u m e i n t h e v i c i n ity o f a source o f re lease w h e re t h e concentration of fl a m m a b l e g a s o r
vapour is n ot d i l u ted t o a safe level

N ote 1 to entry: In certa i n i nstances, the v o l u m es under 3 . 5 . 3 and 3 . 5 . 5 could be the s a m e .

3.5.4
backgro u n d conce ntrat i o n
mean conce ntrat ion of fl a m m a bl e s u bstance with i n t h e vo l u m e u n d e r conside ration outs i d e of
the re lease p l u m e or jet

3.5.5
vo l u m e u n d e r considerati o n
vo l u m e served b y t h e ventilation i n t h e v i c i n ity o f t h e re lease b e i n g considered

N ote 1 to entry: For a n enclosed space this could be a n e nt i re room o r part of a l a rger space where t h e
considered ventilation will d i lute the gas or vapo u r from a given sou rce o f release. Outdoors, this is the volume
a ro u n d a s o u rce of release where a n explosive m ixture could fo rm . I n cong ested outdoor pl aces this v o l u m e could
be d i ctated by the p a rtial enclosure p rovided by the s u rrou n d i n g o bjects.

3.6
properties of fla m m a b l e su bsta nce
3.6.1
fl a m m a b le s u b sta nce
s u bstance w h i c h i s itself fla m m a b l e , or is capable of prod u c i n g a fl a m m a b l e gas, vapou r or
m ist

3.6.2
fl a m m a b le l i q u i d
l i q u i d capa ble o f p ro d u c i n g a fl a m m a b l e vapour u n d e r a n y foreseea b l e o perating cond itions

N ote 1 to entry: An exa m p l e o f a foreseeab l e operat i n g cond ition is one i n which the fla m mable l i q u i d is hand led
at tem peratu res close to o r a bove its flash point.

N ote 2 to entry : This defi nition is used for the class ification of hazardous areas a n d may be d ifferent from the
defi n ition of fla m mable l i q u ids used for other pu rposes e.g. codes for class ification of fla m mable l i q u i d s for
transport.

3.6.3
l i q u efied fla m m a b l e gas
fl a m m a b l e s u bsta n ce w h i c h is stored or h a n d l e d as a l i q u i d and which at a m b i e n t te mperature
a n d atmos pheric press u re is a fl a m m a bl e gas
I E C 60079- 1 0- 1 : 2 020 © I E C 2020 - 15 -

3.6.4
fl a m m a b le gas o r vapo u r
g a s or vapour which , w h e n m ixed with a i r i n ce rta i n proport i o n s , w i l l form a n explos i ve gas
atmos p h ere

3.6.5
fl a m m a b le m i st
d ro p l ets of l i q u i d , d i s p e rsed in a i r so as to fo rm an exp losive atm osphere

N ote 1 to entry: M ists are also known as ae rosol s .

3.6.6
hybrid m i xt u re
m ixtu re of a fl a m m a b l e gas or vapour with a d u st.

N ote 1 to entry: Accord i n g to I EC 60079- 1 0-2 the te rm "d ust" is defi ned as i n c l u d i n g both combustible dust and
combustible fly i n g s .

3.6.7
relative d e nsity of a gas or a vapou r
dens ity of a gas o r a vapour relative to the d e n s ity of a i r at the same press u re and
te mperature (air is e q u a l to 1 , 0 )

3.6.8
fl ashpoint
l owest l i q u i d tem perature at which, u n d e r certa i n sta ndard ized con d itions, a l i q u i d g ives off
vapours i n a q u a ntity s u c h as to be capable of fo r m i n g a n i g n i table vapour/ a i r m ixtu re

3.6.9
b o i l i n g point
te mperature of a l i q u i d boi l i n g at a n a m b ient p ressure of 1 0 1 , 3 kPa (1 0 1 3 m b a r )

N ote 1 t o entry : The i n it i a l b o i l i n g point u s e d for l i q u i d mixtu res to i n d i cate t h e lowest v a l u e o f t h e boi l i n g point fo r
the ra n g e of l i q u i d s present, as determ ined in a sta n d a rd l a b o ratory d istillation with out fractionati o n .

3.6.1 0
vapo u r p ress u re
press u re exerted w h e n a s o l i d or l i q u i d is i n eq u i l i b ri u m with its own vapour

N ote 1 t o entry : This is also, t h e partia l pres s u re o f the s u bstance i n the atmosphere a bove the l i q u i d . I t is a
function of the s u bsta nce a n d of the temperature.

3.6.1 1
auto- i g n ition temperatu re (AIT)
l owest te m pe ratu re ( of a s u rface ) at w h i ch u n d e r s pecified test conditions a n i g n ition of a
fl a m ma b le gas o r vapour i n m i xt u re with a i r or a i r- i n e rt gas occurs

[ S O U R C E : I S O / I E C 80079-20-1 : 2 0 1 7 , 3 . 3]

3.6.1 2
lower fl a m m a b l e l i m i t ( L F L)
con centrat i o n of fl a m m a b l e g as or vapour i n a i r be low w h i ch a n exp los ive gas atm osphere
does not fo rm

N ote 1 to entry: The term "lower explosive l i m it" is used especially i n E u ropean stan d a rd ization and reg ulations
i nterchangeably to d escribe this l i mit.

[ SO U R C E : I SO/I E C 80079-20-1 : 20 1 7 , 3 . 6 . 1 ]
 - 16 - I E C 60079- 1 0- 1 : 2 02 0 © I E C 2020

3.6.1 3
u p p e r flam m a b l e l i m it (UFL)
conce ntration of fla m m a b l e gas or vapour in air a b ove which a n explos i ve gas atmos p h e re
does not form

N ote 1 to entry: The term "upper explosive l i m it" is used especially i n E u ropean sta ndard ization and reg u lations
i nterch angeably to d escribe this l i mit.

[ SO U R C E : I SO/I E C 80079-20-1 : 20 1 7 , 3 . 6 .2]

3.7
operation
3.7.1
normal operation
situation when the e q u i pment is ope rati n g w ith i n its d e s i g ned p a ra m eters

N ote 1 to entry: F a i l u res (such as the breakd own of p u m p s e a l s , flange g a s kets or s p i l lages) cau sed by accidents
which i nvolve repa i r or shut-down a re not considered to be p a rt of normal operatio n .

N ote 2 t o entry: Normal operation i nc l u d es start-u p a n d s h ut-down conditions a n d routine m a i ntenance, but
excludes i n itial start up as p a rt of c o m m i ss i o n i n g .

3.7.2
ro utine mai ntenance
action to be performed occasionally or periodically in norm a l operation to m a i ntain p roper perform a n ce
of eq u i pment

N ote 1 to entry : Routi n e m a i nten a n ce does not i n c l u d e activities where the a m ount released or the rate of release
is g reater than that used for the a rea class ificatio n . E . g . Where e q u i pment or systems req u i re either pa rtial
d i s m a n t l i n g or d e l i berate venti ng to atmos p h e re is req u i red to enable t h e mai ntenance activity to be performed.

3.7.3
rare m a lfu nction
type of ma lfu ncti on which may happen o n ly i n ra re i n sta nces

N ote 1 to entry: Rare ma lfu nctions i n the context of this standard i n c l u d e fa i l u re of separate and i n dependent
process contro l s , that may be either a utomated or manual, that could trigger a c h a i n of events that would lead to
major rel ease of fla m mable s u bsta nce.

N ote 2 to entry: Rare malfu n ctions could also i n c l u d e u n a ntici pated conditions that a re not covered by the plant
design such as u n expected corrosion that results i n a release. Wh ere releases d u e to corrosion or s i m i la r
conditions m a y or could reasonably be expected as p a rt o f t h e p l a nt operations then this i s n o t considered as a
rare malfu ncti o n .

4 General

4.1 Safety pri n c i p l e s

I n sta l l ations i n which fl a m m a b l e s u bsta nces a re h a n d led or stored s h o u l d be d es i g n e d ,

constructed , ope rated a n d m a i ntained s o that a n y releases o f fl a m m a b l e su bsta nce, a n d
cons eque ntly t h e extent o f hazardous areas , are ke p t t o a m i n i m u m , with reg ard t o freq u e n cy ,
d u rati o n a n d q u a ntity o f a re lease.

It is i m portant to exa m i n e those parts of p rocess equ i p me n t and syste ms from which a re lease
of fl a m m a b l e s u bsta nce may a rise and to consider mod ify i n g the design to m i n i m ize the
l i ke l i hood a n d freque n cy of s u c h releases a n d the q u a ntity and rate of re lease of s u bsta nce.

NOTE 1 Process e q u i p m ent in the context of this document i n c l udes any item that may cont a i n a fla m m a b l e gas
or l i q u i d .

These fundame nta l con s i d e rations s h o u l d be exa m i n ed at an early stage of the d es i g n

d eve lopment o f a n y process p l a n t a n d s h o u l d a l s o receive p r i m e atte ntion i n carry i n g out t h e
hazardous a rea class ification study.
I E C 60079- 1 0- 1 : 2 020 © I E C 2020 - 17 -

I n the case of activities oth e r than those of normal operati o n , e . g . com m issio n i ng or non­
ro utine m a i n te n a n ce, the hazardous are a cl assification may not be va l i d . It i s expected that
the acti vities oth e r than those of normal operation wou l d be dealt with by a safe system of
work. The hazard o u s a rea class ification s h o u l d take i nto acco u n t any routi n e m a i nte n a n ce.

In a situation i n which there may be an exp los ive g a s atmos p h e re acti on s h o u l d be taken to
e l i m i nate:

a) the l i ke l i hood of a n explosive gas atmos p h e re occu rri n g a ro u n d the s o u rce of ig n it i o n , or

b) the sou rce of i g n it i o n .

Where this i s n ot p oss i b l e , p rotective measures, p rocess e q u i p m e n t , syste ms a n d proce d u res

s h o u l d be selected a n d prepared so the l i ke l i hood of the coincide nce of a) a n d b) is so s m a l l
a s t o b e accepted a s l o w a s reaso n a b l y practi ca b l e . S u c h measures m a y be used i n d i v i d u a l l y ,
if they a re recog n ized as b e i n g h ig h ly re l i a b l e or i n combi nation t o ach i eve t h e req u i red level
of safety.

NOTE 2 As Low As Reasonably Practicable (ALARP ) is a reco g n ised term in many ju risdictions and i n cludes
i m plementing controls as possible accord i n g to t h e cu rrent state of the art a n d i n acco rda n ce with releva nt codes
and sta n d a rd s .

This document provides g u i d a nce on as pects that s h o u l d be con s i d e red a n d the cl assification
of hazard o u s a reas req u i res the a p p l i cation of good e n g i neeri n g pra ct i ce .

4.2 H aza rd o u s a rea classification o bjectives

Hazardous area class ification is a method of a n a lys i n g and cl ass ifyi n g the e n v i ro n m e n t w h e re
explosive gas atmos p h e res may occur, so as to faci l i tate the proper s e l ection , i nsta l l ation a n d
operation o f e q u i p m ent t o be used safely i n that e n v i ro n ment. T h e class ification a lso takes
i nto acco u n t the i g n ition c h a racte ristics of the gas o r vapour s u c h as i g n ition e n e rgy a n d
i g n ition temperature. Hazardous a rea cl assification has two m a i n o bj ective s , t h e
dete r m i nation o f the type o f any z o n e , and the extent o f the z o n e (see C l a u s e 8 a n d
C l a use 9 ) .

NOTE Selected cha racteristics m i g ht b e desig nated for e q u i p ment e . g . i g n ition e n e rgy a n d temperat u re rat i n gs
(see I SO/I E C 80079-20- 1 ).

I n m ost p ractical s ituations where fl a m m a b l e s u bstan ces a re used , it is d iffi c u l t to e n s u re t h at

an explos ive gas atmosphere w i l l never occur. I t may also be d iffi c u lt to e n s u re that
e q u i pm e nt w i l l never g i ve rise to a s o u rce of i g n i t i o n . Therefore , in situations w h e re an
explosive gas atmos p h e re has a h i g h l i ke l i hood of occu rri n g , re l i a nce is p l aced on u s i n g
eq u i pm e nt w h i c h h a s a low l i ke l i hood o f creati ng a source o f i g n it i o n . Co nversely, w h e re the
l i ke l i hood of a n exp losive gas atmos phere occu rri n g is red u ced , e q u i p me n t con structed with
less rigorous req u i re m ents may be used .

I n particular, Zone 0 or Zone 1 a reas s h o u l d be m i n i m i zed i n n u m be r a n d exte nt by desig n or

s u itable operating p roce d u res . In oth e r word s , p l a nts a n d i nsta l l ations s h o u l d be ma i n ly
Zone 2 or non-hazard o u s . W h e re re l e ase of a fl a m m a b l e su bstance is u navoid a b l e , process
e q u i pment items s h o u l d be l i m ited to those w h i c h g ive seco n d a ry grade releases or, fa i l i n g
t h i s (that is where pri m a ry or cont i n uous g rade re leases a re u n av o i d a b l e ) , the releases s h o u l d
be o f very l i m ited q u a ntity and rate. I n ca rryi n g o u t p l a n t desi g n , these pri n c i p l es s h o u l d
receive pri m e cons i d e rat i o n . Where n ecessary , the d esig n , operati o n a n d location o f p rocess
e q u i pment s h o u l d e n s u re that, even w h e n it i s operating a b n o r m a l l y , the a m o u nt of fl a m m a ble
s u bstance re leased i n to the atmos p h e re is m i n i m ized , so as to red u ce the exte nt of the
hazardous a re a .

Once a p l a n t has b e e n classified a n d a l l necessa ry records prepare d , it i s i m portant t h a t no

mod ification to e q u i p ment or operati n g p roce d u re s is made without reference to those
respons i b l e fo r the h azardous a rea c l assification . T h e hazardous a rea cl assification s h o u l d be
u p d ated fo r a n y plant o r o pe rati o n a l c h a n ges . Revi ews should be carried out d u ri n g the
l ifeti m e of the p l a n t .
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4.3 Inte r i o r of equ i p m e n t conta i n i n g fl a m m a b l e m ateri a l s

T h e i n te rior o f m a ny items o f e q u i p me n t conta i n i n g fl a m m a b l e s u bstances s u c h as ta n ks m ay

be co nsidered as a hazardous area even t h o u g h a n exp los ive gas atmos p h e re may not
norma l l y be p resent to acco u n t fo r the poss i b i l ity of a i r entering the e q u i p ment.

N O T E 1 Items o f e q u i p ment conta i n i n g fla m mable s u bsta nces a r e com m on l y g i v e n t h e generic term 'process
e q u i pment' in many i n d ustries.

W h e re specific controls such as i n erti n g a re use d , the i nterior of e q u i p ment co nta i n i n g

fl a m m a b l e s u bsta nces m a y not need t o b e c l assified a s a hazardous a rea or m a y b e ass i g n e d
a l e s s onerous z o n e . I n s u c h cases the re l i a b i l i ty o f the control measures s h o u l d be
com m e n s u rate with the red u ction in hazardous a rea t h at is dete r m i ned for the i nte rior of the
e q u i p ment. E . g . control measures cou l d be assessed using a su ita b l e study such as S I L
assess ment to I E C 6 1 5 1 1 .

NOTE 2 l ne rting is t h e rep lacement of atmos pheric oxygen i n a system by a non-reactive, non-fl a m m a ble g a s , to
m a ke the atmosphere with i n the system u na b l e to propa gate fla m e . The addition of fla m m a b l e g ases to e n s u re the
s pace is a lways outside of t h e fla m m a b l e ra nge could prevent a hazardous area i nternal to e q u i pment.

4.4 Exp losion risk assessment

4.4.1 G e n e ra l

S u bseq u e nt t o t h e co m p letion o f t h e hazardous area cl assificati o n , a r i s k assess m e n t m ay be

carried out to assess whether the conseq u e n ces of i g n ition of an explosive atmos p h e re
req u i res the use of eq u i p ment of a h i g h e r e q u i p m e n t protection level ( E P L ) or may j u stify the
use of e q u i p m ent with a lower eq u i p m e n t protect i o n level than normally req u i re d .

The E P L req u i re m e nts may be record e d , as a p propriate , on t h e h azardous a rea cl ass ifi cation
docume nts and draw i n g s to a l low proper sel ecti o n of e q u i p m e n t .

NOTE 1 I E C 60079-0 describes E PLs a n d I EC 60079- 1 4 d efines the a p p l ication of E P Ls to an insta l l at i o n .

NOTE 2 T h i s sta n d a rd d o e s n ot d efine t h e method o l og y f o r carrying out a risk assessment to v a r y the E P L rati ngs
as specification fo r any risk assessment methodology is out of the scope of this standard.

4.4.2 Zone of n e g l i g i b l e extent

In some cases a zone of n e g l i g i b l e exte nt ( N E ) may arise a n d may be treated as non

hazard o u s . A zone of neg l i g i ble exte nt would a l s o i m p ly e i t h e r a n eg l i g i b l e re lease rate or a
n eg l ig i b l e release q u a ntity a n d considering the vo l u m e for d is pe rs i o n .

Such a z o n e i m p l i es that an explos i o n , if it takes p l ace, wi l l have neg l i g i b l e conseq uence s .

The zone N E co ncept can be a p p l ied i rres pective o f any o t h e r adj ustments for risk
assess ment to d eterm i n e E P L .

T h e criteria fo r a zone N E classification s h o u l d b e based o n the fo l low i n g facto rs :

i) I g n ition would not res u l t i n sufficient press u re t o cause h a rm either d u e to the p ress u re
wave or d u e to d a m a g e that could cause flying o bj ects or p a rti cles e . g . b roken g l ass fro m
w i n dows .
ii) I g n ition wou ld not res u l t i n s uffi cient heat to cause h a rm or a fi re fro m s u rro u n d i n g
materia l s .
i i i ) For gas d i stri buted at p ressures a bove 1 000 kPag ( 1 0 b a r g ) consideration s ha l l be g iven
to a specific risk assess ment
iv) A zone NE shall not be a p p l ied to gas d i stri b uted at press u res a bove 2 000 kPag (20 barg)
u n less a specific deta i led risk assessment can d o c u m e n t otherwise.

An exa m p l e of zone NE i s a natu ra l gas cloud with a n average concen tration th at is 5 0 % by

vo l u m e of the L F L a n d that i s less t h a n 0 , 1 m 3 or 1 , 0 % of the e n closed space concerned
I E C 60079- 1 0- 1 : 2 020 © I E C 2020 - 19 -

(wh i chever is s m a l l e r ) . For oth e r gases a zone N E m ay be co n s i d e red based on the ratio of
the heat of comb usti o n , m ax i m u m exp losion pres s u re and the maxi m u m rate of press u re rise
of the gas to methane m u lt i p l ied by the p a ra m eters u se d for meth a n e .

NOTE 1 N atural gas i n this context is gas used fo r conventional gas d istri bution n etworks a n d is pred o m i nately
methane.

NOTE 2 Refrigeration a n d heat pump appl icatio n s are not reg a rded as gas d istribution systems . Risk
assessments for th is class of e q u i pment have demonstrated that the va l u e of 2 000 kPag (20 barg) m i g h t not be a
s u itable reference for these appl icat i o n s .

4.5 Catastro p h i c fa i l u res

As fa r as poss i b l e , s u c h fa i l u res s h o u l d be p reve nted .

Reasona b ly u n expected catastro p h i c fa i l u res need n ot be acco u nted fo r i n the h azardous

area class ificati o n . For exa m p l e , major accide nts s u c h as the rupture of a process vessel , or
l a rg e sca l e fa i l u res of e q u i p m e n t or p i p i n g s u c h as tota l breakdown of a fl a n g e or sea l .

The l i k e l i hood of s u c h fa i l u res s h o u l d b e red u ced b y a p p ropri ate i n spect i o n , d es i g n , ope ration
and m a i nte n a n ce of a plant.

4.6 Com pete n ce of perso n ne l

The h azard o u s area classification s h o u l d be carri ed out by persons who understa n d t h e

nature o f fl am m a b l e s u bsta nces , g as d i s persion a n d v e n t i l a t i o n and are fa m i l i a r with t h e
process aspects fo r the p l a n t under con s i d e rati o n . I t may be benefi c i a l fo r other e n g ineering
d i sci p l i n e s , e . g . e l ectrical a nd m e c h a n i c a l e n g i neers, a n d pers o n n e l with s pec ific
res pons i b i l ity for safety to be p a rt of and have a n i n put to the h azard o u s a rea class ification
proces s . The co m pete n cy of the person shall be re levant to the nature of the plant a n d
methodo logy used fo r ca rryi ng out the hazard o u s a re a cl ass ifi cation . A p p ro p ri ate conti n u i n g
e d u cation or tra i n i n g s h o u l d be u n d e rtaken b y perso n n e l on a reg u l a r basis w h e re req u i red .

NOTE 1 Com petency can be demonstrated in acco rda nce with a tra i n i n g a n d assessment framework relevant to
nati o n a l reg ulations or sta ndards or user req u i rement s .

NOTE 2 Elements of com petency are covered in several personnel certificatio n schemes.

5 H azard o u s area c l ass ificati o n method o l ogy

5.1 G e n e ra l

It is rarely possi b le by a s i m p l e exa m i nation o f a plant or p l a n t d es i g n t o d e c i d e w h i c h parts of

the plant can be e q uated to the t h ree z o n a l d efi n itions (Zones 0, 1 a n d 2 ) . A more deta i l e d
a p p roach i s the refore necessary a n d this i nvolves the an a lysis o f the basic poss i b i l ity o f a n
explosive g a s atmos p h ere occurri n g .

I n dete r m i n i n g where a re lease of fl a m m a b l e g a s or vapour m ay occur, t h e l i ke l i h ood a n d

d u rati o n o f t h e re l ease s h o u l d b e assessed i n accorda nce with t h e d efi n itions o f conti n u o u s ,
primary a n d seco n d a ry g rades o f re l ease . O n ce t h e g rade o f re lease, t h e re lease rate,
concentrati o n , velocity , venti lation and other fa ctors are assessed there i s then a firm bas i s
on w h i c h to assess the l i kely presence o f a n explosive gas atmos phere i n the s u rro u n d i n g
a reas a n d d eterm i n e t h e type a n d/or extent o f t h e hazardous a re a .

This a p p roach the refore req u i res detailed consideration t o be g iven t o e a c h item o f p rocess
eq u i pm e nt which conta i n s a fl a m m a b l e su bsta n ce , and wh ich could the refore be a sou rce of
re lease.

S u bcla uses 5.2 to 5.5 g ive g u i d a n ce o n o ptions fo r c l ass ifying areas in which there may be a n
explosive gas atmosphere . An exa m p l e o f a sche matic a p p roach t o t h e cl assification of
hazardous areas is g iven i n An nex F .
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The hazardous area classification should be ca rried out w h e n the i n itial process a n d
i n stru mentation l i n e d i a g ra m s a n d i n itial layout p l a n s a re ava i l a b l e a n d s h o u l d be confi rmed
before plant start- u p .

Considerati on s h o u l d a lways b e g iven t o t h e type , n u mber a n d location o f various potential

po i nts of re lease so that re levant zone a n d b o u n d a ry conditions are assigned in the overa l l
assess ment.

Co ntrol syste ms accord i n g to a F u nct i o n a l S afety sta ndard m ay red u ce the potential fo r a
source of re lease a nd/or the q u a n tity of a re l e ase ( e . g . batch seq uence contro l s , i n e rt i n g
syste m s ) . S u c h controls m a y the refore be considere d where re levant t o t h e hazard o u s area
classificatio n .

W h e n classify i n g areas con s i d e ration s h o u l d be a l s o g iven to a carefu l eval uation of the same
or s i m i l a r i nsta l l ations . Where docu m ented evidence i n d i cates t h at a p a rti c u l a r p l ant d es i g n
and operations a re s o u n d t h i s m a y b e used t o s u p po rt t h e classification chos e n . F u rthermore ,
i t i s conce i v a b l e that a n area could b e reclassified based on n ew evidence.

For m ass-prod uced eq u i p m e n t t h at can be d e ployed i n a range of d i ffere nt s i tuations s u c h

eq u i pm e nt may be s u bj ect t o a g e n e r i c hazard o u s area cl ass ifi cat i o n with relevant i nstructions
about p l acement a n d venti l ati o n , etc . , to deta i l a n y l i m itations for the a p p l ication a n d i m pact
on the cl ass ificati on .

If the q u a ntity of a fl a m m a b l e s u bsta nce ava i l a b l e for re lease is ' s m a l l ' , w h i lst a pote n t i a l
explos ion co n d i t i o n may exist, it m ay not be a p prop riate t o u s e t h i s hazardous a rea
classification p roced u re . N otwithsta n d i n g this general g u i d a nce , con s i d e ration s h o u l d a lways
be g iven to the pote n t i a l for re lease and the a b i l ity to adeq u ate ly d i l ute or d i s p e rse any
re lease to avoid fl a m m a b l e conditions . I . e . small q u a ntities i n s m a l l spaces may sti l l be a
haza rd.

For small q u a ntities accou nt s h a l l a lso be taken of the particu l a r factors i nvolved . Such
factors could i n c l u d e : levels of clea n l i ness, i n d ustry practi ce, com pete n cy a n d tra i n i n g of
perso n n e l h a n d l i n g the fla m m a b l e s u bstances , other s p i l l or re lease control measure s ,
venti l a t i o n , health risks and expos u re contro l s , m a n ag e m e n t o f i g n ition sources by o t h e r than
the use of ' Ex' rated e q u i p ment.

NOTE 1 S m a l l q u a n ities could apply to appl ications such as la boratories, s m a l l refrigerant systems or cyl i nders of
gas.

NOTE 2 I nd u stry codes commonly i d e ntify q u a ntities below which the haza rd o u s a rea class ification p rocess wou ld
not a p p l y .

5.2 C l assification by sou rces of release m eth o d

C l ass ifi cation m a y be a p p roached by ca lcu l at i o n o r test, con s i d ering a p p ro p riate statistical
and n u merical assessments for the factors concern e d , for each s o u rce of re lease.

The sou rce of re lease a p proach can be s u m m a rized as fo l l ows ( refer to An nex F ) :

• I d e ntify sources of release;

• Dete r m i n e the release rate a n d g rade of re lease fo r each source based on l i kely freq u e n cy
a n d d u ration of re lease ;
• Assess venti lation or d i l ution cond itions a n d effectiveness;
• Dete r m i n e zone type based o n g rade of re lease a n d venti l ation or d i l ution effective n ess;
• Dete r m i n e extent of zone .

Form u l ae re levant to determ i n i n g the re lease rates u n d e r specified cond itions can be fo u n d i n
A n n ex B . T h ese for m u lae are g e n e ra l l y acce pted a s prov i d i n g a g ood basis fo r ca lcu l ati n g
re lease rates for the conditions provided .
I E C 60079- 1 0- 1 : 2 020 © I E C 2020 - 21 -

G u i d a n ce on the assessment of venti l ation a n d d i spers i o n is provided i n A n n ex C . Other

forms of assess ment, e . g . co m p u tatio n a l fl u i d d y n a m ics ( C F O ) or testi ng , may be used a n d
m a y p rov i d e a good basis fo r assess m e n t i n s o m e s i tuati o n s . Com p uter mod e l l i n g is a n
a p p ro p ri ate tool w h e n asses s i n g t h e i n te ractio n o f m u lt i p l e facto rs .

I n a l l cases the assessment method a n d tools used s h o u l d be va l i d ated as s u itable or used

with a p p ro p ri ate cauti o n . Those ca rryi n g out the asses s m e n t s h o u l d also u n d e rsta n d the
l i m itations o r req u i re m e nts of any tools and adj ust the i n p u t conditions or res u l ts accord i n g l y
t o e n s u re a p propri ate concl u s i o n s .

N O T E I t is n o t expected that a l l methods or tools used for t h e c lassification o f hazardous areas w i l l g i v e t h e same
result a n d this n eed not i n d icate that one partic u l a r method or tool is u n s u itable for t h e a p p l icati o n .

5.3 Use of i n d u stry codes a n d n ati o n a l standa rds

5.3.1 G e n e ra l

I n d u stry codes a n d national sta n d a rd s m a y be used w h e re they provide g u ida nce or exa m p les
a p p ro p ri ate to the a p p l i cation and com ply with the g e neral p r i n c i ples of t h i s sta n d a rd .

Annex K identi fies some re levant i nd ustry codes a n d national sta n d a rds t h at may prov i d e
fu rther deta i l as we l l as exam p l e s .

5.3.2 F u e l gas insta l lations

For co m m e rc i a l a n d i n d ustri a l a p p l icat i o n s where only low press u re fuel gas is used for
a p p l ia nces e . g . for cooki ng , water heating a n d s i m i l a r uses, then local gas codes wo u l d a p ply.

I n most cases com p l i a nce to the re levant gas codes wou l d res u l t i n a class ificati o n that is non
hazardous or lead to a zone of n eg l i g i b l e exte nt.

NOTE L o w pres s u res a re co m m o n l y co n s i d e red t o b e press u res below 200 kPa ( g a u g e ) . Refer A n n e x K for
examples of relevant cod es.

5.4 S i m p l ified methods

W h e re it i s not practi cable to m a ke re q u i re d assess m e nts from i n d i v i d u a l sources of re lease,

a s i m p l ified method may be used . E . g . i n basic projects , where the eq u i p m e n t or locations a re
not yet d efi ned , or calcu lations fo r a l l sources of re lease may be too onero u s . S i m p l ified
methods s h a l l ident ify s o u rces for each of the zone type s , zone 0, 1 and 2 that a re s u itably
cons ervative to al low fo r potential s o u rces of release without i n d i v i d u a l deta i l . The j u d g e m e n t
i s best made by refe re n ce t o a s e t o f criteria b a s e d o n i n d u stry experience and a p propri ate to
the parti c u l a r p l a n t .

It i s n o t n ecessary t o carry out a deta i led assess m e n t o f a l l i t e m s i n a p l a n t where a n

assessment for o n e i t e m or condition wo u l d be adequ ate t o p rov i d e a conservative
classification for a l l other s i m i l a r items or conditions o n the p l a nt.

Larger zone a reas are c h a racteristic of s i m p l ified m ethod s , ste m m i n g fro m the a p p roach and
the n ecess i ty to a p p l y more co nservative zonal cl ass ificat i o n w h e re d o u b t exi sts as to the
h azards i nvolved . This a p proach shall err on the s i d e of safety.

To a rrive at less co ns ervative or m o re accu rate fi g u res of the bound aries of the c l assified
a rea , refe re nce to i l l u strative exa m ples or more d etailed assessment of poi nt sources of
re lease, as a p p l i ca b l e s h o u l d be used .

5.5 C o m b i n ati o n of methods

The use of d i ffe rent methods may be a p p ropri ate fo r cl assification of a plant at various stages
of its devel o p ment or for various p a rts of the p l a n t .
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For exa m p l e , at the i n it i a l conceptual stage of a p l a n t the s i m p l ified method may be

a p p ro p ri ate to set out the e q u i p m ent separati o n s , p l a n t layout and p l a nt b o u n d aries. T h i s
m i g ht b e t h e o n l y method t h at could b e a p p l ied d u e t o l a c k of deta i l e d d ata o n s o u rces of
re lease . As the p l a nt design p roceeds a n d detailed d ata a re ava i l a b l e on the potential s o u rces
of re lease, the class ification s h o u l d be u pg raded u s i n g a more d eta i l ed m ethod of
assess ment.

I n some cases the s i m p l ified method ca n be a p p l ied to a g ro u p of s i m i l a r e q u i p ment i n

sections of p l a n t ( e . g . sections of p i p i n g with fl a n g e s , s u c h a s p i pe racks) w h i l e a p p l y i n g a
more deta i l e d assess ment to the more s i g n ificant potential s o u rces of re lease (e . g . re l i ef
valves, vents, com pressors, p u m ps and the l i ke ) .

I n m a ny cases t h e cl assification exa m p les provided i n relevant national or i n d u stry codes can ,
where a p propriate, be used to cl ass ify some compone nts of l a rger plants .

6 Release of fl a m m a b le s u bsta nce

6.1 G e n e ra l

The re lease rate o f a fl a m m a b l e s u bsta nce i s t h e m ost i m porta nt factor t h a t affects the extent
of a zone.

G e n e ra l ly , the h i g h e r the re lease rate the l a rg e r the extent of the zone.

NOTE Experience has shown t h a t a rel ease o f a m m o n i a (with a n L F L o f 1 5 % b y v o l u m e ) , w i l l often d i s s i pate

rapidly in the open air (outdoor) , so a n explosive gas atmos p h e re can be, in most cases considered of n e g l i g i b l e
extent.

An i ntrod uction to the natu re of re leases that s h o u l d be co n s i d e red w h e n a p p roach i n g

classification o f p otentia l l y explosive a reas i s prov i d e d i n S u bcla uses 6 . 2 t o 6 . 3 .

6.2 Sou rces o f release

The basic e l e m e nts for esta b l is h i n g the zone types are the i d e ntification of the sou rce of
re lease and the determ i n ation of the g rade or g rades of the re lease.

S i nce an explos ive gas atmos p h e re can exist o n l y if a fl a m m a b l e gas or vapour is p resent
with a i r, it is n ecess ary to decide if a n y fl a m m a b l e s u bsta nces can exist in the a rea
concerned . G e n e ra l ly spea k i n g , s u c h gases and vapours ( a n d fla m m a ble l i q u ids or solids
w h i c h may g ive rise to them) are contained w ith i n p rocess e q u i p me n t that may or m ay not be
tota l ly encl ose d . I t is n ecess ary to identify where a n explosive gas atmos p h e re can exist
i n s i d e p rocess eq u i p m ent, or w h e re a re l e ase of fl a m m a b l e s u bstan ces can create a
fl a m m a b l e atm osphere outside p rocess e q u i p ment.

Each item of p rocess e q u i p ment (for exa m p l e , ta n k , p u m p , p i pe l i n e , vesse l , etc . ) s h o u l d be

cons idered as a pote ntial sou rce of re lease of a fla m m a b l e s u bsta nce. I f the item can not
foreseea b ly conta i n a fl a m m a b l e s u bstance, i t will clea rly not g ive rise to a h azardous area
aro u n d it. The same w i l l a p p l y if the item conta i ns a fl a m m a b l e s u bsta n ce but can not re lease
it i nto the atmos phere (for exa m p l e , a fu l ly welded p i pe l i ne is not con s i d e red to be a sou rce of
re lease).

If it i s esta b l ished that the item m ay re lease a fl a m m a b l e s u bsta nce i nto the atmos phere , it i s
n ecessary, fi rst o f a l l , t o d eterm i n e t h e g rade or g rades o f re lease i n a ccord a nce w i t h the
d efi n i t i o n s , by esta b l i s h i n g the l i kely freq u e n cy a n d d u rati o n of the re lease. I t should be
reco g n i zed that the o pe n i n g - u p of parts of e n c losed p rocess syste m s (for exa m p l e , d u ri n g
fi lter c h a n g i n g or b atch fi l l i n g ) s h o u l d a lso be cons i d e red as sources o f re lease w h e n
deve l o p i ng t h e hazard o u s area c l assification . By m e a n s o f t h i s proce d u re , e a c h re lease w i l l
be g raded either 'conti n u o us ' , ' p r i m ary' or 'second ary ' .
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NOTE 1 Releases may form part of process, e . g . ta k i n g s a m p l e s , or may occu r as part of a ro utine maintenance
proce d u re. These forms of release a re generally classified a s continuous or pri m a ry g rades of release. Accidental
releases are generally classified as secondary g rades of release.

NOTE 2 One item may g ive rise to m o re than one g ra d e of release. For exa m p l e , there may be a s m a l l p r i m a ry
g rade release, but a l a rg e r release could occur u nder a b n o r m a l operati o n ; thus g i v i n g rise to a seco ndary g ra d e
release. I n t h i s s i t u a t i o n , b o t h release c o n d i t i o n s ( both g r a d e s o f release) n e e d fu l l consi deration as d escribed i n
t h i s docu ment.

H a v i n g esta b l ished the g rade or g rades of the re lease, it i s n ecessary to d eterm i n e the
re lease rate a n d other factors that may i nfl uence the type a n d extent of the zo n e .

I n some c a s e s , a m ixtu re o f d ifferent fl a m m a b l e su bstances with d iffe rent cha racte ristics for
each fl a m m a b l e s u bsta nce may need to be co n s i d e re d , e . g . rel ative dens ity a n d te m perature
class. I n s u c h cases it is necessary to consider if the ratio of i n d i v i d u a l compone nts i n the
m ixtu re i s s uffi cient to i nfl u e n ce the re levant paramete rs , such as eq u i pm e nt g ro u p or
te mperature class, or may suggest a need to consider other factors such as hazardous a rea
classification for both l i g hter t h a n air and heavier th a n air re l ease con d itions. The hazard o u s
area cl ass ificati on of process eq u i p m ent i n w h i ch a fl a m m a ble s u bsta nce i s b u rn e d , fo r
exa m p l e , fired heaters , furnaces, boi l e rs , gas t u r b i n e s , s h o u ld take i nto acco u nt a ny p u rge
cycle, sta rt- u p and s h u t-down conditions.

In some cases , the construction of closed syste m s w h e re s pecific constructi on cod es are met
can be acce pted as effectively preventing or l i m it i n g re leases of fl a m m a b l e s u bstan ces to a
n e g l i g i b l e leakage hazard . T h e hazardous a rea classificat i o n of such e q u i p me n t or
i n sta l l ations req u i res a c o m p l ete assessment to ve rify the fu l l co m p l i ance of the i nsta l l ation to
the re levant construct i o n a l and operati n g sta n da rds . Verifi cation of com p l ia nce s h o u l d
con s i d e r desig n , i n sta l l at i o n , o pe rati o n , m a i ntenance and m o n itori n g activ ities.

M ists which fo rm through leaks of pressu rized l i q u i d can be fl a m m a b l e even though the l i q u i d
te mperature i s below t h e flash p o i n t ( see Annex G ) .

6.3 Forms o f re lease

6.3.1 G e n e ra l

T h e chara cteri sti c of a n y re lease d e p e n d s u po n the physical state o f t h e fl a m m a b l e

s u bstance, its temp eratu re a n d p ress u re . T h e p h y s i c a l states i n c l u d e :

• a gas, w h i ch may be at a n e levated te m pe rature o r p ress u re ;

• a gas l i q u efied by the a p p l ication of p ress u re , e . g . L P G ;
• a gas wh ich can o n l y be l i q u efied by refri g e ration , e . g . meth a n e ;
• a l i q u i d with a n associ ated re lease of fl a m m a b l e vapour.

Rel eases from such plant items as p i p e conn ecti o n s , p u m ps a n d compressor seals a n d va lve
packings often start with a low flow rate . However, if the re lease i s not sto p ped , e rosion at the
source of the release can g reatly i n c rease the rate of re lease and hence the extent of the
haza rd. Co nversely if the s o u rce of re l ease h as a fi n ite q u antity , the re lease rate may decl i n e
over t i m e red u c i n g t h e exte nt o f t h e haza rd . For exa m p l e , gas u nd e r p ress u re i n a closed
syste m .

A re lease o f fl a m m a ble s u bsta nce a bove its flashpoint w i l l g ive rise to a fl a m m a b l e vapour o r
gas cloud which m a y i n itially b e less or more dense t h a n the s u rro u n d i n g a i r or m ay be
neutra l ly b u oyant. The fo rms of re lease and the p atte rn of behaviour at various con d itions a re
d i s p l ayed as a flow c h a rt i n F i g u re B . 1 . This c h a ra cteristic w i l l affect the exte nt of the zone
generated by a particular fo rm of re l e ase .

The horizo nta l extent of the zone at g ro u n d level wi l l g e n e ra l l y i n crease with i n creas i n g
re lative d e n s i ty a n d t h e vertical exte nt a bove t h e source w i l l generally i n crease with
decreas i n g relative dens ity.
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6.3.2 Gaseo u s re lease

A gas re lease will p rod u ce a gas jet or p l u m e at the re lease s o u rce depend i n g on the
press u re at the point of re lease, e . g . p u m p sea l , p i pe co n n ection or evaporative pool a re a .
T h e relative dens ity o f the gas, the degree o f t u rb u l e n t m i x i n g a n d t h e preva i l i n g a i r
move ment w i l l a l l i nfl u e n ce t h e s u bseq uent move m e n t o f a n y gas cloud .

I n ca l m conditions l ow velocity re leases of a gas th at is s i g n ifica ntly less dense t h a n a i r w i l l

te n d t o move u pwards, e . g . hydrogen a n d m et h a n e . Conversely, a g a s t h a t is s i g n i ficantly
denser than a i r w i l l te n d to acc u m u l ate at g ro u n d level or i n any p its or depress i o n s , e . g .
butane a n d propa n e . Over ti m e , atmos p h e r i c t u r b u l e nce w i l l cause t h e released g a s to m ix
with a i r a n d become n e utra l ly b uoya nt. A gas or vapour with d e n s ity that is not s i g n ifican tly
d iffe re nt to a i r i s reg a rded as neu trally b u oyant.

NOTE 1 N e a r-neutrally b u oyant gases, such as eth a n e , c o u l d tend to fo l low the layeri n g behaviour of dense
gases, provided conditions a re c a l m .

H i g he r press u re re leases will i n iti a l ly prod u ce jets of re leased gas which wi l l m ix turbule ntly
with the s u rro u n d i n g a i r and entra i n air in the jet.

At h i g h p ress u re s , a th ermodyna m ic effect due to expansion can come i n to play. As the gas
esca pes, it ex pands a n d cools down and m ay i n itia l ly behave as heavier than air. H owever,
the coo l i n g d u e to the J o u le-Thomson effect i s eve n t u a l l y offset by the heat s u p p l i e d by the
a i r. The res u lting gas cloud w i l l eventu a l ly beco m e n e utra l ly b u oyant. The tra n sition fro m
heavier t h a n a i r to n e utra l ly b u oyant behav i o u r may occur at a n y ti m e , d epend i n g on the
natu re of the re lease , a n d m ay occur after the cloud has been d i l uted to below the L F L .

NOTE 2 Hydrogen demonstrates a reverse J o u l e-Thomson effect, h eati n g u p a s it expa nds a n d so wi l l never
exhibit a heavier than air effect.

6.3.3 L i q u efied u n d e r p ressu re re lease

Some gases can be l i q uefied by the a pp l i cation of p res s u re a l on e , e . g . p ropane and buta n e ,
a n d a re u s u a l ly sto red a n d tra nsported i n t h i s fo rm .

W h e n a pressu rized l i q u efied gas leaks fro m its co nta i n ment the most l i kely sce n a r i o is that
the s u bsta nce w i l l esca pe as a gas fro m any vapour s pace or gas l i nes . T h e ra p i d eva poration
prod u ces s i g n ifi cant coo l i n g at the point of re lease and icing due to the conde nsation of water
vapour fro m the atm osphere may occur.

A l i q u id leak w i l l p a rtia l l y evaporate at the point of re lease. This is known as fl ash

eva poratio n . T h e eva porati ng l i q u i d p u l l s e n e rgy fro m itself and the s u rro u n d i ng atmos p h e re
a n d in t u rn cools down the leaking fl u i d . The cool i n g of the fl u i d p revents total eva poration
and therefore a fl a m m a b l e m ist i s prod u ce d . I f the leak i s l a rg e e n o u g h then cold pools of fl u i d
c a n accu m u l ate on the g ro u n d w h i c h wi l l evap orate over time t o add t o the gas re lease.

The cold fla m ma b l e m i st cloud wi l l a ct l i ke a dense gas. A p ress u rized l i q u i d re lease can ofte n
be seen as the coo l i n g effect of eva poration wi l l condense a m b i e n t h u m i d i ty to pro d u ce a
vis i b l e cloud .

For some a p p l i cations where a gas is l i q u ified u n d e r p ress u re , a re lease i n the l i q u i d part of
the system may i n it i a l l y lead to a two p h ase re lease ( l i q u i d and vapour) with a 'spitt i n g '
behaviour. If there i s a l i m ited a m o u n t o f fl a m m a b l e su bsta nce the re lease m a y tra n sition to
be o n ly vapou r as the rate a n d p ress u re decrease.

6.3.4 L i q u efied by refri g e ration re lease

Other gases, the so-ca l l ed permanent gases, can o n ly be l i q u efied by refri gerati on e . g .
met h a n e a n d hydrog e n . S m a l l leaks of refrig e rated g a s w i l l eva porate q u ic kly without form i n g
I E C 60079- 1 0- 1 : 2 020 © I E C 2020 - 25 -

a pool of l i q u i d by d rawi n g h eat fro m the e n v i ro n m e nt. If the leak is larg e a cold pool of l i q u i d
m a y fo r m .

A s t h e c o l d l i q u i d p u l ls e n e rgy fro m the g ro u n d a n d s u rrou n d i n g atmos p h e re t h e l i q u i d w i l l b o i l

g e n e rating a co l d d e nse g a s clo u d . A s w i t h l i q u i d s , d i kes or b u n d w a l l s can be u s e d t o d i rect
or h o l d the flow of leakages.

NOTE 1 C a re n e e d s t o be t a k e n when classifying areas conta i n i n g cryogenic fla m mable g a s e s such as l i q u efied
natura l gas. Vapo u rs e m itted will generally be heavier than air at low tempe ratures but will become n eutral l y
b u o y a n t on a pproa c h i n g a m bi e n t temperatu re .

NOTE 2 Permanent g ases have a critical tem peratu re lower t h a n -50 ° C .

6.3.5 F l a m m a b le m i sts release

A fl a m m a b l e m ist i s not a gas but cons ists of s m a l l d roplets of l i q u i d suspended in a i r. T h e

d ro p l ets a re formed from vapo u rs or g ases u n d e r certa i n thermodyna m i c conditions o r b y
fl ash evaporation o f pressu rized l i q u id s . T h e scatte r i n g o f l i g ht with i n a fl a m m a b l e m ist cloud
freque ntly m a kes the cloud v i s i b le to the n a ked eye. T h e d i s pers i o n of a fl a m m a b l e m i st may
vary between the behaviour of a de nse gas or a n e utra l ly b u oyant g a s . F l a m m a b l e m ist
d ro p l ets can coal esce and rain out of the p l u m e or cloud . F l a m m a b l e m i sts made of
fl a m m a b l e l i q u i ds m ay a bsorb heat from the s u rro u n d i ng e n v i ro n ment, evaporate a n d add to
the g as/va pour cloud (for more deta i l s see An n ex G ) .

NOTE I n some cases a visible m i s t may form a t concentrations below the fla m mable l i m it. For example a n h yd rous
ammonia mist is v i s i ble at 4 % v/v d u e to absorption of atmospheric moist u re i n the liquid d ro p l ets but t h e L F L is
15 % .

6.3.6 Vapo u rs re lease

L i q u ids at eq u i l i b r i u m with t h e i r e n v i ron ment will generate a layer of vapour a bove their
s u rface . T h e press u re t h i s vapour exe rts i n a cl osed syste m is known as the vapour pressure ,
w h i c h i n creases i n a n o n - l i near fu nction with temperature .

The process of evaporation uses e n e rgy which m ay come fro m a variety of s o u rces , for
exa m p l e fro m the l i q u i d or the s u rrou n d i n g e n v i ron ment. The evaporation p rocess may
d ecrease the temperature of the l i q u i d and l i m i t tem perature rise. However, c h a n ges in l iq u i d
te m perature d u e t o i n c reased eva porati on from normal e n v i ro n m e ntal conditions a re
cons idered too m a rg i n a l to affect the hazardous area c l assification . T h e conce ntration of the
generated vapour is not easy to p red ict as it is a function of the eva poration rate, tem perature
of the l iq u i d a n d the s u rrou n d i n g a i r flow.

6.3.7 L i q u id release

The re lease of fl a m m a b l e l i q u ids w i l l normally form a pool on the g rou n d , with a vapour cloud
at the l i q u i d ' s s u rface u n less the s u rface is a bsorbent. The s i ze of the vapour cloud will
depend o n the p roperties of the s u bsta nce a n d its vapour p ress u re at the a m b ient
te mperature (see B . 7 . 2 ) .

NOTE 1 The vapour pressu re is a n i n d ication o f a l i q u id's evaporation rate. A s u b stance with a h i g h vapour
pres s u re at normal temperatu res is often referred to as volati l e . As a general r u l e , vapour pres s u re of liquid at
a m bient temperatu res i ncreases with decreasing boi l i n g p o i n t . As the te m p eratu re rises so does the vapour
press u re .

N O T E 2 The evaporation rate could be reduced s i g n ificantly o v e r t i m e if t h e l i q u i d h a s a h i g h latent h eat. A h i g h

latent h e a t c a n cause t h e s u rface onto w h i c h the l iq u i d is prese n t to be cooled s i g nificantly w h i c h then l i mits t h e
flow o f h eat i nto the l i q u i d . For exa m p l e , w i t h a leak o f a n hydrous a m m o n i a , w h i c h has a h i g h latent h e a t , the rate
of eva pouration c o u l d slow considerably u n less additional heat is brought to the l i q u i d .

Rel ease may also occur on water. M a ny fl a m m a b l e l i q u i d s a re less dense than water a n d a re
ofte n not m i s c i b l e . S u c h l iq u ids w i l l s p read on the su rface of water, whether it is on the
g ro u n d , in plant d ra i n s , p i p e trenches o r on open waters (sea , l a ke or rive r) , fo r m i ng a t h i n
fi l m a n d i n creas i n g t h e eva poration rate d u e t o t h e i n c reased s u rface a re a . I n these
circ u mstances the c a l c u l ations in An n ex B a re not a p p l i c a b l e .
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7 Ve nti l ation (or a i r movement) a n d d i l ut i o n

7.1 G e n e ra l

Gas or vapour re leased i nto the atmosph ere may d i l u te through turbulent m ix i n g with air, and
to a lesser exte nt by d iffu sion d riven by conce ntration g radie nts. U n less the re lease i s i nto a
space that is confi ned a n d well-sealed the gas d i sperses com p l etely u n t i l the conce ntration i s
esse ntially z e r o . Air move m e n t d u e t o natu ra l or a rtifi c i a l venti lation w i l l prom ote d i spers i o n .

S u itable venti l ation rates c a n red uce t h e persistence t i m e o f a n explosive gas atmos phere
t h u s i nfl u e n c i n g the type of zo n e .

A structure w i t h suffi cient o p e n i n g s t o al low free passage o f a i r throu g h a l l pa rts o f t h e

b u i l d i n g is considered i n m a ny cases t o be w e l l venti lated a n d s h o u l d b e treated as a n open
air a re a , e . g . a s h elter with open s i des and rooftop venti lation o p e n i n g s .

Dis pers i o n or d iffu sion o f a g as or v a p o u r i n to the atmosphere i s a k e y facto r i n red u c i n g the

con centration of the gas or vapo u r to b e l ow the lowe r fl a m m a b l e l i m it.

Ventilation a n d a i r move m e n t have two basic funct i o n s :

a ) t o i n c rease t h e rate o f d i l ution a n d p ro mote d i s p e rsion t o l i m i t t h e extent o f a zo n e ;

b ) t o red uce the persiste n ce of a n exp los ive atm o s p h e re that may i nflue nce the type o f a
zo n e .

With i n creased ventilation or a i r movement t h e exte nt o f a zone w i l l normally b e red u ced .

O bstacles which i m pede the venti l ation or a i r move m e nt may i n crease the extent of a zone.
Some o bstac les, for exa m p l e , dyke s , wa l l s and cei l i n g s , which l i m i t the extent of vapour or
gas move m e n t , may a lso l i m it the exte nt of the zo n e .

N O T E 1 I ncreased a i r movement may a l s o i n crease t h e rel ease rate o f vapour d u e t o i n c reased eva poration from
open l i q u i d s u rfaces. However, the benefits of i n c reased a i r movement normally o utwe i g h the i ncrease in release
rate.

For low velocity re leases the rate of g as or vapou r d is pe rs i o n in the atmos p h e re i n c reases
with w i n d s peed , but in calm atmos p heric co n d i tions l ayering of the heavier than a i r gas or
vapour may occur and the d istance for safe d i spers a l can be g reatly i n creased. For low
vel ocity re leases w h e re there are obstacles such as wa l l s and ce i l i n g , l ayeri n g of l i g hter t h a n
a i r gas or vapour may occu r at the ce i l i ng and the d ista nce fo r the safe d i spersal can be
g reatly i n creased .

NOTE 2 I n plant a reas with obstructions to ventilation such as l a rge vessels a n d structures, even at low wind
s peeds, eddies may be formed b e h i n d such obstruct i o n s t h u s form i n g pockets of gas o r vapo u r without s ufficient
turbule nce to p ro m ote d i s pers i o n .

In normal p ractice , the tendency of laye r i n g in outdoor s itu ations i s not taken i nto accou n t in
hazardous a re a cl ass ificat ion because the cond itions which g ive rise to this effect a re ra re
and occur only for short period s . Howeve r , if pro l o n g e d periods of low w i n d speed a re
expected fo r the specific ci rcu msta nce then the exte nt of the zone s h o u l d take account of the
additional d ista nce req u i red to ach i eve d i s pers i o n . T h e tend e n cy fo r laye r i n g s h o u ld be
co n s i d e red for i n door situati o n s .

N O T E 3 Layering m a y b e a relevant factor i n s o m e part i c u l a r a p p l ications s u c h as roo m s with very l ittle a i r

exch a n g e to outside the roo m .

In some a p p l ications with a l i m ited q u a n tity of re lease, c i rc u l ation a i rflow wit h i n a closed
space can be used to prov i d e suffi cient m ix i ng to d i l u te a re lease.
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7.2 Main types of vent i l ati o n

7.2.1 G e n e ra l

T h e two types o f ventilation are:

a) natura l ve nti l at i o n ; a n d ,
b) a rtifi c i a l (or forced) venti lati o n , either g e n e ra l to the area or local to the sou rce of re lease.

7.2.2 Natura l ve nti lation

Natural ventilation i n b u i l d i n gs a rises fro m press u re d iffe re nces i n d u ced by the wind a n d/or by
te mperature g ra d i ents ( b u oyancy i n d u ced ventilati o n ) . N atural ve n t i l at i o n may be effective in
certa i n i n d oor s ituations (fo r exa m p l e , where a b u i l d i n g has o p e n i n g s i n its walls a n d/or roof)
to d i l ute releases safe l y .

Exa m p les o f natura l venti lation :

• an open b u i l d i ng w h i c h , h a v i n g reg a rd to the re l a tive dens ity of the gases a n d/or vapours
i nvolve d , has o p e n i n g s i n the wa l l s a n d/or roof so d i mensioned a n d lo cated t h at the
ventilation i n side the b u i l d i n g , for the p u rpose of hazardous area c l assification , can be
reg a rded as eq u iv a l e n t to that in an open-air s ituati o n ;
• a b u i l d i n g w h i c h is not a n open b u i l d i ng but which has natura l venti lation (generally less
than t h at of a n o pe n b u i l d i n g ) provided by permanent o p e n i n g s made for ventilation
pu rposes.

Considerati on of n at u ra l ventilation i n b u i l d i n g s should recog n ise t h at gas o r vapour b u oyancy

may be a s i g n ificant factor and so, venti lation shou l d be arranged to p ro m ote d i s p e rsion a n d
d i l u t i o n . Where a gas or vapou r has b e e n re leased w h i c h exh i b its a h i g h or low d e n s ity
re lative to a i r, the pres s u re head of the m ixture close to o p e n i n g s in the s pace e nvelope m ay
a l so be re l i ed upon to generate its own venti lati o n .

Ve nti lation rates a r i s i n g fro m n at u ra l ventilation a re i n h e rently very varia b l e . Generally, with
a n y n at u ra l venti lati o n , a lower venti l ation rate leads to a h i g he r level of ava i l a b i l ity and vice
vers a . W h e re d i l ution of re leases i s by natura l ventilatio n , the wo rst case scenario s h a l l
p referably b e considered t o determ i n e t h e ventilation rate. S u c h a scenario w i l l t h e n lead t o a
h i g h e r level of ava i l a b i l ity w h i c h w i l l compe n sate for overly optim istic assum pti o n s made i n
esti mating the vent i l ation rate .

There a re some s i tuations w h i c h req u i re special care . This is p a rt i c u l arly the case where the
ventilation o pe n i n gs are l i m ited to m a i n ly one side of the enclos u re . U nd e r certain
u nfavo u ra b l e a m bient con d itions, s u c h as windy d ays when the wind i s b l ow i n g onto the
venti lated face of the e n closure, the exte rnal a i r movement m ay p revent the o perati o n of the
thermal b uoya ncy mechan i s m . U nd e r these c i rc u mstan ces the level of ventilation a n d the
ava i l a b i l ity will both be poor res u lting i n a more rigorous c l assificat i o n .

7.2.3 Artifi c i a l venti lation

7 .2.3. 1 G e n e ra l

A i r m ove ment req u i red for v e n t i l a t i o n m ay a lso be p rovided by artifi c i a l m e a n s , for exa m p l e ,
fa ns or extractors . Alth o u g h artifi c i a l ventilation i s m a i n ly a p p l ied i n s i d e a room o r e n closed
space , it can a l so be a p p l ied to s ituations i n the open air to com pensate for restricted or
i m peded air movement due to obstacles.

The a rtifi c i a l ventilation may be either genera l ( e . g . a whole roo m ) or lo ca l ( e . g . extraction

near a point of re lease) a n d fo r both of these, d ifferi n g deg rees of a i r move ment and
re place m e n t can be a p propri ate .

With the use of a rtifi c i a l ventilation it is someti mes poss i b l e to ach ieve:
 - 28 - I E C 60079- 1 0- 1 : 2 02 0 © I E C 2020

• red u cti o n i n the type and/or exte nt of zones ;

• shorte n i n g of the time of pers i stence of a n exp los i ve gas atmos p h e re ;
• preve ntion of the g e n erati on of a n explosive gas atmos phere .

7.2.3.2 Artifi c i a l venti lation considerati o n s

Artifici a l v e n t i l a t i o n can provide a n effective a n d re l i a b l e venti l ation syste m i n a n i n d oor

situati o n . T h e fo l l owi n g cons i d e rations should be i n c l u d ed fo r a rtifi c i a l ventilation syste m s :

a) classifi catio n of the inside of the extraction syste m and i m m ediate ly outs i d e the extraction
system d i scharg e point and other ope n i n gs of the extra ction syste m ;
b ) for ve n t i l at i o n of a h azardous area the ve n t i l at i o n a i r s h o u l d normally b e d rawn from a
non-hazardous a rea taking i n to acco u nt the s u cti o n effects on the s u rro u n d i n g area;
c) before determ i n i n g the d i mensions and design of the vent i l ation syste m , the locati o n ,
g rade o f re lease, re lease velocity a n d re lease rate s h o u l d be d efi ned .

I n a d d i t i o n , the fo l l owi n g factors w i l l i nfl uence the q u a l ity of an a rtifi c i a l ve n t i l at i o n syste m :

a ) fl a m m a b l e g ases a n d vapours u s u a l l y have d e n s ities other t h a n that o f a i r , t h u s they may

accu m u l ate near to either the floor or ce i l i ng of an enc losed a re a , w h e re air movement is
l i ke ly to be red uced ;
b) prox i m ity of the a rtificial ventilation to the source of re l e ase ; a rtifi c i a l venti lation close to
the source of re lease w i l l normally be more effe ctive a n d may be needed to adequately
con trol gas o r vapour movement;
c) changes i n gas d e n s i ty with te mperature;
d) i m p ed i m e nts a n d o bstacles may cause red u ce d , or even no, air move ment, i . e . no
venti lation in certa i n parts of the area;
e) turb u l e n ce and circ u l a t i n g air patterns .

For m o re deta i l s , see An nex C .

Consideration s h o u l d b e g iven t o t h e poss i b i l ity or need for reci rcu l ation o f a i r i n the
venti lation a rra n g e m e n t . This may i m pact the backg rou n d conce ntration a n d effectiveness of
the ventilation system i n red u c i n g the hazard o u s are a . In such cases the class ification of the
h azardous a rea m ay need to be mod ifi ed accord i n g ly . Recirc u l ation of air may a lso be
necessary in some a p p l ications e . g . for some p ro cesses or to provide fo r the needs of
pers o n n e l or eq u i p m e n t in h i g h or low a m b i e n t tem perat u res where s u p p l e m ental cool i n g or
heating of the a i r is req u i re d . W h e re reci rcu l ation of a i r is needed then add ition a l contro l s for
safety may a l s o be re q u i red , e . g . a gas a n a lyzer with d a m p e rs contro l l i n g fresh a i r i n take .

7.2.3.3 Exa m ples of a rtific ial venti lation

General a rtificial venti l ation may i n c l ude a b u i l d i n g which i s provided with fa n s i n the wa l ls
a n d /or i n the roof to i m p rove the g en e ra l ventilation i n the b u i l d i ng .

The ro l e of fa ns may be twofo l d . They can i n crease the a i r flow t h ro u g h a b u i l d i n g , h e l p i ng to

re move gas from the b u i l d i n g . Fans with i n a b u i l d i ng can a lso i n crease turbu lence a n d a i d the
d i l u tion of a cloud w h i c h i s m u ch s m a l l e r than the room which conta i ns it, even if no gas is
tra n s ported out of the roo m . F a ns may also e n ha nce d i l ution by i n creas i n g turbu lence in some
outdoor s i tuations.

Loca l a rtifi c i a l ve n t i l at i o n may be:

a ) a n a i r/va p o u r extracti on system a p p l ied to an item of process e q u i p me n t w h i c h

conti n u ously or period ically releases fla m m a b l e v a po u r .
b ) a forced or extraction ventilation syste m a p p l ied t o a local a rea w h e re it i s expected that
a n explos ive gas atmos p h e re may oth erwise occur.
I E C 60079- 1 0- 1 : 2 020 © I E C 2020 - 29 -

For more deta i l s , see Cla use C . 4 .

7.2.4 Deg ree of d i l u t i o n

The effectiveness o f the venti lation i n contro l l i n g d i s p ers ion a n d pers iste n ce o f the explosive
atmos p h e re w i l l d e p e n d u pon the degree of d i l utio n , the avai l a b i l ity of ventilation a n d the
d es i g n of the syste m . For exa m p l e , venti l ation may not be suffi cient to p revent the fo rmati o n
o f a n exp losive atmos p h e re but m a y be suffi c i e nt t o a v o i d its pers i ste nce.

The degree of d i l ution i s a measure of the a b i l ity of venti lation o r atmos p h e r i c conditions to
d i l u te a re l e ase to a safe leve l . Therefore a l a rger release corresponds with a lower d e g ree of
d i l ution for a g iven set of ventilation or atm os p h e ri c co n d i t i o n s , a n d a lower ve n t i l at i o n rate
corres ponds with a lower d e g ree of d i lution fo r a g iven size of re lease.

If other forms of ventilation , e . g . coo l i ng fa ns a re take n i nto acco u n t , then care s h o u l d be

exercised as to ventilation ava i l a b i l ity. Ve nti l at i o n for other p u r poses may also affect d i l u t i o n
i n e i t h e r a positive or negative m a n ner.

The d e g ree of d i l u tion will also affect the d i l ution v o l u m e . The d i l u tion vo l u m e is equal to the
vo l u m e that may be a bove the L F L , i n c l u d i ng any safety factor, i . e . the v o l u m e that could be
fl a m m a b l e . However the b o u n d a ry of the hazard o u s a rea additionally takes i nto account other
factors such as any poss i b l e m ove ment of the re lease i . e . due to the d i rection a n d velocity of
the re lease a n d of the s u rro u n d i n g vol u m e of a i r. T h e hazardous area is then normally m u c h
l a rg e r than the d i l ution vo l u me . The concept o f d i l ut i o n v o l u m e a n d re lations h i p t o t h e
hazardous a rea classification i s s h own i n F i g u re 1 .

D i l ut i o n v o l u m e Hazardous area

D i l ut i o n v o l u me Hazard o u s area

/EC

F i g u re 1 - D i l u t i o n Vo l u m e

T h e d e g ree o f d i l ution w i l l depend not o n l y on t h e venti lati o n , b u t a l s o o n the nature a n d the

type of the expected re lease of g a s . Some re leases, e . g . re lease with low velocity, w i l l be
a m e n a b l e to m i tigation by e n h anced ventilation with others much l ess so, e . g . re lease with
h i g h velocity.

C o m m o n ly a p p l ied d e g rees of d i l ution a re descri bed i n C . 3 . 5 .

 - 30 - I E C 60079- 1 0- 1 :2020 © I E C 2020

8 Type of zone

8.1 G e n e ra l

The l i ke l i hood of the p rese nce of a n explos ive gas atmos p h e re depends m a i n ly o n the g rade
of re lease a n d the ventilat i o n . This is identified as a zone. Zones a re recog n ized a s : Zone 0 ,
Zone 1 , Zone 2 a n d t h e n o n - h azardous a rea .

W h e re zones created by adj acent sou rces of release ove rlap a n d a re of d i ffere nt zone types,
i n c l u d i n g te m pe rature cl ass and eq u i p m e n t g ro u p , t h e more severe classificat i o n criteria w i l l
a p p l y i n t h e area of overl a p . W h ere overl a p p i ng zones a re of the s a m e cl assificati o n , this
com m o n cl assification w i l l n o rm a l ly a p ply.

8.2 I nfl u e n ce of g rade of the sou rce of re lease

There a re three basic g rades of re lease, as l i ste d b e l ow in order of decreas i n g frequ ency of
occu rrence a n d /or d u ration of re lease of fla m m a b l e s u bstance:

a ) co n t i n u o u s g ra d e ;
b ) primary g rade;
c) seco n d a ry g rade.

A s o u rce of re lease m ay g ive rise to a n y one of these g rades of re lease, or to a co m b i n ati o n

o f more t h a n o n e .

The g rade o f re l e ase genera l l y determ i n es ty pe o f the zo n e . I n a n adeq u ate ly venti lated a rea
(for exa m p l e in a n open a i r p l a nt) a conti n u ous g ra d e of re lease g e n e ra lly leads to a Zone 0
class ificat i o n , a primary g rade to Zone 1 and a seco n d a ry g rade to Zone 2 . This genera l ru l e
m a y b e mod ified b y cons i d e r i n g t h e d e g ree of d i l ut i o n a n d ava i l a b i l ity of ventilation which may
res u l t in a more or l ess severe cl assificati o n (see 8 . 3 , 8.4 and A n n ex D ) .

8.3 Infl u e n ce of d i l u t i o n

The effect iveness o f ventilation or d e g ree o f d i l u tion s h a l l be considered when esti mating t h e
type of z o n e cl ass ificat i o n .

A m ed i u m deg ree o f d i l ution w i l l g e n e ra l ly res u l t i n t h e predeterm i n e d types o f the zones

based upon the types of the s o u rces of re lease . A h i g h d e g ree of d i l ution w i l l a l l ow a less
severe classificatio n , e . g . Zone 1 i n stead of Zone 0, Zone 2 i nstead of Zone 1 and even Zone
of n e g l i g i b l e extent i n some cases . O n the other h a n d a low d e g ree of d i l ution w i l l req u i re a
more severe classification (see An nex D ) .

8.4 I nfl u e n ce of ava i l a b i l ity of venti lation

The ava i l a b i l ity of ventilation has a n i nfl u e nce on the presence or fo rmati o n of an exp losive
gas atmosphere and thus a lso on the type of zo n e . As avai l a b i l ity, or re l i a b i l ity, of the
ventilation d ecreases, the l i ke l i hood of not d ispersing gas explos i ve atmos p h e res i n creases.
The zone cl assification will tend to be more seve re, i . e . a Zone 2 may change to a Zone 1 or
eve n Zone 0 . G u ida nce on avai l a b i l ity i s g iven i n A n n ex D.

C o m m o n ly a p p l ied descriptions for the ava i l a b i l ity of ve ntilation a re p rov ided in C . 3 . 7 . 1 .

NOTE Com b i n i n g the conce pts of the efficiency of ventilation a n d the ava i l a b i l ity of ventilation res u lts i n a
q u a l itative method fo r the eval uation of the zone type. T h i s is further exp l a i ned i n Annex D .
I E C 60079- 1 0- 1 : 2 020 © I E C 2020 - 31 -

9 Extent of zone

The exte nt of the zone d e p e n d s on the esti m ated or ca l c u l ated d ista nce over which a n
explosive atmos phere ex ists before it d is p e rses to a concentration i n a i r b e l ow its lower
fl a m m a b l e l i m i t. When assess i n g the area for s p read of g as or vapour before d i l ution to b e l ow
its lowe r fl a m m a b l e l i m i t , expert advice s h o u l d be sought.

C o n s i de rati o n should a lways be g i v e n to the poss i b i l ity that a gas w h i c h i s heavier than a i r
may flow i nto areas below g ro u n d level (for exa m p l e , p i ts or d e pressions) a n d that a gas
which i s l i g hter than a i r may be reta i n e d at h i g h level (for exa m p l e , i n a roof space ) .

W h e re t h e sou rce o f re lease i s s ituated outs i d e a n a rea or i n a n adj o i n i ng area, t h e pene­

trat ion of a s ig n ificant q u a n tity of fl a m m a b l e gas or v a po u r i n to the a rea can be p revented by
s u ita b l e means such as:

a) phys i c a l b a rriers ; or,

b) m a i nta i n i n g a suffi cient overpres s u re in the area re lative to the adj acent hazard o u s a reas ,
so preve nting the i n g ress of the explosive gas atmos p here.
c) p u rg i n g the area with fresh air or a protective no n-fl a m m a b l e gas such as n itrogen or
carbon d i oxide at a suffi cient fl ow and positive p ress u re to red u ce the concentration of
any fl a m m a b l e gas or vapor i n itia l ly present to n o n - h azardous concen trati o n .

NOTE An exa m p l e of a physical barrier is a sealed wall with no o p e n i n g s or other obstruction that wi l l limit the
passage of gas or vapour at atmos p h e ric pressure, t h u s preventing the penet ration of a s i g n ifica nt q u a ntity of
fla m m a b l e gas or vapour i nto t h e a rea.

The extent of the zone re q u i res assess ment of a n u mber of physical and c h e m ical
parameters , some of which a re i ntri nsic properties of the fl a m m a b l e s u bsta n ce; oth e rs are
specific to the situation ( refe r also to C l a u ses 6 , 7 a n d 8 ) .

For re leases w h e re o n ly a s m a l l q ua n tity i s ava i l a b l e t o be released a lesser d i stance may b e

acce pted t o a n on-going re lease . I n cases o f a s m a l l q u a ntity , m u c h of the g u i d a nce i n
Annex C a n d A n n e x D is not a p p l i c a b l e .

U n d e r some cond itions h e a v i e r than a i r g a s e s a n d vapours c a n b e h ave l i ke a s p i l led l i q u i d

s p rea d i n g down terra i n s l opes, thro u g h p l a n t d ra i n s or p i pe trenc hes a n d c a n be i g n ited at a
po i nt rem ote fro m the ori g i n a l leakage, the refore p utti n g at risk l a rg e areas of a p l a n t (see
B . 6 ) . The layout of the p l a n t , where poss i b l e , s h o u l d be d es i g ned to aid the ra p i d d i s p e rsal of
explos i ve gas atmos p h e re s .

An a r e a with restricted ventilation (fo r exa m p l e , i n p i ts or trenches) t h a t would otherw i se be

Zone 2 may req u i re Zone 1 c l ass ifi cati o n ; on the other hand , wide s h a l low d e p ress ions used
for p u m p i n g c o m p l exes or p i pe rese rvations may not req u i re such rigorous treatm ent.

1 0 Doc u m entat i o n

1 0. 1 G e n e ra l

It i s reco m mended t h a t t h e ste ps t a k e n t o ca rry out a h aza rd ous a r e a cl assification a n d t h e

i nformation a n d ass u m ptions u s e d a re fu lly d o c u m e nte d . T h e hazardous area c l assification
docu ment s h o u ld be a l i v i n g document and s h o u l d i n c l u d e the method used for h azard o us
a rea classification a n d s h o u l d be rev ised d u ri n g any p l a n t changes. All re l eva nt i nfo rmati o n
used s h o u l d be refere nced . Exa m p l es o f s u c h i nform ation , or o f a m ethod used , wou l d b e :

a) process a n d ope rat i n g conditions;

b ) reco m me n d ations fro m relevant codes a n d sta n d a rd s ;
c) g a s a n d vapou r d is pe rs i o n c h a racte ristics and ca l c u l ations;
 - 32 - I E C 60079- 1 0- 1 : 2 02 0 © I E C 2020

d ) a study of ventilation characte ristics in re l ation to fl a m m a b l e s u bsta n ce re lease

param ete rs so that the effectiveness of the ventilation can be eva l u ated ;
e) a n y l i m itations or basis of the assessment w h ich may affect the classification e . g fo r
man ufact u red asse m b l ies when i n sta l l ed o n site;
f) the properties of all p rocess s u bsta n ces used on the plant (see I S O / I E C 80079-2 0 - 1 ) ,
which m ay i n c l u d e :
• m o l a r m ass
• fl ash poi nt
• boi l i n g p o i n t
• auto- i g n ition temp e rat u re
• vapo u r press u re
• vapo u r d e n s ity
• fl a m m a b i l ity l i m its
• eq u i p m e n t g rou p a n d te mpe rat u re cl ass

The source of i nformation (code, natio n a l sta n dard , c a l c u l ation ) needs to be recorded so that,
at s u bseq u e nt rev i ews , the p h i losophy adopted i s clear to the hazardous area cl ass ification
tea m .

1 0.2 D raw i n g s , d ata s h eets a n d ta bles

Hazardous a re a classification docume nts may be i n h a rd copy or e l ectro n i c form a n d s h o u l d

be k e p t i n a fo rm t h a t i s s u itable for t h e s i t e .

Poss i b l e h a rd copy fo rmats for the s u bsta nces l isti n g i s g iven i n T a b l e A . 1 a n d for record i n g
t h e resu lts o f t h e hazardous area cl assification study a n d a n y s u bsequent a l te rations is g iven
in Table A . 2 .

D rawings s h o u ld i n c l u d e p l a ns a n d e l evat i o n s or t h ree d i m e n s i o n a l p resentati o n , as

a p propriate , w h i c h show both the type and extent of zones, e q u i p ment g ro u p , auto- i g n ition
te m perature or te mperatu re class .

Where the topogra phy of a n area i nfl uen ces the exte nt of the zones, this s h o u l d be
docu mente d .

T h e docume nts s h ou l d a l s o i n c l u d e other re l eva nt i nfo rmation s u c h a s :

a) the locat i o n a n d i d e ntification o f sources o f release. For l a rge a n d co m p lex p l a nts o r

p rocess a reas it m ay n o t be practical t o item ize o r n u m be r a l l t h e sources o f re lease i n
w h i c h case s i m p l ified methods m a y be u s e d as o u t l i ned i n 5 . 4 ;
b ) t h e pos ition o f o pe n i n gs i n b u i l d i ng s (fo r exa m p l e , d oors , w i n d ows a n d i n l ets a n d outlets
of a i r for venti lati o n ) .

T h e hazardous a rea cl assificat i o n symbols w h i c h a re s h own i n F i g u re A . 1 a re t h e p referred

ones . A symbol key s h a l l a lways be provided on each d rawi n g . D iffe re nt symbols may be
necessary w h e re m u lt i p l e eq u i p m e n t g ro u ps or te m pe rat u re cl asses a re req u i red with i n the
same type of zone (for exa m p l e , Zone 2 l l C T 1 and Zone 2 l l A T3 ) .
I E C 60079- 1 0- 1 : 2 020 © I E C 2020 - 33 -

An nex A
(i nfo rmative )
Su g g ested p re s e n tat i o n of h azard o u s areas

A.1 H azard o u s area - Preferred symbols fo r zones

F i g u re A.1 s hows preferred sy m b o l s fo r zones .

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Zone O

Zone 1

Zone 2
/EC

F ig u re A . 1 - P referred sym b o l s for zones

 Ta b l e A . 1 - Hazard o u s a rea c l ass ification d ata s h eet - Part I : F l am m a b l e s u bsta n ce l ist a n d c h a ra cteristics

Plant: Reference
draw i n g :
Are a :

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
F l a m m a b l e s u b stance V o l a t i l ity8 L F L/U F L E x c h a racte r i s t i c s

Name Com position Molar Relative Polytropic Flash I g nition Boiling Vapo u r vol ( kg/m 3 ) Equip Tem p . Any other
mass density index of point tem p. point pressure ment class relevant
gas/a i r a d i a batic at 20 ° C
(% ) group i nformation or
(kg/kmol) (o C ) (oC ) (o C)
expa n s i on remark.
(kPa)
v E.g. Source
of data

VJ
.j::.
I

m
()
CJ)
0
0
--.J
<D
I
......

0
I
......

"'
0
"'
0
@
m
a
Normally, the v a l u e of v a p o u r pressu re is g i v e n , but in the a bsence of that, b o i l i n g point can be used . ()
"'
0
"'
0
 m
Tab l e A.2 - Hazard o u s area c l assificat i o n d ata s h eet - Part I I : L i s t of sou rces of re l ease ()
O')
0
Plant: Refer 0
-....J
ence <O
Are a : I
d rawi n g : __,,.

0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 I
__,,.

S o u rce of releas e F l a m m a b l e s u b stance Venti l ation Hazard o u s area "'

0
Descrip Location G ra d e of Rate of Release Refer Operati n g State0 Type d Degree of Ava i l a Zone Zone extent Refer Any other "'
0
ti on rel ease8 rel ease chara c ence b temperatu re d i l ution° b i l ity type ence 1 i nform a
teristic a n d press u re
(m)
lion o r @
m
( kg/s) 0- 1 -2
rema rk
( m 3/s) ( oC ) (kPa ) Vertical Horizontal ()
"'
0
"'
0

VJ
<J1
I

a
C - C o n t i n u o u s ; S - Seco n d a ry ; P - Primary
b Quote the n u m be r of l i st in P a rt I
c
G - G a s ; L - L i q u i d ; LG - Liq uefied g a s ; S - S o l i d
d N - N a t u r a l ; AG - Artificial G e n e ra l ; AL - Artificial Local
e
See Annex C
f
I n d i cate code reference if used , or calculation reference
 - 36 - I E C 60079- 1 0 - 1 :2020 © I E C 2020

A.2 H azard o u s area s u g g ested s h apes

F i g u re A.2 to F i g u re A.5 show some s u g g ested hazardous a rea s h a pes based on the fo rms of
re lease described i n C l a use B . 6 , which may be usefu l i n the preparation of hazardous area
class ification d raw i n g s . The effects of i m p i n g e m e n t of the re lease on o bstacles and the
i nfl u e n ce of to pography a re not con s i d e re d . The hazardous area g e n e rated by a re lease may
a l so res u l t i n the co m b i n ation of d i ffere nt s h a pes.

For F i g u re A . 2 to F i g u re A . 5 :

SR i s the source o f re lease

r is the m a i n extent of the hazard o u s area to be d efi ned taki n g i nto consideration the
estimated hazardous d istance ;
r' , r" are the secondary extents of the hazard o u s a rea to be d efi ned ta king i nto acco u n t
re lease behaviour;
h are the d ista nces betwee n the s o u rce of re lease a n d g ro u n d level or s u rface below the
re lease.

"'
'
'
\
\
\
I
or

/EC

F i g u re A.2 - Gas or va p o u r at low p ress u re

(or at h i g h p ressu re i n case of u n p re d icta b l e re lease d i rect i o n )

r" r"

or

-� t
F i g u re A.3 - Gas or va p o u r at h ig h p ressu re
I E C 60079- 1 0- 1 : 2 020 © I E C 2020 - 37 -

\ I

\ + J
' /
...... ....... _ _ ..,.,. ,,..,

/EC

NOTE Liquid pool wo u l d not norm a l l y be formed i n case of d r i p p i n g .

F i g u re A.4a) G a s o r v a p o u r ( l i q u efied u n d e r press u re or by refri g e rat i o n )

Ground

/EC

NOTE L i q u i d pool could be formed i n case of s p i l l a g e . I n this case, a n additional s o u rce of release could be
considere d .

F i g u re A.4b) Gas or vapo u r ( l i q uefied u n d e r p re s s u re o r by refri gerat i o n ) w i t h s p i l l a g e

F i g u re A.4 - L i q uefied gas

/EC

NOTE S o u rce of s p i l l a g e of fl a m mable s u bstance is n ot i n d icated .

F i g u re A.5 - F l a m m a b l e l i q u i d ( n o n boi l i n g evaporative pool)

 - 38 - I E C 60079- 1 0- 1 :2020 © I E C 2020

An nex B
(i nfo rmative )
Est i m a t i o n of s o u rc e s of re l e a s e

AP
B.1 Sym bols

pool s u rface area ( m 2 ) ;

Cd d isch arge coeffi cient ( d i m e n s i o n less) w h i c h i s a ch aracteristic of the re lease o pe n i n g s

a n d acco u n ts fo r the effects o f turbu l e n ce a n d viscosity, typ i c a l l y 0 , 5 0 t o 0 , 75 for
sharp orifi ces a n d 0 , 9 5 to 0 , 9 9 fo r ro u n d ed orifices;
cp specific heat at consta nt press u re (J/kg K ) ;

y po lytro p i c i n dex of a d i a batic expansion o r ratio of specific h eats ( d i m e nsion less ) ;

M m o l a r mass of gas or vapour (kg/k m o l ) ;
p p res s u re i n s i d e the conta i n e r ( P a ) ;

Lip p ress u re d iffe re n ce across the open i n g that l eaks i n ( P a ) ;

Pa atmosp heric press u re ( 1 0 1 325 P a ) ;

Pc critical pres s u re ( P a ) ;

Pv vapou r p res s u re of the l i q u i d at te m pe rature T ( P a ) ;

Q9 vo l u m etric flow rate of fl a m ma b le gas fro m the source ( m 3 /s ) ;

R u n ivers a l gas consta nt ( 8 3 1 4 , 5 J/kmol K);

p l i q u i d d e n s ity (kg/m 3 ) ;

Pg gas or vapour dens ity at the am b i e n t c o n d i ti o n s ( kg/m 3 ) ;

S cross section of the o pe n i n g ( h o l e ) , t h ro u g h w h i c h the fl u i d is re l e ased ( m 2 ) ;

T te m pe rature of the fl u i d , gas or l i q u i d ( K) ;

Ta a m b ient te m pe rature (K);

uw w i n d speed at the l i q u i d pool s u rface ( m /s ) ;

We
W re lease rate of l i q u i d ( m ass per t i m e , kg/s ) ;
eva poration rate of l i q u id ( kg/s ) ;

w mass release rate of gas ( kg/s ) ;

9
z com press i b i l ity facto r ( d i mension l ess ) .

B.2 Exa m p les o f g rade o f re lease

B.2.1 G e n e ra l

The exa m p les g iven i n B . 2 . 2 t o B . 2 .4 are not i ntended to be ri g i d l y a p p l i e d a n d may need t o

be v a r i e d t o s u i t particular p rocess e q u i pment a n d the s ituation . I t n e e d s t o be recog n ised
that some e q u i p m ent m ay ex h i b i t more than one g rade of re l ease .

The val ues for the param ete rs i n the formu lae p rov ided s h o u l d be s e l ected to g ive a n
a p p ropri ate level o f conservat i s m cons i d e ri n g a n y u n ce rtai ntity . Based on t h i s a p proach ,
specific safety factors are n ot show n .
I E C 60079- 1 0- 1 : 2 020 © I E C 2020 - 39 -

B.2.2 Sou rces g i v i n g a conti n u o u s g rade of re lease

H e re u n d e r are some typ i ca l exa m p le s :

a ) the su rface o f a fl a m m a b l e l i q u i d i n a fixed roof tank, w i t h a p e r m a n e n t vent to the atmo­

sphere .
b ) the s u rface of a fl a m m a b l e l i q u i d which i s open t o the atmos p h e re conti n u ously o r fo r long
period s .

B.2.3 Sou rces g i v i n g a p r i m a ry g rade of re lease

H e re u n d e r are some typ i ca l exa m p le s :

a ) Seals of p u m ps , com p ressors or valves if re lease o f fl a m m a b l e s u bsta nce d u ri n g normal

o pe rati o n is expecte d .
b) Water d ra i nage points o n vesse l s w h i c h conta i n fl a m m a b l e gases or l i q u i d s , w h i c h may
re lease fl a m m a b l e s u bstance i nto the atmos p h e re w h i l e d ra i n i n g off water d u ri n g normal
o pe ratio n .
c ) S a m p l e poi nts which a re expected to re lease fl a m m a b l e s u bsta nce i nto the atmos p h e re
d u ri n g normal opera ti o n .
d) Rel i ef valves, ve nts and other o pe n i n gs w h i c h a re expected t o re lease fl a m m a b l e
s u bsta nce i nto the atmosph ere d u ri n g normal o p e rati o n .

B.2.4 Sou rces g iv i n g a secondary g rade of re lease

H e re u n d e r are some typ i ca l exa m p le s :

a ) Seals o f p u m ps , com p ressors and valves where re lease o f fl a m m a b l e s u bsta nce d u ri n g

normal operati o n o f t h e e q u i p me n t is n o t expected .
b ) F l a n g e s , co n n ections and p i pe fitt i n g s , w h e re re lease of fl a m m a b l e s u bsta nce i s not
expected d u ri n g normal o pe rati o n .
c) S a m p l e poi nts w h i c h a re n o t expected t o re lease fl a m m a b l e s u bsta nce d u ri n g normal
ope rati o n .
d) Re l i ef valves, vents a n d other open i n g s w h i c h are n o t expected to re lease fl a m m a b l e
s u bsta nce i nto t h e atm osphere d u ri n g normal o p e rati o n .

B.3 Assessm e n t o f g rades o f re lease

A wro n g assess ment of grades of release may comprom ise the outcome of the whole
proce d u re . Alth o u g h the g rades of re lease a re d efi n e d (see 3 . 4 . 2 , 3.4.3 a n d 3 .4 . 4 ) , i n p ractice
it is n ot a lways easy to d i sti n g u i s h one g rade of re lease fro m the oth er.

For exa m p l e , it i s u s u a l ly consid ered that every re lease t h at does not occur i n normal
operation is a secondary re l e ase a n d the antici pated d u ration of the re lease is u s u a l ly
n e g l ecte d . H owever, the concept of a seco n d a ry g rade of re lease is a l so based u p o n the
ass u m pt i o n that the re lease w i l l only last for s h o rt peri ods . T h i s i m p l i es that a potentia l ly
o n g o i n g re lease w i l l be i d entified soon after the beg i n n i ng of the re lease a n d t h at re med i a l
a cti on w i l l be taken as soon as poss i b l e . Such ass u m ption l e a d s t o the i s s u e o f reg u l a r
mon itori ng and m a i ntena nce o f t h e eq u i p m e n t a n d i n sta l l ation .
 - 40 - I E C 60079- 1 0- 1 : 2 02 0 © I E C 2020

O bviously , if there is n o reg u l a r mon itor i n g a n d the m a i nte n a n ce i s poor, the re leases may
last fo r h o u rs if not d ays before being d etected . Such delay in d etection does not mean that
the s o u rces of the re lease should the refore be declared as p r i m a ry or conti n u o u s . There a re
m a n y u n atte nded re m ote i n sta l l ations w h e re a re lease may occur without b e i n g notice d for
long ti m e , but eve n s u c h i nsta l lations s h o u l d be m o n itored a n d i n s pected on a reasona b ly
reg u l a r basis. S o , any assessment of the re lease g rade m ust be based upon carefu l
cons iderations a n d the assu m ption that m o n itori n g a n d i n s pect i o n of the e q u i p ment a n d
i n sta l l ations w i l l b e pe rformed i n a reaso n a b l e way accord i n g t o a n y m a n ufact u rer's
i n structions , relevant reg u l ations and protocols and sou n d e n g i neering p ractice . H azardous
area cl assification s h o u ld not be a cover for a poor m a i nte n a n ce practice but the user m u st be
aware that poor p ractices may comprom ise the esta b l ished basis fo r the hazardous a rea
classification .

There are m a n y cases of re lease which m ay a p pa re ntly fit co mforta b l y with the d efi n ition of a
primary g rade of re lease. H owever w h e n scrut i n i z i n g the natu re of the re lease it may be
revea l ed that the re lease could happen so fre q u e nt l y and so u n p red icta b l y that o n e ca n not be
reasonably assu red that a n exp losive atmos p h e re w i l l not exist near the source of re lease. I n
such cases the d efi n ition of conti n u o u s g rade of release m ay b e more s u ita b l e . Therefore the
d efi n ition of a co nti n uo u s g rade of re l e ase i m p l i es not only con t i n u o u s releases but re leases
with a h i g h freq u e n cy as we l l (see 3 . 4 . 2 ) .

B.4 S u m m ation o f re l eases

In i n d oor a reas with more th a n one source of re l ease, in ord e r to d eterm i n e the type and
extent of zones, the re leases m i g h t need to be s u m mated before the deg ree of d i l ution a n d
backgro u n d conce n tration is determ i n e d .

Contin uous g rade re leases can be expected t o be re leas i n g most if n o t a l l o f the time a n d s o
a l l conti n u o u s g rade releases s h o u l d be s u m mate d .

Pri mary g rade releases occur i n normal operation b u t it i s u n l i kely that a l l o f these s o u rces
w i l l be re l easing at the same t i m e . Knowledge and experience of the i n sta l l ation s h o u l d be
used to determ i n e the m ax i m u m n u m be r of p r i m a ry g rade re leases that may re lease
s i m u lta n eously under worst co n d i t i o n s .

Seco n d a ry g ra d e re leases a re not expected to re lease i n normal ope rati on so, g iven t h a t it i s
u n l i kely t h a t more than o n e seco n d a ry source would re lease at any o n e t i m e , o n ly the l a rgest
secondary re lease s h o u l d be con s i d e red .

The s u m m ation of s o u rces of re lease with reg u l a r ( i . e . pred icta b l e ) activ ity s h o u l d be based
on deta i l ed a n a lysis of operat i n g cond itions. In the dete r m i nation of the s u m m ated releases
( both m ass and vol u m etri c ) :

• the overa l l conti n u o u s re lease is the s u m of a l l the i n d iv i d u a l conti nuous re leases ,

• the overa l l pri m a ry re lease is the s u m of some of the i n d iv i d u a l prim ary re l eases co m b i ned
with the overa l l conti n u o u s re lease,
• the ove ra l l seco n d a ry re lease is the l a rgest i n d i v i d u a l seco n d a ry re lease combi ned with
the overa l l primary re lease.

Where the s a m e fl a m m a b l e s u bsta n ce i s re leased fro m all of the re lease s o u rces then the
re lease rates ( both m ass a n d volu metric) can be s u m mated d i rectly.

However, when the releases a re of d i ffe rent fl a m m a b l e s u bsta nces , the situation is more
com p lex. I n the determ i n ation of the d e g ree of d i l u t i o n (see F i g u re C . 1 ) , the re l e ase
ch aracte ristics n ee d to be dete r m i ned fo r each fl a m m a b l e s u bsta nce before any s u m m ation
takes place. T h e seco n d a ry re lease with the h i g hest v a l u e s h o u l d be used .
I E C 60079- 1 0- 1 : 2 020 © I E C 2020 - 41 -

I n the d eterm i nation of the backgro u n d concentrati on ( see e q u ation C . 1 ) the vo l u m etric
re lease rates can be s u m m ated d i rectly. The critical concentratio n with which the backgro u n d
conce ntration is com pared is a proportion o f the L F L . S i nce there co u l d be a n u m be r of
d ifferent fl a m m a b l e su bsta nces b e i ng re leased the lowest L F L of the potential s o u rces of
re lease s h o u l d be used as the comparator.

In genera l , conti n u o u s and primary s o u rces of re lease s h o u l d p referably not be located i n

areas with a low d e g ree of d i l ut i o n . E i t h e r the s o u rces of re l e ase s h o u l d b e re locate d ,
ventilation s h o u l d be i m p roved or t h e g rade o f re lease s h o u ld be red u ced .

B.5 H o l e size a n d s o u rce rad i u s

T h e m ost s i g n ifica nt factor t o b e esti mated i n a system is the e q u ivalent h o l e ra d i u s fo r the

res pective s o u rce of re lease . I t dete r m i n es the release rate of the fl am m a b l e s u bstance a n d
t h u s event u a l l y t h e type of z o n e a n d the extent o f t h e zone.

Release rate i s proporti o n a l to the s q u a re of the equ ivalent hole rad i u s . A modest
u n d e resti m ate of this e q u iva lent hole size will therefore lead to a g ross u n d e resti m ate of the
calcul ated va l u e fo r release rate , which should be avoided . Overesti m ate of the e q u iv a l e n t
hole s ize w i l l lead to a conservative ca l c u l ation w h ich is acce ptable fo r safety reaso n s ,
howeve r , t h e d e g ree o f conservatism s h o u l d a l s o be l i m ited because it eve n tu a l ly l e a d s to
ove rlarg e zone exte nts. A carefu l l y b a l a n ced a p p roach is therefore needed w h e n esti mating
the h o l e size.

NOTE W h i l e t h e term ' h o l e rad i us' is used, most u n i ntended holes a r e n o t ro u n d . I n such cases the coefficient of
d ischarge is used as a com pensating term to reduce the release rate g iven a h o l e of e q u i v a l en t area.

For con t i n u o u s and p r i m a ry g rades of re lease the e q u ivalent holes s i zes are defi ned by the
size and the s h a p e of the re l ease orifi ce, e . g . various ve nts and b reath e r va lves w h e re the
gas is re leased u n der re l atively pred icta b l e conditions. A g u i d e to eq u i v a l e n t hole s i zes t h at
may be considered fo r seco n d a ry g rade re leases is i n c l uded i n Table B .1 .
 - 42 - I E C 60079- 1 0- 1 : 2 02 0 © I E C 2020

Table 8.1 - S u g g ested h o l e c ross secti o n s for secondary g rade of releases

L e a k C o n s i d e rati o n s

T y p i c a l val u e s f o r t h e Typical values for the Typical v a l u e s for t h e

conditions at wh ic h t h e c o n d i t i o n s at w h i c h t h e c on d it ion s at wh ic h t he
Type of item Item re l e a s e o p e n i n g w i l l not release o p e n i n g may release o p e n i n g may
expand e x p a n d , e.g. eros i o n expand u p to a s e v e re
fa i l u re , e . g . b l ow ou t

S ( m m2) S (mm2) S (mm2)

(sector between two

F l a n g e s with
bolts)
co m p res s ed
2 0 , 025 u p to 0,25 > 0 , 2 5 u p to 2 , 5 x
f i b re g as ket
(gasket thickness) u s u a l ly
or s i m i l a r
2 1 mm

(sector between two

F l a n g e s with
bolts)
s p i ra l w o u n d
Sealing 0,025 0,25 x
e l e m en t s o n g a s ket or
(gasket thickness) u s u a l ly
fixed parts s i m i lar
2 0,5 mm

R i n g typ e
joint 0, 1 0,25 0,5
c o n n ec t i o n s

S m a l l bore
connections 2 0 , 025 u p to 0 , 1 > 0, 1 up to 0,25 1 ,0
up to 50 m m 3

To be d efined accord i n g
Sealing
V a l v e stem t o E q u i p ment
0,25 2,5
e l e m en t s o n
packi n g s M a n ufact u re r's Data but
m o v i n g pa rts
not less than 2,5 m m 2 d
at low s p e e d
Press u re
b 0, 1 x (orifice sectio n ) NA NA
r e l i ef valves

To be defi n ed accord i n g
Sealing to E q u i pment
e l e m en t s o n P u m ps a n d M a n ufactu rer's Data
NA 2 1 u p to 5
m o v i n g pa rts c o m p ressorsc and/or Process U n it
at high s peed Confi g u ration but n ot less
t h a n 5 m m 2 d and e
a
Hole cross sections suggested for ring j o i nts, th readed con nectio n s , com press i o n joi nts ( e . g . meta l l i c
compression fitti ngs) a n d r a p i d j o i nts on s m a l l bore p i p i n g .
b This item does not refer to fu l l open i n g of the valve but to various leaks d u e to malfunction of the valve
compon ents. Specific a p p l icati ons could req u i re a hole cross section b i g g e r than s u gg ested .
c
Reci p rocating Co m p ressors - The fram e of com pressor a n d the cyl i n d ers a re u s u a l ly not items that leak but
the piston rod packi n g s a n d various pipe co n n ections i n the process syste m .
d
E q u i p ment M a n ufact u rer's Data - Cooperation with e q u i p m e nt's m a n ufacturer is req u i red to assess the effects
in case of an expected fa i l u re ( e . g . the ava i l a b i l ity of a d rawi n g with detai l s relevant to sea l i n g devices ) .
e
Process U n i t Confi g u ration - I n certai n c i rcumstances ( e . g . a prel i m i n a ry study), an o perational analysis to
defi n e the maxi m u m accepted release rate of fla m m a b l e su bstance may com pensate lack of e q u i p ment
m a n ufact u re r's data .

NOTE Other typical values or g u i d a nce on eros ion a n d fa i l u re conditions may also be fou nd i n nati o n a l or
i n d ustry codes relevant to specific a p p l icati o n s .

Lower val ues in a range s h o u ld be s e l ected for ideal conditions where the l i ke l i hood of fa i l u re
is low, e . g . operat i n g at we l l below design rati n g s . H i g h e r v a l u e s i n a ra n g e s h o u l d be
sel ected where o pe rat i n g conditions a re close to d e s i g n rati ngs and where advers e con d itions
such as vi bratio n , temperature va riat i o n s , poor e n v i ro n menta l conditions or conta m i n ation of
gases may i n crease the l i ke l i h ood of fa i l u re . G e n e r a l ly, u n atte n d ed i nsta l l ations req u i re
spec i a l considerati ons to avoid severe fa i l u re scena rios . The basis fo r selection of a h o l e size
s h o u l d be pro perly documented .
I E C 60079- 1 0- 1 : 2 020 © I E C 2020 - 43 -

B.6 Forms o f release

F i g u re 8 . 1 i l l u strates the general nature of d iffe rent forms of re lease.

B u oyant

---+
gas ---+ B u oyant
( l i g hter
than a i r)

At low Neutrally

,. pressure -
. buoyant
___.. N e utra l
See eq. B.3 gas

t
Dense gas
Obstructed
(heavier ---+
release ---+ Heavy
than air)
See eq. B.4

t
Gases At h igh Initially
- - ,... H ot gas ---+
,... and pressure buoyant
.

vapours See eq . B.4

-

Cold Initially
� gas
---+ heavy

'

Gases Liquid Any

Sonic Self di luted (depending on gas
-
l i q uefied jet
r-. under
_. See
�
gas jet r--+ See Figure C.2 f-+ conditions and
pressure eq.B.1 nature of release)

Source
-
Cold
of 1r -
.

gas
---+ Heavy
release
Flash
evaporation
Gases
� Flammable
---+
liquefied � H eavy
___.. by - mist
refrigeration

C o n densation -
�

Boiling pool Heat Cold

4 See eq. B.6 r--. evaporation r--. gas
-

Heavy
Non bo i l i ng
Heat
Consider
Flammable evaporative �4
�
___.. l iq u ids
�
pools ...... evaporation � Vapour larger
zone
See eq. B.6
extent

Flammable Poss ibil ity

___.. or combustible ___.. of mists
l iquids See Annex G
/EC

F i g u re 8 . 1 - Forms of re lease
 - 44 - IEC 60079- 1 0- 1 : 2 02 0 © I E C 2020

B.7 Release rate

B. 7 . 1 G e n e ra l

The re lease rate d e p e n d s on p a ra m eters s u c h as:

a) Nature a n d type o f release

This is related to the p hysical c h a racteristics of the s o u rce of re l e ase , for exa m p l e , an
open s u rface , l e a k i ng fl a n g e , etc.
b) Release velocity
For a g iven source of re lease , the re lease rate i n creases with the re lease p ress u re . For a
s u b s o n i c re l ease of g a s , the re l ease velocity is re lated to the p rocess p ress u re . The size
of a cloud of fl a m m a b l e gas or vapour is d ete r m i n e d by the rate of fl a m m a b l e gas or
vapour re lease and the rate of d i l utio n . Gas and v a po u r flow i n g fro m a leak at h i g h vel ocity
w i l l e ntra i n a i r and m ay be self- d i l uti n g . The exte nt of the exp los ive gas atmos phere may
be a l most i nd e pe n d e n t of air flow. I f the s u bsta n ce is re leased at low vel ocity or if its
velocity is red u ced by i m p i n g e m e n t on a s o l i d o bject, it w i l l be carried by the a i r flow a n d
i t s d i l ution a n d extent w i l l d e p e n d on a i r fl ow .
c) Co nce ntration
The mass of fl a m m a b l e s u bsta nce re leased i n c reases with the concentrat i o n of fl a m m a b l e
v a p o u r or gas i n the re l e ased m ixtu re .
d ) Volati l ity of a fl a m m a b l e l i q u i d
T h i s is re l ated p r i n c i pa l ly t o t h e vapour p ress u re , a n d t h e enthalpy ( h e at) o f vaporization .
If the vapour p ress u re is not known , the bo i l i n g p o i n t a n d fl ash point can be used as a
g u ide.
An explosive atm osphere can not exist i f t h e fl a s h po i n t i s a bove t h e re levant m ax i m u m
te mperature o f t h e fl a m m a b l e l i q u i d (see N O T E 1 ) . T h e lower t h e fl a s h p o i n t , the g reate r
may be the extent of the z o n e . However, if a fl a m m a b l e su bsta nce is re leased i n a way
that fo rms a m ist (for exa m p l e , by s p ray i n g ) a n explosive atmosphere may be formed
below the flas h point of the s u bsta n c e .

N O T E 1 P u b l i s hed tables a n d experi m e ntation g iv i n g data o n flashpoint do n o t always record accu rate values
a n d test data will vary. U n less values fo r flashpoint a re known to be accurate, some m a rg i n of error is a l lowed
agai nst q uoted values. A marg i n of ± 5 deg C for p u re l i q u i d s , with g reater margins for m ixtures , is not
uncommon.

There a re two measures of flash p o i n t ; closed cup and open c u p . For closed eq u i p m ent,
and to be more conservati ve , the closed c u p fla s h point is used . For a fl a m m a b l e l i q u i d in
the o pe n , the open c u p flash point can be used .

NOTE 2 Some l i q u i d s (for exa m p l e , some halogenated h yd rocarbons) do not possess a flashpoint although
they a re capable of prod u c i n g a n explosive gas atmosphere. In these cases, the e q u i l i br i u m liquid tem peratu re
which corres ponds to the saturated concentration at the l owe r fla m m a b l e l i m it is to be com pared with the
relevant maxi m u m l i q u i d temperatu re .

e) L i q u i d te m perat u re
I n cre a s i n g l i q u i d te mpe rat u re i n creases the va p o u r pres s u re , th us i n c reas i n g the re lease
rate d u e to ev aporati o n .

The tem perature o f t h e l i q u i d may be i n creased after it h a s b e e n re leased , for exa m p l e , by

a hot s u rface or by a h i g h a m b i e n t te mperature. Howeve r , vapourisati o n wi l l a l s o te nd to
cool the l i q u i d u n t i l an e q u i l i b ri u m con d i tion is re ached based on the e n e rgy i n put a n d the
e n t h a l py of the l i q u i d .
I E C 60079- 1 0- 1 : 2 020 © I E C 2020 - 45 -

B.7.2 Est i m ation o f release rate

B.7.2.1 Genera l

The eq u ations a n d assess ment method ologies p rese n ted i n this cla use a re not i nte nded to be
a p p l ica b l e to all i nsta l lations and only apply to the l i m ited conditions n oted in each section .
The eq uations a l so provide i n d i cative resu lts d u e to the restrictions of trying to describe
com p l ex matters with s i m p l ified mathematical mod e l s . Other ca l c u l ation methods may also be
adopte d .

T h e fol lowi n g eq u ations g ive t h e a p prox i m ate re lease rates o f fl a m m a b l e l i q u id s and g ases .
F u rther refi n e m e n t of re lease rate esti m ation would be a c h i eved with cons i d e rati o n of
properties of any o pe n i ngs a n d the v iscos ity of the l i q u i d or g a s . Vi scos ity may s i g n ifica ntly
red uce the re lease rate if the o pe n i n g , thro u g h which the fla m m a b l e s u bstance i s re leased , i s
long compared to the w i d t h o f the o pe n i n g . These factors are n o r m a l l y cons i d e red i n the
coeffi cient of d ischarg e ( Cd !'> 1 ) .

The coeffi cient of d i s c h a rge Cd is a n e m p i ri ca l v a l u e w h i c h is o btained thro u g h a series of

experi m e nts for specific cases of re lease a n d fo r s pecific orifice deta i l s . As a res u l t Cd may
take a d iffe rent value fo r each p a rti c u l a r case of re lease. A Cd of not less than 0 , 99 fo r items
with reg u l a rly s h a ped holes, e . g . fo r ve nts , and 0 , 75 for i rreg u l a r h o les can be a reason a b l y
safe a p prox i mation if there is no o t h e r re levant i nformation u p o n w h i c h t o m a ke the
assess ment.

If Cd is a p p l ied to the calcu lations the value a p p l ied should be used by refe rence to a su ita b l e
g u i d e for t h e a p p l ication .

B.7.2.2 Release rate o f l i q u i d s

The re lease rate o f l i q u i d can be esti m ated by means o f the fo l l owi n g a p p rox i m at i o n :

W = Cd S �2pL1p (kg/s ) (B. 1 )

The rate of vapourisation of a l i q u i d re lease is then req u i red to be determ i n ed . Liq u id re leases
may take m a ny forms. The natu re of the re lease and how a n y vapour or gas is g e n e rated i s
a l so d e p e n d a n t on m a ny vari a b l e s . Exa m p les o f re l e ases i n c l u d e :

a ) Two p h ase re lease ( i . e . com b i ned l i q u i d a n d gas re lease)

L i q u ids such as l i q u efied petro l e u m gas ( L P G ) , may i n c l u d e both gas a n d l i q u i d p h ases
e i t h e r i m m e d i ately before the re lease orifice or after the re lease orifice through a vari ety of
thermody n a m i c or mecha n i cal i nteracti o n s . T h i s may fu rther lead to d roplet a n d/or pool
formation which res u lts in fu rther boi l i n g of the l i q u id contri b uting to the vapour c l o u d .
b ) S i n g l e p h ase re lease o f a n on-fl a s h i n g l i q u i d
F o r l i q u ids w i t h h i g h e r boi l i n g poi nts ( a bove atmos pheric ra nges) t h e re lease w i l l g e n era l l y
i n c l u d e a s i g n ificant l i q u i d component which m a y evaporate n e a r the s o u rce o f re lease.
The re lease m ay also b reak u p i nto small d ro p l ets as a res u lt of a jet action . Vapour
released will then d e p e n d on any jet fo rmation and vapourisati o n fro m the point of re lease,
fro m a n y d ro p l ets or a n y s u bsequ ent pool fo rmat i o n .
D u e t o the l a rg e n u mber o f conditions a n d vari a b les m eth odology fo r assess i n g t h e vapour
co n d itions of a l i q u i d re lease is not provided in t h i s stan d a rd . Users s h o u l d ca refu l ly se lect
a s u ita b l e model observing any l i m itati o n s of the model a n d/or a p p l y i n g a n a p propri ately
conservative a p proach with any res u lts .
 - 46 - I E C 60079- 1 0-1 :2020 © I E C 2020

B.7.2.3 Release rate o f gas o r vapo u r

B.7.2.3.1 G e n e ra l

T h e e q u ations be l ow a re considered t o p rovide reaso n a b l e estimations of re lease rate for

gases. If the gas d e n s i ty a p p roaches that of l i q u efied gas then two phase releases may need
to be co n s i d e red as noted i n B . 7 . 2 . 2 .

T h e re lease rate o f g a s fro m a conta i n e r c a n b e esti mated based on a d i a batic expa nsion of
an ideal gas if the p ress u rized g as d e n s ity is m u c h l ower t h a n l i q u efied gas dens ity.

The velocity of re leased gas i s choked (sonic) if the pres s u re i n s i d e the gas conta i n e r is
h i g h e r than the critical p ress u re P c ·

(; y/(y-1) ( )
Critical p ress u re is d eterm i n e d by t h e fo l l ow i n g equ ati o n :

Pc = Pa y
1
J Pa (B.2)

M cp
For i d ea l gas the e q u ation r = may be use d .
M cp - R

NOTE For the majority o f g ases the a pproximation P c "' 1,89

P
a
wi l l g e n e ra l l y serve the p u rpose for a qu ick
estimate. Critical pres s u res are g e n e ra l l y low com pa red with the majority of ope rati n g press u res fou n d i n common
i n d ustrial processes. Pres s u res below the critical p ressure a re normally fo u n d i n term i n a l gas s u pply l i nes to fi red
e q u i pment l i ke e . g . heaters, furnaces, reactors, i n c i n e rators, vaporizers, steam g e nerators, boilers and other
process e q u i p m e n t . Such press u res can also be fou n d i n atmospheric storage ta n ks with moderate overpressu res
( u s u a l ly up to 50 k P a g ) .

In the fol l ow i n g equations the com p ress i b i l i ty fa ctor for ideal g ases is 1 , 0 . For the rea l gases,
the com p ress i b i l ity facto r takes values be low or a bove 1 , 0 depe n d i n g o n type of the gas
concerned , the press u re and the te m p e rature . For low to m ed i u m p ress u re s , z = 1 , 0 ca n be
used as a reaso n a b l e a p p rox i m a t i o n . For h ig he r p ress u res , e . g . a bove 50 bar, a n d where
i m p roved accu racy is req u i red the rea l co m p ress i b i l i ty factor s h o u l d be a p p l i e d . The values
for co m p ress i b i l ity factor can be fo u n d i n data books fo r gas properties.

B . 7 . 2 . 3 .2 Re lease rate of gas with non choked gas veloc ity ( s u b s o n i c releases)

Non ch oked gas velocity is a d i scharg e ve locity be l ow the s peed of so u n d fo r the p a rti c u l a r
gas.

The re lease rate o f gas from a conta i n er, if the gas ve locity i s n o n -choked , can be esti m ated
by means of the fo l l owi n g a p prox i matio n :

[ (y - 1 ) / y 1 / y ( )
W.g = Cd Sp _!!_ _3._
Z R T y-1 ( J l( J
1-
Pa
p
Pa
p
kg/s (B.3)

The vo l u m etric flow rate of gas i n ( m 3 /s ) is e q u a l to :

9 Wg
Q =
Pg
m3 ( Is) (B.4)
I E C 60079- 1 0- 1 : 2 020 © I E C 2020 - 47 -

where

Pa M
Pg = � is the dens ity of the gas ( kg/m 3 ) ;
a

NOTE Where the temperature of the gas a t the release open i n g may be below the ambient temperatu re , Ta is
often used as equal to the gas temperat u re to provide a n approximation fo r the pu rpose of easier calculation.

B.7.2.3.3 Re lease rate o f g a s w i t h choked g a s velo city ( s o n i c releases)

C h oked gas velocity (see B . 7 . 2 . 3 ) is eq u a l to the s peed of so u n d fo r the gas. T h i s i s the

max i m u m theoretical d i scharg e veloc i ty .

The re lease rate o f g a s from a conta i ner, i f the g a s vel ocity i s choked , c a n be est i m ated by

(y+1)/(y-1) (
means of the fo l l ow i n g a p p rox i mations :

Wg = Cd S p y ___!!___
ZRT ( J
-2-
y+1
kg/s ) ( B . 5)

B.7.3 Release rate of eva porative pools

Evaporative pools may be the res u lt of l i q u i d s p i l l a g e or lea kage i n a b u nded a rea or p a rt of a

process system where a fl a m m a b l e l i q u i d is stored or h a n d led i n an open vess e l . T h e
assess ment i n t h i s section d o e s not a p p ly t o t h i n s u rface s p i l l s s i nce n o account is t a k e n for
specific factors that may be re levant to s u c h s p i l l s e . g . thermodyn a m i c i n put fro m the s u rface
on which the l i q u i d is s p i lt.

NOTE 1 A pool d u e to a catastrophic fai l ure is not i n the scope of this document (see Cla use 1 ).

The fo l l owi n g assu m ptions a re made concern i n g the assessment b e l ow :

• T h e fl a m m a b l e su bstan ce is evaporat i n g , n ot bo i l i ng , a n d t h e p l u me i s a t a m b ient

te mperature ( p hase a n d temperature c h a n ges wou l d cause variations in d i spersion and
eva poration rate s ) .
• The evaporati n g fl a m m a b l e s u bsta nce is ass umed to h ave a re latively l o w vapour
press u re , h e n ce the concen tration at the s u rface of the pool is a l s o low, a n d the m ixture of
a i r a n d vapour is neutra l ly buoya nt.
• L i q u id pools deve l o p q u ickly form i n g a n o m i n a l 1 cm deep pool
• Pools a re a l l owed to eva porate at a m b i e n t co n d i t i o n s .

Then the eva poration rate co u l d be est i m ated by u s i n g fo l l owi n g e q u at i o n :

0 78
1 8 ,3 x 1 0-3 u w , AP p v M
0,667
(kg/s ) ( B . 6)
RxT

NOTE 2 The source of this equ ation is U . S . Environme ntal P rotection Agency, Office for Solid Waste and
Emergency Res ponse, Risk management program for offs ite consequence analysis, Appendix D , April 1 5 1 999.

NOTE 3 Vapour pressure ca n be estimated through various methods, e.g. derived from Anto i ne's equation.

NOTE 4 It is assumed that the vapour p ress u re at the boi l i n g temperature is 1 0 1 325 Pa.

S i nce the dens ity of the vapour in ( kg/m 3 ) i s :

p
g
= Pa M
R T.a
( kg/m 3 )
 - -48 I E C 60079- 1 0 - 1 :2020 © I E C 2020

the n , the vol u m etric evaporation rate in ( m 3 /s ) is a p p rox i m ately:

Q
-
g-
1 8,1 5 x 1 0 -8 Uw 0,78 Ap Pv
M 0,333
x
Ta { 3
T �
m Is ) (B.7)

NOTE 5 S i nce Pv i ncreases with liquid temperature then the evaporation rate u lti mately i ncreases with the rise of
T.

If we ass u m e that the pool s u rface a rea is 1 , 0 m 2 that the w i n d speed at the pool s u rface is
0 , 2 5 m/s and that the l i q u i d te m pe rature i s e q u a l to the a m bient te m peratu re , then the
vo l u m etric evaporation rate i n ( m 3 /s ) wo u ld b e :

( B . 8)

The re a l pool a rea s h o u ld be based on the q u a ntity of the s p i l led l i q u i d and the local
co n d itions such as g ra d i e n t and b u n d i n g at the s p i l l l ocat i o n .

The w i n d speeds fo r eval uation o f eva poration rate s h a l l be cons istent w i t h t h e w i n d speeds i n
later calcu l ations fo r esti mating t h e d e g ree of d i l ut i o n (see C . 3 . 4 ) . I t s h o u l d be e m p h asized
that i n cre a s i n g the w i n d , s peed w i l l i n crease evaporation but at the sa m e time contri b utes to
the d i l ution of fla m m a b l e gas or vapour.
I E C 60079- 1 0- 1 : 2 020 © I E C 2020 - 49 -

(j) uw = 0,25 mis

l x 1 0-3
T = Ta
�
a.

4
a
Cl

.<!?
�
c:
0 3,5
:;::;
�
0
c.
ro
>
Cl)
u
·c
3
n;
E
:l
0
>
u 2,5
.,::::
·u
Cl)
c.
(/)

10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 1 00 1 10 1 20
Vapour pressure Pv (KPa)
/EC

F i g u re B . 2 - Specific vo l u m etric evaporati o n rate of l i q u i d s

The chart i n F i g u re B . 2 is based u p o n equation B . 8 . T h e val ues on the vertical axis refe r to
the pool s u rface area of 1 , 0 m 2 . Thus the eva porati o n rate is o bta i n e d by m u lt i p l y i n g the va l u e
on the vertical a x i s with the rea l pool s u rface are a .

The w i n d speed o f 0 , 2 5 m/s is ch aracteristic for meteorolog ical ca l m j u st a bove g ro u n d leve l .

Typ i ca l ly , it re p resents t h e worst case reg a rd i n g d i s persion o f t h e vapour b u t not the worst
case with res pect to evaporation rate .

The va l u e for vapour p ress u re on the horizonta l axis s h o u l d be take n fo r the re l eva nt l i q u i d
te mperature.

NOTE 6 The chart is only valid for atmos pheric pressure.

B.8 Release from open i n g s i n b u i ld i ng s

B.8.1 G e n e ra l

S u bcl auses B . 8 . 2 a n d B . 8 . 3 provide exam p les for o p e n i ngs i n b u i ld i n g s or wa l l s . T h e y a re not

i nte n d ed to be ri g i d ly a p p l ied and m ay need to be va ried to suit the particu l a r situati o n .
 - 50 - I E C 60079- 1 0- 1 : 2 02 0 © I E C 2020

B.8.2 O pe n i n g s a s pos s i b l e sou rces o f re lease

O p e n i n g s betwe e n areas s h o u l d be considered as poss i b l e sources of re lease. The g rade of

re lease wi l l d e p e n d u po n :

• the zone ty pe of the adjoi n i ng area,

• the fre q u e n cy a n d d u ration of ope n i ng periods,
• the effectiveness of seals or joi nts ,
• the d i ffere nce i n pressu re between the areas i nvolve d .

B.8.3 O pe n i n g s classification

For the p u rpose of t h i s assessment, openings a re classified as A , B, C a n d D with the

fo l l owi n g c h a racte ristics:

Type A

O p e n i ng s not co nform i n g to the c h a ra cteristics specified fo r types B , C or D , e . g . :

• open p assages fo r access or uti l ities (examp les of util ities i n c l u d e d u cts o r p i pes through
wa l l s , ce i l i n g s a n d floors ) ;
• o p e n i n g s which a re fre q u e ntly opened ;
• fixed venti lation outlets i n roo m s , b u i l d i n gs a n d s i m i l a r o p e n i n g s .

Type B

O p e n i ng s which are norma l ly closed ( e . g . a utomatic closi n g ) , i nfreq ue ntly opened and c l ose­
fitt i n g .

Type C

O p e n i ng s which are norma l l y closed ( e . g . a uto m at i c c l os i n g ) , i nfre q u ently opened a n d fitted

with sea l i n g devices ( e . g . a gasket) a l o n g the whole peri meter; or two type B o p e n i n g s i n
series , havi n g i nd e pe n d e n t a u to matic clos i n g devi ces .

Type D

O p e n i ng s w h i c h are effectively sea l e d , such as i n uti l i ty passag e s ; or open i n g s normally

closed co nform i n g to ty pe C which can only be o p e n ed by special mea n s or i n a n e m e rg e ncy;
or a co m b i n ation of o n e ope n i n g type C adj acent to a hazardous a rea and one o pe n i n g type B
i n series .

Table B . 2 s h ows the effect of ope n i n g s on g rade of re lease w h e n a zone has been
esta b l i s h ed u pstrea m of those o pe n i n g s .
I E C 60079- 1 0- 1 : 2 020 © I E C 2020 - 51 -

Table 8 . 2 Effect of zones on o p e n i n g s

-

as poss i b l e sou rces o f re lease

Grade of re l e a s e of o p e n i n g s
Z o n e outs i d e of o p e n i n g O p e n i n g type
c o n s i d e red a s s o u rces o f re l e a s e

A Conti nuous
B (Contin uous )/primary
Zone 0
c Second ary
D Second ary I no release
A Primary
B (Primary)/secondary
Zone 1
c (Secondary)/no release
D No release
A Second ary
B (Secondary)/no release
Zone 2
c No release
D No release
For g rades of release shown i n b rackets , the freq uency of operation of the open i ngs should be considered i n the
desi g n .

The g rade o f re lease o f a n o p e n i n g may a l s o be d efi ned accord i n g to the basic pri n c i p l e s .

The g rade o f re lease o f t h e ope n i n g between a n i nd oor naturally ve n t i l ated c l assified l ocation
and an outdoor non class ifi ed area may be defi n e d con sidering the g rade of re lease of the
sou rce g e n e rati n g the i n d oor zo n e .
 - 52 - I E C 60079- 1 0- 1 : 2 02 0 © I E C 2020

An nex C
(i nfo rmative )
Ve n t i l a t i o n g u i d a n ce

A1
C.1 Sym bols

A2
effective a rea of the u pwind or the lowe r o pe n i n g where a p p l icable ( m 2 ) ;

Ae
effective a rea of the downw i n d or the u p per o p e n i n g w h e re a p p l ica b l e ( m 2 ) .
equiva lent effective a rea for upwind and downwind openi ngs at the same height or for
the lower open ing where a pp l i cable { m 2 );
C a i r c h a n g e freque ncy i n the room (s- 1 ) ;
LICP press u re coeffi cient chara cteristic of the b u i l d i n g ( d i m e n s i o n less ) ;

Cd d i scharge coeffi cient ( d i m e n s i o n less ) , c h a racterist i c of l a rg e ventilation

o pe n i n g s , i n let or o utlet, and accou nts for the t u rb u l e nce a n d v iscosity, typ i ca l ly
0 , 5 0 to 0 , 75 ;

f i n effi cie n cy of venti lation ( d i m e nsion l es s ) ;

g acce l e ration d u e to g ravity ( 9 , 8 1 m/s 2 ) ;

H vertical d i stance between the m i d po i nts of the lower and u p pe r ope n i n gs ( m ) ;
LFL lower fla m m a b l e l i m i t (vo l/vo l ) ;
M m o l a r mass of gas or vapour ( kg/kmol ) ;
Pa atmos p h e r i c p ress u re ( 1 0 1 325 P a ) ;
LJ p pres s u re d ifference, d u e to w i nd or te m pe rature effects ( Pa ) ;

Q1
Qa
vo l u m etric flow rate of a i r ( m 3 /s ) ;

Q9
volu metric flow rate of a i r e nteri n g the room t h ro u g h a pe rtu res ( m 3 /s ) ;

Q2 = Q1 + Q9
volu metric flow rate of fl a m ma b le gas fro m the sou rce ( m 3/s) ;

vo l u m etric flow rate of a i r/gas m ixtu re l e a v i n g the room ( m 3 /s ) ;

Qc vo l u m etric re lease chara cteristic of the sou rce ( m 3/s ) ;

R u n ivers a l gas constant ( 83 1 4 , 5 J/kmol K ) ;

Pa a i r density ( kg/m 3 ) ;

Pg gas o r vapour d e n s ity at the a m b i e n t cond itions ( kg/m 3 ) ;

Ta a m b i e n t te mperature (K);

7in i n door te m pe rature ( K);

Tout outdoor temperature ( K) ;

LJ T d i ffe rence betwe en the i n door a n d the o utdoor tem perature (K);

uw w i n d s peed at a s pecified refe rence h e i g ht or ve nti l ation vel ocity at g iven re lease
co n d itions w h e re a p p l i cable ( m/s ) ;

w9
v0 vo l u m e u n d e r consideration ( room or b u i l d i n g ) ( m 3 ) ;

mass re lease rate of fl a m m a b le s u bsta nce ( kg/s ) , for m ixtures, only the total
mass of fl a m m a ble su bsta nce s h o u l d be considered ;

xb backgro u n d concentration (vo l/vo l ) ;

Xcrit the d e s i red/critical v a l ue of the fl a m m a b l e s u bsta nce conce ntration (vo l/vo l ) .
I E C 60079- 1 0- 1 : 2 020 © I E C 2020 - 53 -

C.2 General

The pu rpose of this a n nex is to provide g u i d a n ce on determ i n i n g the type of zone(s) by

asses s i n g the type a n d l i kely exte nt of gas or v a p o u r re leases a n d comparing these factors
with the d i spers i o n and d i l ution of those gases or vapours by venti l ation or a i r movement.

It s h o u l d be e m phasised that re leases may take m a ny forms a n d can be i nfl u e n ced by m a n y

con d itions (see Cla use B . 6 ) . T h e s e i n c l u d e :

• gases , vapours or l i q u i d s ;
• i n door or outdoor s ituati o n s ;
• s o n i c or s u bsonic jets, fu g itive or evaporative re l eases ;
• obstructed or u n o bstructed cond itions ;
• gas or vapour dens ity.

The i nfo rmation p resented in this a n nex is i n te n d e d to prov i d e q u a l itative g u ida nce on the
assess ment of the ventilation a n d d i s persion conditions to determ i n e the type of zon e . The
g u id ance a p p l ies to the conditions noted i n each section a n d therefore m ay not be a p p l icable
to all i nsta l lati ons .

The g u ida nce h e re i n may be used i n the selecti o n a n d assess ment of a rtifi c i a l venti lation
syste m s and natura l ventilation arra n g e m e nts , s i n ce these a re of paramount i m porta n ce in the
control and d i s pe rs i o n of re leases of fl a m m a b l e gasses and vapou rs i n encl osed spaces.

NOTE Ventilation criteria fo r specific appl ications can also be found i n national standards or i n d ustry codes.

It i s i m porta nt to d isti n g u i s h thro u g h out these d i scuss i o ns betwee n the conce pts of
've n t i l a t i o n ' (the mecha n i s m by w h i c h a i r enters a n d l eaves a room or other encl osed space)
a n d d i s persion (the mecha n i s m by which clouds d i l ute). T h ese a re very d iffe re nt concepts ,
a n d both a re i m po rtant.

In i ndoor situations it s h o u l d be n oted that the hazard depends on the vent i l ation rate, the
nature of the expected source of gas and the pro pe rties of the gas re leased , in p a rti c u l a r the
gas d e n s ity/buoyancy. In some s i tuations the h azard may depend sensitively o n the
venti lati o n ; i n others it may be a l m ost i nd e pe n d e n t of it.

In outdoor situ ations the concept of venti lation i s not strictly a p p l i ca b l e a n d the hazard w i l l
d e p e n d on the n at u re of the s o u rce , t h e pro pe rties o f t h e gas a n d the a m bient a i r flow. I n
open a i r situations , a i r m ove ment w i l l often b e suffi c i e nt t o e n s u re d i spe rs a l of a n y explosive
gas atmos p h e re which arises i n the a rea . Ta b l e C . 1 provides g u i da n ce on wind speed for
o utdoor situati o n s .

T h e val ues for t h e param eters i n the form u l ae p rov ided s h o u l d be s e l ected t o g ive a n
a p p ro p ria te leve l o f conservatism considering a n y u n ce rta i ntity. Based on t h i s a p p roach ,
specific safety factors a re not show n .

C.3 Assessm e n t o f venti lation a n d d i l ut i o n a n d its i nfl uence o n h azardous

a rea

C.3.1 G e n e ra l

The s ize o f a cloud o f fl a m m a b l e gas or vapour a n d the time fo r which it pers ists after the
re lease stops can often be contro l led by means of venti lati o n . Ap proaches fo r eva l u ati n g the
d e g ree of d i l ution req u i red to control the exte n t and pers i stence of an explosive gas
atmos p h e re are described below. Other ca l cu lati ons from re p utable s o u rces or a lternative
forms of calcu lation , e . g . com p u tationa l fl u i d dynamics ( C F D ) , may also be a p p l i e d .
 - 54 - I E C 60079- 1 0- 1 : 2 02 0 © I E C 2020

Any assess ment of the degree of d i l u tion fi rst req u i re s a n assess ment of the expected re lease
con d itions i n c l u d i ng the size of the source of the release and the m ax i m u m re lease rate of
gas or vapour at the source (see A n n ex B ) .

It i s norma l ly i n d i cated that a conti n u ous g rade o f release leads t o a Zone 0 , a primary g rade
to Zone 1 and a seco n d a ry g rade to Zone 2. H owever, this i s not a lways the case a n d m ay
vary depe n d i ng on the a b i l ity of a re lease to m i x w ith suffi cient a i r to d i l ute down to a safe
leve l .

I n some cases , t h e degree o f d i l ution a n d level o f ava i l a b i l ity of ventilation m ay b e so h i g h

that i n p ractice there i s no h azardous area or a h azardous area o f n eg l i g i b l e exte nt.
Alte rnative l y , the deg ree of d i l ution may be so low that the res u lting zone has a lower zone
n u m be r than m i g h t otherwise be a p p l icable for the g rade of re lease ( i . e . a Zone 1 h azardous
area fro m a seco n d a ry g rade source ) . This occu rs , for exa m p l e , when the level of ventilation
i s such that the exp los ive gas atmos p h e re persi sts a n d is d i s p e rsed o n l y slowly after the gas
or vapour re lease has sto p ped . T h u s , the explos i ve gas atmos p h e re pers i sts fo r l o n g e r t h a n
w o u l d be exp ected for the g rade o f re lease.

The d i l ut i o n of a re lease i s d ete rmined by the i n te raction of the momentum a n d b u oyancy

forces of the release a n d the atmos p h e re with i n w h i c h it is d i spers i n g . For a n u n i m peded
j etted re lease, for exa m p l e fro m a vent, the jet m o m e ntu m dom i n ates a n d the i n it i a l d i spers i o n
i s d o m i n ated b y the s h e a r betwe e n the release a n d the atmos p here. However, if a j etted
re lease is at low velocity or is i m peded to such an exte nt that the m o m e n t u m is redi rected or
d i ssipate d , the re lease b u oya n cy a n d atmos p he ri c effects become more i m porta nt.

For s m a l l re leases of l i g hte r than air gas the d is pe rs i o n in the atmos p h e re will d o m i n ate , for
exa m p l e s i m i l a r to d i s pe rsion of cigarette smoke . F o r l a rg e r re leases of l i g hter t h a n a i r gas
the stage may eve ntu a l ly be reached , espec i a l ly in low w i n d conditions , when the re lease
buoyancy is s i g n ificant and the re lease w i l l l ift off from the g ro u n d a n d d i sperse l i ke a p l u m e ,
for exa m p l e s i m i l a r t o t h e p l u m e from a l a rge bonfi re . For vapour re leases fro m a l i q u i d
s u rface the vapour b u oyancy a n d loca l a i r movement w i l l d o m i nate the d i spersion behaviour.

In all case s , w h e re there i s adequ ate fres h air for d i l ution of a re lease to very s m a l l
conce ntrat i o n s ( i . e . w e l l be low t h e L F L ) , the d i l uted g a s or va pour w i l l te n d t o move a l o n g with
the g e n e ra l mass of the air and ex h i b i t neu tra l b e h a v i o u r . The exact conce n trati on where such
n e utra l behaviour i s reached w i l l depend o n the re l ative d e n s ity of the gas or vapour to a i r.
For g reater rel ative d e n s ity d iffe re n ces a lower concentration of the gas or vapour is req u i red
for n e utra l behavi o u r .

C.3.2 Effectiveness o f venti lation

The most i m porta nt facto r i s the effectiveness of venti lati o n , i n oth e r words the q u a ntity of a i r
relative to t h e type , re lease location a n d re lease rate o f t h e fl a m m a ble s u b stance. The h i g h e r
t h e a m o u n t o f venti lation i n respect o f t h e p os s i b l e re lease rates, t h e s m a l l e r w i l l be the
extent of the zones ( h azardous areas) and s h o rter the persistence time of exp losive gas
atmosp here. With a suffi ciently h i g h effectiveness of ventilation for a g iven re lease rate , the
extent of the hazardous area may be so red uced to be of n eg l i g i b l e extent ( N E ) a n d be
con s i d e red a n o n - h azard o us a re a .

C.3.3 Criteria fo r d i l u t i o n

The criteria fo r d i l u tion a re based u p o n the two v a l u e s t h at a re c h a racteristic for any re lease :

• the relative re lease rate ( ratio of re lease rate a n d L F L i n mass u n its ) ;

• the ventilation velocity (the v a l u e that sy m b o l izes the atmos p h e ric i n sta b i l ity, i . e . a i r flow
i n d uced by ventilation or w i n d s p eed outdoors ) .

T h e re lation between t h e two dete r m i nes t h e degree of d i l ution a s d i s p l ayed i n F i g u re C . 1 .

I E C 60079- 1 0- 1 : 2 020 © I E C 2020 - 55 -

C.3.4 Assessment o f ventilation velo city

If a gas leak exists , the gas m u st be tra nsported awa y , or gas b u i l d up w i l l occur. The gas can
be transported away by flow i n d u ced by the momentum in the gas leak, by buoyancy i n d uced
by the gas, o r by flow ca used by natura l or forced ventilation or by w i n d .

The flow caused by momentum i n the re lease itself s h o u l d g e n e ra l ly not be take n i nto acco u nt
u n less it is very clear that this m o m e n t u m w i l l not be broke n by i m p i n g e m e n t or other
i nflu ence of geometry.

The flow to tra ns port away the gas s h o u l d be assessed pri m a r i ly based on an assess m e n t of
the venti l ation for i n door situations, or by flow cause d by the w i n d fo r o utdoor s i tuati o n s .

For i n door situations the fl ow or venti l ation velocity m ay be based on a n average flow velocity
caused by the vent i l a t i o n . T h i s may be ca l c u l ated as the vo l u m etric flow of a i r/gas m ixtu re
d ivided by the cross secti on a rea perpe n d i c u l a r to the flow. T h i s a i r velocity s h o u l d be
red u ced by a facto r d u e to i n efficie n cy of the venti l ation or d u e to flow being o bstru cted by
d iffe re nt o bj ects . C o m p utati o n a l fl u i d dynam ics ( C F O ) s i m u lation is recom mended if particu l a r
deta i l or accura cy is n eeded t o get a n estimate o f t h e venti l ation vel ocity i n d iffe re nt parts of
the room u n d e r consideration .

For n atura l ly venti lated enclos u res and for open a reas , the ventilation vel ocity s h o u l d be
assessed as the velocity that is exceeded 95 % of t h e t i m e . The ava i l a b i l ity of this ventilation
ca n be co nsidered to be 'fa i r ' .

Ven t i l ation velocity fo r o p e n a reas m a y be based o n w i n d speed statistics u s i n g a red u ction

factor cons i d e ri n g the refe re n ce h e i g h t a p p l ied for any weather statistics . P u b l ished val ues
a re u s u a l ly ava i l a b l e for elevations a bove the h e i g h t of a p rocess p l a n t and may need to be
red u ced d u e to loca l geom etry s u c h as to pogra p h y , b u i l d i n g s , veg etati on and other o bstacles.
E . g . i n a process area with a lot of structure s , p i p i ng and process e q u i p m e n t , the effective
venti lation velocity could typically be as low as 1 / 1 0 of the free flow velocity a bove the p l a n t .
Assess m e n t could also be made by measurement o f the vel ocity i n some l ocations around t h e
p l a n t and c o m p a r i n g t h e s e t o the p u b l i s h e d fi g u re s . Comp utati o n a l fl u i d d y n a m ics ( C F O ) i s
a lso reco m mended fo r any com p l ex plant w h e re there a re a n u m be r o f e q u i p ment i t e m s that
cou l d affect loca l i sed a i r movement.

L i g h te r than air gases te n d to m ove u pwards w h e re the ventilation n o rm a l ly will be bette r, and
the b u oyancy may a l s o trans port the gas away. T h i s may be take n i nto acco u n t by i n cre a s i n g
the effective v e n t i l a t i o n ve locity fo r s u c h re leases. For re l e ases w i t h a re l ative d e n s ity o f less
than 0 , 8 , it is normally considered safe to assume that the effective ventilation velocity i s at
least 0,5 m/s in outdoor situatio n s . The ava i l a b i l ity of this m i n i m u m ventilation can be
cons i d e red as good .

Heavier than a i r gases tend to m ove downward s w h e re the venti l ation g e n e ra l ly w i l l be lower,
and accu m u l ation at g ro u n d level is a poss i b i l ity. This can be taken i nto account by lowe r i n g
t h e effective venti lation velocity. A gas can be h eavy d u e t o the m o l e c u l a r we i g h t o r d u e to
low tem perature. Low temperature can be caused by leak from h i g h p ress u re . For gases with
a re lative d e n s ity a bove 1 , 0 the effective ventilation velocity s h o u l d be red u ced by a facto r of
ap prox i m ate ly 2 .

Where statistical d ata a re not ava i l a b l e , Table C . 1 i l l u strates a practical a p p roach to d efi ne
ve nti lation velocity values outd oors .
 - 56 - I E C 60079- 1 0- 1 : 2 02 0 © I E C 2020

Table C . 1 - I n d icative o u tdoor venti lation velocities (uw)

�
U n o b s tructed areas O bstructed areas
I

> >
s; s;
2 m up 2 m up
2m > 5m 2m > 5m
T to 5 m to 5 m

L i g hter t h a n a i r gas/va p o u r releases 0,5 m/s 1 mis 2 mis 0,5 m/s 0,5 mis 1 mis

H eavier t h a n air and neutra l ly bouyant

0,3 mis 0,6 mis 1 mis 0, 1 5 mis 0 , 3 mis 1 mis
gas/v a p o u r releases

l i q u i d pool evaporation rate at a n y

> 0,25 mis > 0 , 1 m/s
e l evation

Typically, val ues i n the table would result in an availability of ventilation as fa i r (see Cla use D.2).

I ndicative ventilation velocities are not meant to sugg est that actual a i r velocity will vary accord ing to the
gas/vapour density but take i nto account the i nfl uence of buoyancy for the gas/vapour when considering an
apparent velocity which may be considered i n the assessment of d i lution.

C.3.5 Assessment o f the d e g ree o f d i l u ti o n

The fol l owi n g three degrees o f d i l ution a re n o r m a l l y recog n ized :

a) H i g h d i l ution
The concentrati on near the source of re lease red u ces q u ickly and there w i l l be v i rt u a l l y no
persistence after the re lease has stopped .
b) M ed i u m d i l ut i o n
The concentration is contro l l e d res u lt i n g i n a sta b l e zone b o u n d a ry , w h i lst the re lease is i n
prog ress a n d t h e exp l os ive g a s atmosphere does n o t pers i st u nd u ly after the re lease has
sto p ped .
c) Low d i l u tion
There is s i g n ifi cant concentration w h i lst re lease is i n p rog ress and/or s i g n ificant
persistence of a n exp losive gas atmos p h e re after the re lease has stop ped .

The d e g ree of d i l ution m ay be assessed by u s i n g the chart i n F i g u re C . 1 , where the ve locity is

reasonably cons i stent in the s pace u n d e r cons i d e ration . W h e re the venti l ation is i n effi cient or
i s red u ced due to flow being o bstructed by d iffe rent o bjects a lower a p parent air velocity
s h o u l d be used .

The degree of d i l ution may a l so be i nfl uen ced by the re l ease velocity, e . g . a jet re lease i n a
l a rg e room (see C . 3 . 6 . 1 ) and t h i s is n ot acco u n ted fo r i n F i g u re C . 1 .

For i n door a p p l i cati o n s the backgro u n d conce ntrat i o n s h o u l d also be assessed i n accorda nce
with C . 3 . 6 . 2 and if the backg rou n d conce ntration exceeds 2 5 % of the LFL the d e g ree of
d i l u t i o n s h o u l d g e n e ra l ly be con s i d e red as low.

F i g u re C . 1 is based on a n i n itial backgro u n d conce ntration that is neg l i g i b l e .

F i g u re C . 1 is n ot i nte nded for g u ida nce w h e n co n s i d e r i n g releases fro m large poo l s .

Extra polation o f t h e c u rves beyond the c h a rt a rea shown i n F i g u re C . 1 s h o u l d n o t b e

u n de rtaken d u e t o other factors t h at w i l l affect t h e assessment beyo n d t h e l i m its i n d icated .

The m ethod of u s i n g the c h a rt i n F i g u re C . 1 is demo nstrated i n the exa m p les of Annex E .

I E C 60079- 1 0- 1 : 2 020 © I E C 2020 - 57 -

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� .- -+-�--+--+---+-1-++--.--#- 1-+
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1 00
3
Qc (m /s)
/EC

F i g u re C . 1 - C h a rt fo r assessing the degree of d i l ution

W h e re

Qc i s the vo l u metric re lease characte ristic of the sou rce ( m 3 /s ) ;

= Pg x LFL

is the dens ity o f the g as/va p o u r ( kg/m 3 ) ;

F i g u re C . 1 does not i n c l u d e a specific safety fa cto r. A su ita b l e factor s h o u l d be d eterm i n e d by

the user based on the a p p l ication a n d a n y safety factors a p p l i ed to other param eters used i n
t h e assess m e n t e . g . ass u m e d re lease rate .

The d e g ree of d i l ution is obta i n ed by fi n d i ng the i ntersection of res pective values d i s p l ayed on
ho rizontal and vertical axis. The line d iv i d i n g the c h a rt area between ' d i l u tion h i g h ' and
' d i l ution m ed i u m ' represents a fl a m m a b l e volume of 0 , 1 m 3 , so a ny i n te rsection point left to
t h i s c u rve i m p l i es an even s m a l l e r fl a m m a b l e v o l u m e . The l i n e d iv i d i ng the c h a rt a rea
between 'd i l ution m ed i u m ' and ' d i l ut i o n low' re p resents a fl a m m a b l e vo l u m e of a p prox i m a te ly
1 00 m 3 , so a n y i ntersection point rig ht to t h i s c u rve i m p l i es a n even l a rg e r fl a m m a b l e vol u m e .

I n outdoor locations where there a re no s i g n ifi cant restrictions t o a i r flow , the d e g ree of
d i l ution s h o u l d be c l assified as med i u m if the co n d it i o n for h i g h d i l u tion is not m et. A low
d e g ree of d i l ut i o n w i l l not g e n e ra l ly occur in open a i r s itu ations . S i tuations w h e re there are
restri ctio n s to a i r flow, fo r exa m p l e , i n p its , shou l d be considered i n the same way as a n
enc losed area.
 - 58 - I E C 60079- 1 0 - 1 :2020 © I E C 2020

C.3.6 D i l ut i o n i n a room

C.3.6.1 G e n e ra l

D i l ution may occur by either the exc h a n g e of fres h air that d o m i n ates the re lease of the gas or
vapour or by having s uffi cient vo l u m e to a l low t h e gas or vapour to d i sperse to a low
con centrat i o n even with m i n i m al fresh a i r. In this later case the volume available fo r d i l ution
m u st be high with res pect to the a ntici pated vo l u m e of the re lease.

For a jet re lease of gas, d i l ution may occur even without a n y local air movement d u e to
entra i n m ent of air i n the expa n d i n g jet. However if a jet is i m peded d u e to i m pact on nearby
o bjects then the a b i l ity fo r self d i l u tion i s g reatly red u ced .

The degree of d i l ution can a lso be assessed by assess ment of the average backg rou n d
con ce ntrati o n o f the fl a m m a b l e s u bsta nce (see C . 3 . 6 . 2 ) . The h i g he r the ratio o f re lease rate
agai nst the venti lation rate the h ig h e r w i l l be the backgro u n d concentration Xb a n d the lowe r
w i l l be the d e g ree of d i l ut i o n .

I n assessing b ackg rou n d concentration the re lease rate , venti lation rate a n d i n effi c i e n cy
factor m u st be ca refu l ly selected to take i nto a ccou nt a l l re l eva nt factors considering a n
a p p ro p ri ate safety m a rg i n . T h e venti lation i n effi c i e n cy factor s h o u l d recog n ize i f there i s a
poss i b i l i ty of rec i rculating or i m peded a i r flow i n a space which may red uce the effi ciency
com p a red to a good a i r flow pattern .

A zero b ackg rou n d conce ntration s h o u l d be cons i d e red only outdoors or i n reg ions with loca l
extraction ventilation which contro ls the move ment of fl a m m a b l e s u bsta nce near the source of
re lease. A n eg l i g i b l e backgro u n d concentratio n , described as Xb << Xcrit • may be considere d in
h i g h ly ve n t i l ated roo m s or enclosures. Xcrit i s an arbitrary v a l u e below L F L , e . g . the v a l u e at
which a gas d etector is set to a l a rm .

A low backgro u n d concentration does not mean that the whole room is a non hazardous a re a .
T h e l a rg e r part o f t h e room m ay b e con s i d e red non h azardous b u t t h e area n e a r t h e s o u rce of
the re lease is sti l l a hazardous area u nt i l the re lease is s uffi ci ently d i s p e rsed ( s i m i l a r as fo r
open a i r situati o n s ) .

Considerati o n o f backgro u n d concen tration and the exte nt o f pos s i b l e zones a ro u n d sources
of re lease a lso need to be moderated with practical factors cons i d e r i n g variations in poss i b l e
d i spers i o n patterns i n a n enc losed s pace . M a ny e n closed areas conta i n m u lt i p l e sources of
re lease and it is not safe pract i ce to have m u lt i p l e s m a l l h azardous a reas w ith i n an enc losed
area genera l ly cl assified as non h azardous. Also, it i s not safe pract i ce to have a l i m ited
hazardous a rea with i n a re latively s m a l l room and the whole room s h o u l d be considered fo r a
u n iform class ificati o n .

C . 3 . 6. 2 Backgro u n d con centration a n d re leases i n a venti l ated ro om

For i n door re l e ases it is necessary to s pecify the room ba ckg ro u n d conce ntrati o n , Xb , w h i c h
e m bod i es the effects o f vent i l at i o n . Backgro u n d con ce ntrat i o n is the average conce ntration of
fl a m m a b l e s u bsta nce wit h i n the vol u m e u n d e r consideration ( room or b u i l d i n g ) after a period
of t i m e d u r i n g which a steady state has been esta b l i s h e d betwee n the re l e ase and the flow of
a i r i n d uced by venti latio n .

Consideration of the b ackg ro u n d conce ntration then provides a measure for assessing
ventilation i n a room which removes gas or vapo u r com p a red to d i s pe rsion of the gas or
vapour. This ratio then i nfl ue nces the consideration of the degree of d i l ution .

The backgro u n d con centration (vol/vo l ) may be assessed as :

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f x Qg
=
f x Qg
(
VO I/VO 1) (C. 1 )
Qg + Q1 Q2

and the a i r change fre q u e n cy a n d venti lation flux are re l ated by:

Q2 = C V0 ( m
3
Is )
The average backgro u n d conce ntration Xb which i s u l t i mately a c h i eved depends on the
relative m a g n itude of source a n d venti l ation fl uxe s , but the ti mescale over which t h i s is
a c h i eved is i n ve rsely p ro porti o n a l to the air c h a n g e fre q u e n cy.

The safety fa ctor f, venti l ation i neffici ency , is a m e a s u re of the d e g ree to which the a i r in the
e n c l os u re outs i d e of the re lease zone is well m ixed and i s the mean backgro u n d
con centrat i o n Xb i n t h e room d ivided b y t h e conce n tration at t h e ventilation outlet
( d i m e n s i o n less ) .

/ 1:= the b ackg ro u n d conce ntration is esse ntia l ly u n iform a n d the outlet is d i stant fro m the
re lease itself, so that the concen tration at the outlet reflects the mean backgro u n d
conce ntration .
/ 1:= there's a g ra d i e n t of backgro u n d conce ntration i n the room d u e to i n effi cient mixing,
and the outlet is d i stant from the release itself, so that the concen tration at the outlet
is s m a l l e r than the mean backgro u nd conce ntration . f may be betwee n 1 , 5 for m i l d l y
i neffi cient m i x i n g a n d 5 for very i n efficient m i x i n g .

>
G iven t h e ori g i n o f t h e cases / = 1 or / 1 , t h i s v a l u e m a y b e d e noted a s a safety facto r rel ated
to the i n effi c i e n cy of m i x i n g (as p rog ress ively l a rg e r v a l u e s reflect progressively less effi c i e n t
m i x i n g o f a i r with i n the roo m ) . This factor a l lows fo r i m pe rfections o f a i r flow patterns i n a rea l
space w i t h obstructions a n d where ve ntilation ope n i ngs m ay n o t be i d ea l ly positioned for
max i m u m ventilation (see C . 5 ) . The d e g ree of d i l u tion s h o u l d be ta ken as b e i n g low if the
backgro u n d concen tration exceeds 2 5 % of the LFL or if i n d i cated thro u g h a n assess ment
based o n F i g u re C . 1 .

NOTE Ventilation alone which descri bes how a i r enters the room has l ittle to say a bout the expected volume of a
hazardous area. That depends on how the gas, or vapou r a n d a i r are distri b uted within the roo m , i . e . on dispersion.

C.3. 7 Criteria fo r ava i l a b i l ity of ventilation

C.3.7.1 G e n e ra l

T h e ava i l a b i l ity of ventilation h a s a n i nfl ue nce on t h e prese nce or formati o n o f a n exp losive
gas atmosp here. T h u s , the avai l a b i l ity (as we l l as the effectiveness) of venti l at i o n needs to be
taken i nto cons i d eration w h e n determ i n i n g the ty pe of zone.

Th ree levels of ava i l a b i l ity of the ventilation should b e con s i d e red (see Table D . 1 ) :

• goo d : venti l ation is present v i rtually conti n u o u s l y ;

• fa i r : venti lation is expected t o be present d u ri ng normal o pe rati o n . D i s conti n u ities a re
permitted p rovided they occur i n freq uently and fo r short periods;
• poor: vent i l at i o n which does not meet the sta n d a rd of fa i r or good , but d i sconti n u ities are
not ex pected to occur fo r l o n g periods.

Ven t i l ation that does not even meet the req u i rement for poor ava i l a b i l ity should n ot be
cons idered to contri bute to the ventilation of the a re a , i . e . low d i l ution would a p p l y .

D ifferent types o f ventilation req u i re d iffe re nt a p p roaches fo r assess i n g t h e i r ava i l a b i l ity, e . g .

avai l a b i l ity of natural ventilation i n doors s h a l l never b e cons i d e red a s good because it
 - 60 - I E C 60079- 1 0- 1 : 2 02 0 © I E C 2020

depends heavily u pon a m b i e n t cond itions , i . e . outdoor te mperature and wind (see
C l a use C . 5 ) . As a m atte r of fact, the avai l a b i l ity of n at u ra l venti lation d e pends on how rea l i stic
the assessment of i n door or outdoor conditions has bee n , i . e . whether the wo rst case
scenario has been a p p l i e d . If yes, then it may be that the level of ava i l a b i l ity could be fa i r , but
never good . I t has to be ass u med that the h i g h e r the differe nce between i n door a n d outdoor
te m pera tu re a p p l ied for calcu l ation , the lower the level of ava i l a b i l ity in terms of d i l ut i n g a n
explos i ve gas atmos p h e re .

O n t h e other h a n d , artifi c i a l venti lation that serves t h e a reas exposed t o exp los ion co nd itions
usua l ly h as a good ava i l a b i l ity because it i n corporates tech n i cal means to prov i d e for h i g h
d e g ree o f re l i a b i l ity .

T h e level o f ava i l a b i l ity s h o u l d be assessed as rea l istically as poss i b l e taking i nto acco u n t a l l
t h e re levant facto rs . For outdoor g as j et releases d i l ution w i l l occur i rrespective of t h e a m bient
wind, a n d so the d i spersion m ust be considered a s being e q u iva lent to good ava i l a b i l ity of
ventilation i n doors .

C.3.7.2 Criteria fo r natu ra l ventilation

I n case of natu ra l venti lati o n , the worst case sce n a ri o shall be considered to determ i n e the
ventilation rate . Such a scenario will then lead to a h i g h e r level of ava i l a b i l ity. G e n e ra l ly , fo r
any natu ra l venti lati o n , a lowe r ventilation rate leads to a h i g her l evel of ava i l a b i l ity and vice
vers a . That w i l l com pensate for too opti m i stic ass u m ptions made i n the p roced u re of
esti mating the ventilation rate .

There a re some situations which req u i re particular care . I n the case of n at u ra l venti l ation of
e n closed s paces , consideration of unfavo u ra b l e cond itions n eeds to be accou nted for, i . e .
freq uency a n d p ro ba b i l ity of occu rre nce of s u c h situations. As a n exa m p l e , d u ri n g hot a n d
w i n dy s u m me r days , two pote ntial scenarios exist. I n one scenario the i n door te m p e rature
may be s l i g htly a bove the outdoor tem peratu re so that b u oya n cy i n d u ced ventilation m ay
hard l y work a n d the w i n d fro m a certa i n d i rect i o n may prevent the flow of a i r. T h e refore i n t h i s
case there i s a co m b i n ation o f p o o r venti lation a n d a p o o r ava i l a b i l ity which w i l l l i kely res u lt i n
a more on erous cl ass ificat i o n . I n a n other sce n a r i o , if only buoya n cy i s considered , then
modest, b u oya n cy i n d u ced venti lation could be p resent v i rtually a l l the t i m e a n d hence the
avai l a b i l ity cou l d be esti m ated as fa i r if not good .

I n open a i r situations the degree of d i l ution is g e n e ra l l y considered as m ed i u m w h i l e the

ava i l a b i l ity of venti lation in terms of w i n d p resence may be con s i d e red as good u n less there i s
restricted ve nti lation s u c h as with i n pits, dykes or a r e a s s u rro u nded by h i g h structure s .

C.3.7.3 C riteria f o r a rt ifi cial ve ntilation

I n assess i n g the avai l a b i l ity of artifi c i a l ve n t i l a t i o n , the re l i a b i l ity of the e q u i pment a n d the
avai l a b i l ity of, fo r exa m p l e , sta n d by b l owers should be co n s i d e re d . Good ava i l a b i l ity w i l l
norma l l y req u i re , on fa i l u re , auto m atic start- u p of sta n d by blower( s ) . H owever, i f prov i s i o n i s
made for p reve nting the re lease o f fl a m m a b l e s u bsta nce w h e n t h e venti l ation has fa i led (fo r
exa m p l e , by a uto matically closing down the proces s ) , the classification d eterm i n e d with the
ve nti lation operati n g need not be mod ified , i . e . the ava i l a b i l ity m ay be assumed to be good .

C.4 Exa m p les o f ventilation arra n ge m e nts a n d assessments

C.4.1 I n t rod u ction

The fol l owi n g ex a m p les are i nte n d ed to i l l u strate the i nteraction between the re l e ase of
fl a m m a b l e su bsta nce a n d ventilation based on the princi ples outl i ned i n C l auses 6, 7 a n d 8 . I t
i s i m portant t o u n d e rsta n d t h at d i l ut i o n i s a com p l ex p rocess w h i c h takes p l ace e i t h e r t h ro u g h
a i r e n trai n m e nt a t t h e boundaries o f a re lease jet, or thro u g h m ix i n g w i t h a i r caused by
ventilation flow or atmospheric i n sta b i l ities. U s u a l ly , both mecha n i s m s a re con s i d e red
beca use a jet eve n t u a l ly becomes a passive p l u me s u scept i b l e to a i r move m e n t . M ix i n g with
I E C 60079- 1 0- 1 : 2 020 © I E C 2020 - 61 -

a i r g e n e ra l ly does not h a p p e n u n ifo rmly t h ro u g h out the ve n t i l ated space a n d the backg rou n d
conce ntration as the res u l t o f the m i x i n g with a i r is j ust a very ro u g h measure o f the average
contam i n ation of the vol u m e u n d e r considerat i o n .

I n a rea l ventil ated space the ve n t i l at i o n a rra n g e m ent may n o t be adequ ate t o d i l ute t h e
fl a m m a b l e s u bsta nce u n iformly. I n p ractice the t r u e n ature o f d i s pers i o n and d i l ution m ay
s u bstantially d ev iate from the average resu lts o btained by calcu lation . The venti lation
arran g e m e n t , i . e . pos ition of the i n let a n d outlet o p e n i ng s relative to each other and relative to
source of the re l e ase , may someti m es have g reater i nfl uence on the atmos p h e re t h a n the
capacity of the ventilation itself.

The exa m ples below i l l u strate a few poss i b le scenarios which m ay h e l p in bette r
u n de rsta n d i n g of the venti l at i o n arra n g e m e nts that may be su i ted fo r a particular situati o n .

C.4.2 Jet re lease i n a l a rge b u i l d i n g

T h i s exa m p l e (see F i g u re C . 2 ) i l l u strates the con d itions w h e re there are a l i m ited n u m b er of

sources of gas re lease in a l a rg e space e . g . gas re lease fro m p i pe fitti n g s .

A s m a l l leak i n a p i pe fitti n g wou l d be expected t o c reate a jet re lease with a h i g h vel ocity i f
the pressure i s h i g h . T h e jet wou l d self d i l ute a n d d i s p e rse eve n without m u c h o t h e r a p pare n t
a i r movement i n t h e b u i l d i ng .

For a s pace with normal venti l ation , (e . g . good sized door a n d wa l l o p e n i ngs and/or roof
ventilation or oth e r desig nated venti lation provis i o n s ) , the vo l u m e of the space a n d natura l a i r
move m e n t w o u l d s u g g est t h e d e g ree o f d i l u tion is m e d i u m a n d t h e ava i l a b i l ity o f venti lation i s
fa i r .

F o r a space w i t h poor vent i l a t i o n , ( e . g . a n u nventila ted base ment) , a j e t re lease m a y i n itia l ly

self d i l ute and d i s perse i nto the space but the l ack of a i r move m e n t may also lead to a l o n g e r
term b u i ld u p o f gas i n the space. I n this s ituation the d i l uted gas fro m the re lease w i l l be re­
entra i ned in the conti n u i n g jet re lease res u lting in a b u i l d - u p of the backgro u n d gas
concentrati o n .

U n l ess t h e ventilation provisions a re a d eq u ate t o control t h e backgro u n d conce ntration i n t h e

space t h e deg ree o f d i l ution is consid ered low. However it m ay sti l l be practical t o prov i d e fo r
d ifferent zone cl ass ificati ons t h roug h ou t the space .

0- - - - -- -.... --- -- / \
Eddy diffusion at extrem ities Concentration
r a p p roaching 0 %

-�- '
- --- '
'
I
I

\�
\ I
\1
Zero velocity

�
I
l
II
II
I I

-- --
\_,;-- -- -- -- - -t:__
r // /
c:;------ 0-/ / I
Concentration in
flam mable ra nge /
Release velocity profile /EC

F i g u re C . 2 - S e lf d iffu s i o n of a n u n i m pe ded h i g h velo city jet re lease

 - 62 - I E C 60079- 1 0- 1 : 2 02 0 © I E C 2020

NOTE d 5 is pseudo sou rce d i ameter, i . e . the d i ameter of the jet at the downstream cross section at which it
becomes isobaric (reduced to atmospheric press ure).

C.4.3 Jet re lease in a s m a l l n atu ra l l y ventilated b u i l d i n g

T h i s exa m p l e i l l ustrates co nd itions where there m ay b e sources o f g a s re l ease i n a s m a l l

room or bu i l d i n g .

Dis pers i o n a n d d i l ut i o n factors a re t h e same a s desc ribed i n C . 3 . 5 .

W h e re the b u i ld i n g i n c l u des prov ision for ventilation to e n s u re adequ ate re moval o f a n y gas
fro m a re lease then the i nterior of the b u i l d i n g m ay b e considered to have a m ed i u m d e g ree of
d i l utio n .

W h e re there a re a l i m ited n u m be r of sources o f re lease (or locat i o n s for t h e sources of

re lease) it may be practical to class ify hazardous areas t h at a re l i m ited to regions aro u n d the
sources of re lease. W h e re there a re larg e n u m bers of poss i b l e sources of re lease then it is
com m o n practice to cl ass ify the e n t i re s pa ce with a s i n g l e zone cl assificat i o n . This reflects the
cons i d e ration of the self d i l ution vo l u m e fro m a j et from m a ny poss i b l e pos itions and the
poss i b l e varia nts i n gas or vapour d i s pe rs i o n fro m various l ocati o n s .

W h e re the deg ree o f d i l ution is l o w then it is n o r m a l p ra ctice t o prov i d e a s i n g l e zone

classification for the e n c losed space i rres pective of the n u m be r of sources of re lease.

C.4.4 Jet re lease in a small a rtifi c i a l ly venti l ated b u i l d i n g

T h i s exa m p l e (see F i g u re C . 3 ) m i g ht a p ply t o a s ituation s u c h a s a gas compressor roo m .

I rres pective of the rate of ventilation o r arra n g e m e n t of a ve n t i l at i o n system a j et release i s

not l i kely t o b e d i l uted t o below the L F L i m m e d i ate ly a t the source of re lease u n less the
press u re i s very low. The refore the d e g ree of d i l ut i o n at the source of re l ease can rarely be
descri bed as h i g h .

The d e g ree o f d i l ution for t h e re m a i n d e r o f t h e space i s l a rg e l y dependent o n t h e a rra n g ement

and rate of a rtific i a l venti latio n . The d e g ree of d i l ut i o n m ay a l s o be h i g h ly sensitive to both
these factors as i l l ustrated by F i g u re C . 3 and F i g u re C . 4 .

Ventilation
Dilution volume outlet
(Volume around ----+-+----��
source of release)
/EC

F i g u re C . 3 - S u p p l y o n l y venti lation

I n t h i s case a n encl osed space i s s u p p l ied with fresh a i r with a n eq u a l vo l u m e d i scharg i n g

thro u g h a vent.

Desp ite a n a p p a re n tly h i g h n u m be r of a i r c h a n g es per hour the ventilation arrangement can

create a c i rc u l atory air movement with i n the e n closure res u l ting i n an e l evated backgro u n d
concentrati o n . An a lternative way o f l o o k i n g a t this i s t h a t the re-entra i n ed gas i n creases t h e
d i l ution vo l u m e fro m the sources o f re lease. W h e re t h i s h a p pens the d e g ree o f d i l ution s h o u l d
b e treated as low.
I E C 60079- 1 0- 1 : 2 020 © I E C 2020 - 63 -

+-- Extraction air flow

Fan

(
[)
2
Alternate locations for
extraction according to

+-- Extraction a i r flow

Source of release ----+--+----+­
gas/vapour density
Dilution volume
(Volume around -----1--+-----�--­
source of release) 2

- S u p p l y a n d extract i o n venti lation

/EC

F i g u re C . 4

In t h i s case the enclosed space i s provided with both s u p ply and extraction venti lation . As
with the case for s u p p ly only there is a poss i b i l ity t h at the ventilation arra n g e m e n t w i l l create
re c i rc u l at i n g a i r movement a n d res u l t in re-entra i n m e nt of the d i l uted gas i nto a jet re lease
thereby increas i n g the ba ckg ro u n d gas conce ntrati o n .

With carefu l cons i d eration o f t h e venti lation arra n g e m e n ts a n d positi o n i n g o f t h e extraction

poi nts it i s poss i b l e to m i n i m ize any re-circulatory air patte rns. In this case a degree of d i l ution
of m e d i u m or eve n h i g h may be a c h i eved .

NOTE Ventilation is commonly applied as an extraction system only which may be either general or local (for
local extraction venti lation see 7 . 2 . 3 . 3 ) .

C.4.5 Release with low velocity

Rel eases at low veloc ity are co m m o n i n m a n y i n d ustrial processes and i n c l u d e a p p l i cations
such as evaporation of fla m m a b l e l i q uids fro m vents, baths, d ra i n s or printing a n d painti n g .

A j e t re lease m a y a lso b e considered a low velocity re lease if t h e j e t i m p i nges on a s u rface.

Veloc ity of the j et can be red uced with the j et turn i n g i n to a passive p l u m e .

F o r re leases at l o w vel ocity d i spersion and d i l ution a re i nfl ue nced l a rgely b y a i r m ove ment i n
t h e sp ace and the b u oya ncy o f t h e g a s or vapour.

As for jet re leases, the degree of d i l ution w i l l be d e pendent on the size of the b u i l d i ng or
roo m , rate of re lease and a b i l ity to control a n y ba ckg ro u n d conce ntration by g e n era l
ventilati o n .

C.4.6 F u g i tive e m issions

F u g itive e m issi ons a re small re leases of g ases or v a p o u rs fro m pressu rized e q u i p ment d u e to
leaks (genera l l y i n an order of m a g n i tude between 1 0- 7 kg/s a n d 1 0- 9 kg/s ) . Thou g h s m a l l ,
these re leases c a n sti l l accu m u l ate i n enclosures t h a t a re n o t venti lated .

S u ch fugitive e m issions may accu m u l ate i n the course of t i m e thus g i v i n g rise to a n exp losion
h azard . Therefore , care m ust be taken when desi g n i n g particu l a r faci l i ties or e q u i p me n t such
as a n a lyzer h o uses a n d sealed enclosures e . g . i nstru ment panels or i n stru ment weather
protection enclosure s , therm a l l y i n s u l ated heated e n clos u res or encl osed s pa ces betwee n
p i pe i nsta l l at i o n s a n d t h e e n velope of thermal i n s u lation or s i m i l a r items with h i g h e r press u re
gas l i n es . S u c h items s h o u l d be provided with some venti l ation or prov i s i o n fo r gas d i spers i o n
eve n if only for critical periods o f t i m e .

W h e re tig htly closed e n clos u res a re u s e d the l i ke l y l o w effective ness a n d ava i l a b i l ity of
ventilation i n such enclosures with natura l ventilation may result i n low d i l u tion and hence
may req u i re classification as Zone 0 or Zone 1 acco rd i n g to Table D . 1 .
 - 64 - I E C 60079- 1 0- 1 :2020 © I E C 2020

C.4.7 Local ve ntilation-extraction

Loca l a rtifi c i a l venti l ation is reco m mended wherever practi cal (see F i g u re C . 5 ) .

Loca l a rtificial ventilation c a n i m p rove t h e d e g re e o f d i l ution near t o t h e s o u rce o f re lease.

M o re i m porta ntly local a rtifi c i a l venti lation s h o u ld con trol the move m e nt of the gas or vapour
to l i mit gas or vapour beyond the i ntended area of i nfl uence of the local venti lation syste m .
W h e re t h i s i s ach ieved the d e g ree of d i l ution aro u n d the source of rel ease can b e considered
as m ed i u m .

G e n e ra l l y local a rtifi c i a l ventilation s h o u l d b e l ocated close t o t h e s o u rce o f re lease to be

effective . Local a rtifi c i a l ventilation can be very effective wh ere the s o u rce of re lease is
cha racterized by a very low re lease vel ocity. As loca l a rtifi c i a l ventilation needs to overcome
the re lease velocity of the gas or vapour to control the m ov e m e nt of that re lease, the
a p p l i ca b i l ity of l oca l a rtifi cial ventilation for j et re leases is g reatly red uced over other fo rms of

r--
re lease.

�
Extraction a i r flow

������ Fan

F resh a i r
�

��������-
Sou rce of release
w it h very low veloc ity

/EC

F i g u re C.5 - Local extraction ventilation

C.5 N at u ral Venti lation i n b u i l d i ngs

C.5.1 G e n e ra l

S u bc l a uses C . 5 . 2 to C . 5 . 4 p rov i d e a means fo r assess i n g the natura l ventilation i n b u i l d i n g s .

Other mea n s o f assessment m a y a l s o be s u ita b l e , e . g . b y u s e o f b u i l d i n g sta n d a rd s s u c h a s
B S 5 92 5 .

Caution needs t o be a p p l ied a s without evidence a n d s pec ific b u i l d i n g features t o promote

natu ra l ve nti l at i o n , the s ize a n d s h a pe of the b u i ld i n g may not be co n d u ctive to promot i n g
natu ra l ventilation a n d i n s u c h cases t h e d e g ree o f the natura l venti lation effic i e n cy s h o u l d be
cons idered as low.

C.5.2 Wind i n d u ced venti lation

The d eg ree of air movement in the i nterior of a b u i l d i n g will d e p e n d on the size and pos ition of
the o pe n i ngs re lative to w i n d d i rect i o n , as well as on the s h a p e of the b u i l d i ng . Ve nti lation
flows may be i n d uced by i nfi ltration through non-a i rtight doors a n d w i n d ows or cracks and
g a ps in pa rts of the stru cture even if there a re n o ' a rch itectu ra l ' o pe n i n gs in the walls a n d/or
roof, or i f those a re close d . The e q u ations used h e re ass u m e flow t h ro u g h o p e n i n g s d es i g ne d
for venti latio n , rath e r t h a n i nfi ltratio n . T h i s p h i loso p h y is also a p p ro p ri ate t o a d o p t for the
class ification of hazard o u s areas .
I E C 60079- 1 0- 1 : 2 020 © I E C 2020 - 65 -

Venti l ation i m p l ies both i ng ress a n d e g ress of a i r a n d some o p e n i n g s w i l l a ct p r i m a r i l y as i n let

o p e n i n g s and oth e rs as outlet o p e n i n g s . W i n dward ( u pw i n d ) o p e n i n g s w i l l norm a l ly a ct as the
i n let o p e n i ngs and l eewa rd (downw i n d ) a n d roof o pe n i n gs as the outlet o p e n i n g s . This i m p l ies
that wind i n d uced ventilation could be esti m ated o n l y with a good knowledge of the wind rose
d i a g ra m for a parti cu l a r location .

The d riving force of w i n d i n d uced venti lation is the press u re d ifferential betwe e n the w i ndward
and leeward s i des of a b u i l d i ng .

The a i r flow d u e to w i n d can be expressed as :

(C.2)

AfA� (m2)
Af + A�
(C.3)

Values fo r .1Cp s h o u l d be d e rived fro m venti lation or b u i l d i n g cod e s .

T h e va l ues for A1 and A 2 refer t o effective a reas o f the u pwind a n d t h e downwi n d o p e n i n g s

res pectively.

CFO mod e l l i n g or wind t u n n e l testing may also be used to prov i d e a more re l i a b le assessment
of the p ress u re coeffi c i e n t for a b u i l d i n g .

W i n d strength a n d d i rection a re vari a b l e a n d n o t g e n e ra lly pred icta b l e . G u id a nce on wind

speed i s provided i n Table C . 1 . Wind s h o u l d be considered i n conj u n ction with oth e r types of
ventilation to verify whether it com p l e m e nts or o p poses other vent i l at i o n . W i nd may h ave a
pos itive effect if the i n let and outlet o p e n i n g s for p u rely w i n d - i n d uced ventilation a re the same
as they would have been for other sources of venti l at i o n , b ut a n i m pa i r i n g effect if they a re
o p posed . e . g . w i n d of a n y d i rection w i l l have a positive effect if there is a ventilation ope n i n g
on t h e roof top, b u t w i l l have a n i m pa i ri n g effect if t h e outlet ventilation o pe n i n g s h a p p e n t o b e
u pwi n d .

C.5.3 B u oyancy i n d u ced venti lation

B uoya ncy i n d u ced 'Stack Effe ct' ventilation is accom p l i s h e d by the movement of air d u e to the
d iffe rence betwe e n i n door and outdoor temperature s . T h e driving force i s the d iffe rence i n a i r
dens ity d u e t o t h e d i ffe rent temperatures . T h e vertical press u re g radient d e p e n d s on the
dens ity of air a n d w i l l the refore not be the same i n doors a n d outdoors , lead i n g to a press u re
d ifference.

If the average i n door te m p e rature is h i g h e r than the outdoor te mperature the i n door air w i l l
have a lower d e n s ity. I f a n e n closed s p ace h a s o p e n i ngs a t d iffe re nt heig hts a i r wi l l e n ter
throu g h the lower o p e n i ngs and leave throu g h the u p p e r level o p e n i n g s . The flow rate w i l l
i n crease as t h e m a g n itude o f the te m peratu re d i ffere nce g rows l a rger. Therefore buoyancy
i n d uced ventilation w i l l be more effective at lowe r a m b ient outdoor te m p e ratures. At h i g h e r
am b i e n t outdoor temperatu res buoya n cy i n d uced venti lation w i l l become l e s s effective a n d if
the a m b i e n t outdoor tem peratu re rises a bove the i n d oor te m p e rature the flow wo u l d revers e .

The i n door temperature m a y be h i g h e r d u e to n a t u r a l c a u s e s , d e l i be rate heat i n g or process

heat. Therm a l cu rre nts may a l so be i n d u ced i n doors vary i n g the effect of average i ndoor
te mperature. Ass u m i n g that the i n s i d e of the b u i l d i n g is fully m ixed , co n sta nt te mperatures
can be used both i n s i d e and outs i d e .
 - 66 - I E C 60079- 1 0-1 :2020 © I E C 2020

For a te m p e rature g radient, ass u m i n g the i n side tem perature at the lower open i n g is the same
as the outs i d e tem peratu re, Tout' and the i n side te m perature at the u p per o p e n i n g i s Ti n • the
vo l u m e flow rate of air can be c a l c u l ated from the fo l l owi n g equati o n :

( )
4LI T
Qa = Cd Ae ( ) gH m
3 Is
(C.4)
lin + Tout

Ae =
Af A� ( m2 ) (C.5)
Af + A�

The va l u es fo r A 1 a n d A 2 refer t o effective a reas o f t h e lower a n d t h e u p per o p e n i n g s

res pectively.

These e q u ations g ive reason a b l e res u lts o n l y for rooms with i n let a n d outlet o p e n i n g s
pos i tioned o n o p posite wa l l s re lative t o e a c h o t h e r ( s e e F i g u re C . 7 ) , a n d l ittle or no
obstructions which could i m pede the free flow of a i r . Also, if the vertical d ista n ce betwee n the
m i d points of the lower and u p pe r open i n g s H is s m a l l a n d the horizontal d i stance i s l a rg e ,
then the b u oya n cy i n d u ced ventilation w i l l be red u ced a n d t h e ca l c u l ation m a y be less
accurate . E . g . where H i s s m a l l e r than the width of the roo m , then a s afety factor re l ated to
the i n effi ciency of venti lation m ust be a p p l ied (see C . 3 . 6 . 2 ) .

T h e coeffi cient o f d i s c h a rge Cd i s a n e m p i ri ca l v a l u e w h i c h i s o btained thro u g h a series of

experi m e nts for specific cases of re lease a n d fo r specific ty pes of o pe n i n g s or a pert u re s . Any
value a bove 0 , 75 should be based on esta b l i s h ed refe rences fo r the a p p l icat i o n .

The i ndoor te m p e rature m ust be h i g h e r t h a n t h e outdoor temperat u re to a c h i eve the

necessary conditions fo r b u oya ncy i n d u ced venti lati o n . D u ri n g periods of h i g h outdoor
a m b i e n t te m pe ratures the i n door temperature may become lower t h a n the outdoor u n less
there i s some heat s o u rce i n doors . Temperature g ra d i ents a re a lso affected by the su bsta nce
of the b u i l d i n g and fo r some constru cti ons the i nd oor te m p e rature m ay be lower than the
outside tem perature u n d e r certa i n co n d i t i o n s . If the i n door te m pe rature is lowe r than the
outdoor tem perature , then eq u ation C.4 is not a p p l i ca b l e .

The g reater t h e vertical d i sta nce between t h e m i d p o i nts o f the lower and u p pe r o p e n i n g s , the
more effective the natural venti lation will be . For buoyancy i n d u ced venti lati o n , the most
d es i ra b l e position fo r the i n let openings is at the bottom of the op posite wa l l s and fo r outlet
o p e n i n g s , at the roof top. H owever, w h e re this i s n ot feas i b l e , the i n let and outlet o p e n i n g s
s h o u l d be pos i tioned at t h e op posite walls t o prov i d e for a i r move ment across t h e w h o l e a re a .

I n m a n y cases the heating req u i re m e nts at t h e lower a m bient te m pe ratu res m ay be

com promised by the n atural ventilation thus i m po s i n g the need to red u ce , or close the
ventilation o p e n i n g s . Considerati on m ust be g iven to red u ctio n of the ope n i n gs to the extent
that m i g ht i m p a i r natural venti l ation thus p reventing the d i l ution of the exp losive gas
atmos p here. G e n e ra l ly , all the o p e n i ngs that cou l d be normally closed such as doors ,
w i n dows a n d adj usta ble louvres s h o u l d n o t b e con s i d e red a s venti l ation o pe n i n g s .
I E C 60079- 1 0- 1 : 2 020 © I E C 2020 - 67 -

E Cd = 0,75
N

t2 2,5
.s
Q)
::!;"'
a
�

ro
.c
(/)

� 2
0
<L>

"§
::
0
;;::
(.)
·;::
(i)
E 1 ,5
::i
0
>
(.)
�
(.)
<L>
a.
en

0
0 , 05 0, 1 0,1 5 0,2 0,25 0,3
Temperatu re factor [4t.T/(T +T )) 112
;n 0ut
/EC

F i g u re C . 6 - Specific vo l u m etri c flow rate of fresh a i r

o f e q u ivalent effe ctive o pe n i n g a rea

The chart i n F i g u re C . 6 i s based upon e q u ation ( C . 4 ) . T h e refore the l i m itations i n the use of
these c a l c u l ations described in C . 5 . 2 also a p p ly .

C.5.4 C o m b i nation of the natu ral ve n t i l ation i n d u ced by w i n d a n d bu oyancy

Bot h , wind and buoyancy i n d u ced venti l ation can occur separately but a re l i kely to occur at
the same ti m e . Press u re d iffe ren ces due to thermal b uoya ncy will typica l ly be the d o m i nating
d riving force o n a ca l m cold day with pra cti c a l l y n o w i n d , whereas p ress u re d ifferentials
created by wind may be the d o m i nating d riving force o n a windy hot day. Their forces can
o p pose or com plement each other depend i n g on the position of the i n let and outlet o p e n i n g s
( o f the buoyancy- i n d uced venti lati o n ) i n re lation to the w i n d d i rection ( s e e F i g u re C . 7 ) .

A p ro ba b i l ity based assess ment m u st be a p p l i e d t a k i n g i nto acco u n t c l i m ate, t h e w i n d rose

d i a g ra m fo r a parti c u l a r location a n d the poss i b l e i nd oor te m pe ratures .
 - 68 - I E C 60079- 1 0- 1 : 2 02 0 © I E C 2020

H igher relative
to outdoor

'Stack' pressure
(Ps)
:r:

Lower relative
to outdoor

�----------
A
�
1 -

F i g u re C . 7 - Exa m p l e of opposing ventilation d riving forces

The ventilation flows caused by p ress u re d iffe re n ces d u e to a co m b i n ation of w i n d a n d

te m p e rature d iffe ren ces c a n a l so be est i m ated t h rou g h more c o m p l ex calcu lati o n s . F o r each
ventilation o pe n i n g , of a rea A , the flow can be obta i n e d fro m the fo l l ow i n g e q u ation based on
the p res s u re d iffe re nce d u e to wind a n d the c h a n g e in air dens ity:

(C.6)
I E C 60079- 1 0- 1 : 2 020 © I E C 2020 - 69 -

An nex D
(i nfo rmative )
Est i m at i o n of h a z a r d o u s a reas

D.1 General

The g u ida nce i n this an nex p rov i des for the esti m ation o f the type o f z o n e ( 0 .2) and the
extent of zone ( D . 3 ) to re l ate relevant factors i n c l u d i n g :

• the g rade of re lease (An nex B ) ,

• the effectiveness of venti lation a n d d e g ree of d i l ution (An nex C ) , and
• the ava i l a b i l ity of ventilation (Annex C ) .

T h e val ues for t h e param eters i n the form u l ae p rov ided s h o u l d be s e l ected t o g ive a n
a p p ro p riate leve l o f conservatism considering a n y u n ce rta i ntity. Based on t h i s a p p roach ,
specific safety factors a re not show n .

D.2 Esti mat i n g types o f t h e zones

Ta ble D . 1 can be used fo r est i m ati n g the type of zone fo r i n door a reas a n d open areas .

Table D . 1 - Zones for g rade of re lease a n d effectiveness of ventilation

Effectiveness of Venti l a t i o n

Low
H i g h D i l ut i o n M e d i u m D i l u t ion
Grade of D i l u t ion

r e lea se
Ava i l a b i l ity of venti l a t ion

G o o d , fa i r
Good Fair Poor Good Fair Poor
o r poor

Zone 0 Zone 0
Non-hazardous Zone 2 Zone 1
Conti n u o u s Zone 0 + + Zone 0
(Zone 0 N E )8 (Zone 0 N E )8 (Zone 0 N E )a
Zone 2c Zone 1
Zone 1 Zone 1
Non-hazardous Zone 2 Zone 2 Zone 1 or
P r i m a ry Zone 1 + +
(Zone 1 N E )8 (Zone 1 N E )8 (Zone 1 N E )a zone o c
Zone 2 Zone 2
Zone 1
Non-hazardous Non-hazardous
S e c o n d a ry b Zone 2 Zone 2 Zone 2 Zone 2 and even
Zone O d
(Zone 2 N E )8 (Zone 2 N E )8
a
Zone 0 N E , 1 N E or 2 N E i n d icates a theoretical zone which wou l d be of neg l i g i ble extent under normal
conditions.
b The Zone 2 area created by a secondary grade of re lease may exceed that attributable to a primary or
conti nuous g rade of release; i n this case, the g reater d istance should be take n .
c Zone 1 is not needed here. I . e. small Zone 0 is in the area wh ere the release is not contro lled by the venti l ation
and l a rger Zone2 fo r when ventilation fails.
d
Will be Zone 0 if the ventilation is so weak a n d the release is such that in practice a n explos i ve gas atmosphere
exists virtually continuously (i.e. approach i n g a 'no ventilation' conditi on).
' '
+ s i g n ifies 'surro unded by' .
Availability of ventilation in natura l l y ventilated enclosed s paces is commonly not considered as good.
 - 70 - I E C 60079- 1 0- 1 : 2 02 0 © I E C 2020

D.3 Esti mat i n g t h e exte nt o f t h e hazard o u s a rea

The extent of the hazardous area or reg i on wh ere fl a m m a b l e gas may occur d e p e n d s on the
re lease rate a n d several oth e r factors s u c h as gas properties a n d re l e ase geometry and
s u rrou n d i ng geometry .

F i g u re 0 . 1 m ay be used as a g u i d e to determ i n e the extent of hazard o u s area fo r various

forms of re lease. Other forms of calcu lation or assess ment based o n re putable sources may
a l so be a p p l ied (see Annex K).

T h e c u rves are based on a zero backgro u n d conce ntration and a re n o t a p p l ica b l e fo r i n door
med i u m and low d i l u t i o n s ituations (see C . 3 . 6 . 1 ) .

NOTE The curves i n the chart of F i g u re 0 . 1 are based u pon C F O s i m u lations for d iffe rent 'venti lation velocities'.
The d istances i n the chart are g iven to be reasonably worst-case fo r the g iven release. This has been compard
with C F O s i m u lations a n d the d istances g iven in reputa ble ind ustry codes.

The c h a rt rep res ents a rou g h a p p roxi mation for some l a rge-scale s ituations but wo u l d not be
re l i a b l e on a s m a l l scale leve l . W h e re a zone of n eg l i g i b l e extent ( N E ) is sug gested then the
use of t h i s c h a rt is not a p p l i c a b l e .

Extra polation o f t h e c u rves beyo n d t h e c h a rt a r e a s h own i n s h o u l d n o t be u n d e rtaken d u e to

other factors t h at w i l l affect the assessment beyond the l i m its i n d i cated even t h o u g h
hazardous d ista nces can be less t h a n 1 m as we l l a s h i g h e r than t h o s e shown i n F i g u re 0 . 1 .

The a p p ro p riate l i n e s h o u l d be sel ected based on t h e type of re l e ase as e i t h e r :

a ) An u n i m peded j et re lease w i t h h i g h velocity (typ i c a l ly a ch oked re lease ) ;

b ) A d iffu s i ve j e t re lease w i t h low velocity (typica l ly a s u b s o n i c re lease) or a j e t t h a t loses its
momentu m due to the geom etry of the re lease or i m p i n g e m e n t of the jet on nea rby
s u rface s ;
c) H eavy gases or vapours that s p read a l o n g horizontal s u rfa ces ( e . g . the g ro u n d ) .

U s e o f t h e 'J et' c u rve s h o u ld a p p l ied with cauti o n a s m a ny a p p l icat i o n s m a y b e better

re p resented by the ' D iffus ive' c u rve .
I E C 60079- 1 0- 1 : 2 020 © I E C 2020 - 71 -

E
� 1 00
Q)
+ + + +
u
c
2!
VJ
+
+
..
...�
+
+
.. +
... +
�
...
+ �
t tt
-0 + ... + ... +... ... ...

t
VJ Heavy g a s
:J
0
1:
l1l
N
l1l
T
I

0,01 0,1 10

F i g u re D . 1 - C h a rt for esti mat i n g hazard o u s a rea d istances

W h e re

Qc = Pg x LFL
is the vo l u metric re lease characte ristic of the s o u rce ( m 3/s);

is the d e n s ity of the gas/va p o u r ( kg/m 3 ) ;

W h e re a p propriate , other fo rms o f calculation or assess ment based on com p utati o n a l fl u i d

d y n a m ics ( C F D ) or test i n g m a y a l s o b e a p p l i e d .

F i g u re D . 1 does not i d e ntify d iffe re nt zones a n d zones s h o u l d be assessed ba sed on t h e

ventilation a ro u n d the source o f re lease (see A n n ex C ) a n d p os s i b l e variations i n re lease
co n d i t i o n s .

The m ethod o f u s i n g the chart i n F i g u re D . 1 is d e m o n strated i n the exa m p les o f An n ex E .

 - 72 - I E C 60079- 1 0-1 :2020 © I E C 2020

An n ex E
(i nfo rmative )
Exa m p l e s of h a z a r d o u s a rea c l a s s i fi ca t i o n

E.1 General

The p ractice o f hazardous a rea class ification i nvolves knowledge o f the behaviour of
fl a m m a b l e gases and l i q u i d s w h e n they a re rele ased from conta i n m e n t , a n d s o u n d
e n g i neering j u d g e m e n t b a s e d on experi e n ce o f the perfo rm a n ce o f i t e m s o f plant e q u i p ment
under specified conditions. For this reason , it is n ot practicable to g ive exa m p les for every
conceivable variation of p l a n t and p rocess cha racte ristics.

The exa m p les are not i ntended to be a p p l ied in p ra ctice and a re provided o n ly to i l l u strate an
optional means of assess ment as p resented in this sta n d a rd . T h e characteristics of re lease
and oth e r param eters used a re a l so o n l y provided to i l l u strate the m eans of assess ment a n d
m a y n o t re p resent rea l co n d itio n s .

E.2 Exa m p les

Exa m p l e 1

A normal i n d ustrial p u m p with mechanica l ( d i a p h rag m ) sea l , m o u nted at g ro u n d leve l , located

outdoor, p u m p i n g fla m m a b le l i q u i d .

C h a racte ristics of release:

F l a m m a b l e s u bsta nce Benzene ( GAS n o . 7 1 -43-2 )

Molar m ass 7 8 , 1 1 kg/kmol

Lower fl a m m a b l e l i m it, L F L 1 , 2 % vol . ( 0 , 0 1 2 vol ./vo l . )

Auto- ig n it i o n te m pe ratu re , A I T 498 ° C

Gas d e n s ity, Pg 3 , 24 7 kg/m 3 (ca l c u l ated a t a m b i e n t con d itions)

Gas d e n s ity i n d i cates the c u rve that s h o u l d be
a p p l ied fro m the c h a rt i n F i g u re D . 1

Source of re lease, SR M e c h a n ical seal

G rade of re lease Seco n d a ry ( l ea kage due to a seal rupture)

L i q u id re lease rate, W 0 , 1 92 kg/s , d eterm i ne d considering a

d i scharg e coefficient Cd = 0 , 75 , a hole size S =
5 m m 2 , a l i q u id d e n s ity p = 876 , 5 kg/m 3 a n d a

w9
press u re d iffere nce LJp = 1 5 bar

Gas re lease rate , 3 , 8 5 x 1 o-3 kg/s , d efi ned considering the

fraction of l i q u i d vapori sed fro m the p o i n t of
re lease ( 2 % of W) ; rema i n i n g l i q u i d d ra i ned to

Qc
sewer system

Volu metric re lease characteristic, 0 , 09 9 m 3 /s

I E C 60079- 1 0- 1 : 2 020 © I E C 2020 - 73 -

C h a racte ristics of l ocatio n :

O utdoor s ituation U n o bstructed area

A m b ient p ress u re , Pa 1 0 1 325 Pa

A m b ient te m pe rature, T 2 0 °C (293 K)

Ventilation velocity , uw 0 , 3 m /s

Ventilation ava i l a b i l ity Good (wind speed at m eteorological calm

con d i t i o n )

Effects of re lease:

Degree of d i l ution (see F i g u re E . 1 ) M ed i u m

Type of zone(s) Zone 2

E q u i p me n t g ro u p and temperature cl ass l l A T1

!!!
.s 1 0 .. .. .. .. ·t-
� - + -
::l .. + + -
� � t+
0
0
U>

I
>
c
Dil ution
0 high
�
�
(1)
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/EC

F i g u re E . 1 - D e g ree of d i l u t i o n (Exa m p l e N o . 1 )
 - 74 - I E C 60079- 1 0 - 1 :2020 © I E C 2020

E
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F i g u re E . 2 - H azard o u s d ista n c e ( Example N o . 1 )

Hazardous area cl assificati on :

Hazardous area d ista nces a re based on the assess m e n t fro m F i g u re E . 2 . F i g u re E . 3 d i s p l ays

the fro nt v i ew of the fac i l ity . The fi g u re is based on heavier than a i r vapo u r ; the vertical
d i sta nce is less than the ho rizo nta l as i l l u strated in F i g u re E . 3 .

3m
Not to scale

E
'°-

+ - Source of rel ease

� - Zone 1

� - Zone 2
/EC

NOTE The more severe class ification of the sump due to the low degree of d i l ution.

F i g u re E.3 - Zone c lassificat i o n (Exa m p l e No. 1 )

I E C 60079- 1 0- 1 : 2 020 © I E C 2020 - 75 -

Exa m p l e 2

A normal i n d ustrial p u m p with mecha n i ca l ( d i a p h rag m ) se a l , m o u nted at g ro u n d leve l , located

i n door, p u m p i n g fl a m m a b l e l i q u i d

C h a racte ristics o f re lease :

F l a m m a b l e s u bsta nce Benzene based l iq u i d prod uct

Molar m ass 78, 1 1 kg/kmol

Lower fl a m m a b l e l i mit, L F L 1 , 2 % vo l . ( 0 , 0 1 2 vol ./vo l . )

Auto- i g n ition te m pe ratu re , A I T 498 ° C

G a s d e n s ity, Pg 3 , 24 7 kg/m 3 (ca l c u l ated a t a m b i e n t con d itions)

Gas d e n s ity i n d i cates the c u rve that s h o u l d be
a p p l ied fro m the c h a rt i n F i g u re D . 1

Source of re lease, SR M e c h a n ical seal

G rade of re lease Seco n d ary ( l eakage due to a seal rupture )

L i q u id re lease rate, W 0 , 1 92 kg/s , d eterm i ne d considering a

d i scharg e coeffi cient Cd = 0 , 7 5 , a h o l e size
S = 5 m m 2 , a l i q u i d d e n s ity p = 876 , 5 kg/m 3
and a p ress u re d ifference LJ.p = 1 5 bar

Evaporation rate, We 3,85 x 1 o-3 kg/s , d efi ned considering the

fraction of l i q u i d vapori sed fro m the p o i n t of
re lease (2 % of W) ; rema i n i n g l i q u i d d ra i ned to
sewag e system

NOTE I nformation taken from ind ustrial code.

Gas vo l u m etric re lease rate, Q 9 1 , 1 9 x 1 0-3 m 3 /s

Volu metric re lease chara cteristic, Qc 0 , 0 9 9 m 3 /s

C h a ra cteristics of l ocatio n :

I n door s ituation B u i l d i n g natu ra l ly venti lated ( by w i n d )

A m b ient p ress u re , P a 1 01 325 Pa

A m b ient te m pe rature, Ta 20 ° C ( 2 9 3 K)

E n clos u re size, L x B x H = v0 6,0 m x 5,0 m x 5 , 0 m = 1 50,0 m3

A i r flow rate , Qa 306 m 3/h ( 0 , 0 8 5 m 3/s)

A i r flow rate ava i l a b i l ity F a i r, d efi ned con s i deri n g the wo rst
e n v i ro n m e ntal conditions (wi n d speed at
meteorolog ical calm condition)

Ventilation velocity , uw 0 , 003 mis , est i m ated by Qa I (L x H)

Critical conce ntrat i o n , Xcrit 0 , 003 vol ./vo l . , eq u a l to (0 , 2 5 x LFL)

Effects of re lease:

Ventilation i n effi ciency fa ctor, f 5

Backgro u n d concentrati o n , Xb 0, 068 vol ./vo l .

 - 76 - I E C 60079- 1 0 - 1 :2020 © I E C 2020

Concentrations comparison

Time req u i red to re ach Xcrit• td 7 , 67 h (s afety marg i n e q u a l to f)

Degree of d i l ution (see F i g u re E . 4 ) Low d u e to Xb > Xcrit

Type of zone(s) Zone 1

E q u i p me n t g ro u p and temperature cl ass l lA T1

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0,00 1 0,01 0, 1 10 1 00
Qc (m3/s)
/EC

F i g u re E.4 - D e g ree of d i l u ti o n ( Ex a m p l e N o . 2)

The p roce d u re of esti mati n g the d e g ree of d i l ut i o n by u s i n g the chart is not necessary i n this
case because the backgro u n d conce ntration i n the e n c l osed space is h i g h e r t h a n the critical
(Xb > Xcrit ) . So the deg ree of d i l u tion wo u l d be d e c l a red as low a n yway. F i g u re E.4 s i m p ly
confi rms the assess m e n t .

Hazardous a rea c l ass ificatio n :

The exa m p le deals with a relatively s m a l l i n door location w h e re the backgrou n d concentration
i s twice the critical one. Moreove r , the time req u i red to reach the critical backgro u n d
conce ntrati o n i s sig n ifi cant ( a l most 8 h ) . T h ere a re n o reasons t o esta b l i s h a vertical z o n e or a
Zone 2 beyond Zone 1 . T h e res u lting h azard ous a re a w i l l e n com pass the v o l u m e of the i n door
location considering the com parisons of concentrations , and the t i m e req u i red to reach the
critical o n es after the stop of the releas e . O p e n i n g s , if any, s h o u l d be considered as pote n t i a l
sources o f re lease.

If the air flow rate we re to be i m p rove d , t h e n the d e g ree of d i l u tion could be ' m ed i u m ' and the
hazardous area could be Zone 2 i n stead of Zone 1 .
I E C 60079- 1 0- 1 : 2 020 © I E C 2020 - 77 -

Exa m p l e 3

Vapour from a breather valve i n the open a i r , fro m a process vesse l .

C h a racte ristics of release:

F l a m m a b l e s u bsta nce Benze ne ( CAS no. 7 1 -43-2 )

Molar m ass 7 8 , 1 1 kg/kmol

Lower fl a m m a b l e l i m it, L F L 1 , 2 % vol . ( 0 , 0 1 2 vol ./vo l . )

Auto- i g n ition te m pe ratu re , A I T 498 ° C

Gas d e n s ity, Pg 3 , 24 7 kg/m 3 (calcu lated a t a m b i e n t con d itions)

Gas d e n s ity i n d i cates the c u rve that s h o u l d be
a p p l ied fro m the c h a rt i n F i g u re D . 1

Source of re lease, SR B reather valve

w9 o
G rade of re lease P r i m a ry ( p rocess vessel fi l l i n g )

Qc
Release rate, 4,5 x 1 -
3 kg/s ( m a n ufactu rer's data)

Volu metric re lease characteristic, 0 , 1 1 5 m 3/s

w9 o-2 kg/s ( m a n ufa ct u re r's data)

G rade of re lease Seco n d a ry (sea l i ng device ru pture)

Qc
Release rate, 4 , 95 x 1

Volu metric re lease chara cteristic, 1 , 27 m 3 /s

C h a racte ristics of l ocatio n :

O utdoor s ituation U n-o bstructed a rea

A m b ient p ress u re , P a 1 0 1 325 Pa

A m b ient te m pe rature, T 2 0 °C (293 K)

Ventilation velocity, uw 1 , 0 m is

Ventilation ava i l a b i l ity Good (wind s peed at ca l m conditions)

Effects of re leases:

Degree of d i l ution (see F i g u re E . 5 ) M ed i u m

Type of zone( s ) Zone 1 + Zone 2

E q u i p me n t g ro u p a n d tem perature cl ass l l A T1

 - 78 - I E C 60079- 1 0 - 1 :2020 © I E C 2020

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/EC

F i g u re E . 5 - D e g ree of d i l u t i o n (Exa m p l e N o . 3 )
I E C 60079- 1 0- 1 : 2 020 © I E C 2020 - 79 -

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F i g u re E . 6 - H azard o u s d ista n c e ( Example N o . 3)

Exte nt(s) of zon e(s), r fo r pri m a ry g rade re lease = 1 , 5 m; for seco n d a ry g rade re lease = 5 , 0 m

Hazardous a rea class ifi cati on :

Hazardous a rea d ista nces a re based on the assess m e n t fro m F i g u re E . 6 . Taking i nto acco u n t
relevant parameters , the fo l lowi n g hazardous a reas a re specific fo r the considered breather
valve (see F i g u re E . 7 ) .

Not to scale

+ - Source of release
� - Zone 1
� - Zone 2
/EC

F i g u re E . 7 - Zones c l assificat i o n ( Exa m p l e N o . 3)

 - 80 - I E C 60079- 1 0- 1 :2020 © I E C 2020

Exa m p l e 4

Co ntro l va lve i n cong ested locat i o n , i nsta l led i n a cl osed process p i pe-work syste m conveyi n g
fl a m m a b l e gas.

C h a racte ristics of re lease:

F l a m m a b l e s u bsta nce P ropane based gas m ixtu re

Molar m ass 44, 1 kg/k mol

Lower fl a m m a b l e l i mit, L F L 1 , 7 % vo l . ( 0 , 0 1 7 vo l . /vo l . )

Auto- i g n ition te m pe rature, A I T 450 °C

Gas d e n s ity, Pg 1 , 8 3 3 kg/m 3 (ca l c u l ated a t a m b i e n t con d itions)

Gas d e n s ity i n d i cates the c u rve that s h o u l d be
a p p l ied fro m the c h a rt i n F i g u re D . 1

Source o f re lease, SR Valve stem pack i ng

w9
G rade of re lease Seco n d ary ( packi n g ru pture)

Release rate, 5 , 0 6 x 1 o-3 kg/s , d ete r m i ned cons ideri n g an

operat i n g p res s u re p = 1 0 bar, tem perat u re
T = 1 5 ° C , hole s ize S = 2 , 5 m m 2 ,
com p ress i b i l ity facto r Z = 1 , po lytro p i c i n dex
r = 1 , 1 and d ischarg e coeffi cient Cd = 0 , 7 5

Volu metric re lease chara cteristic, Qc 0 , 1 62 m 3 /s

C h a ra cteristics of l ocatio n :

O utdoor s ituation U n o bstructed a rea

A m b ient p ress u re , P a 1 0 1 3 2 5 Pa

A m b ient te m pe rature, T 20 °C (293 K)

Ventilation velocity , uw 0 , 3 m /s

Ventilation ava i l a b i l ity Good (wind s peed at ca l m condition)

Effects of re leases:

Degree of d i l ution (see F i g u re E . 8 ) M ed i u m

Type of zone( s ) Zone 2

E q u i p me n t g ro u p a n d tem perature class l l A T1

I E C 60079- 1 0- 1 : 2 020 © I E C 2020 - 81 -

u;-
1 10
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t >- +- � >-
t+ I- +- � I-
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0,001
0,001 0,01 0, 1 10 1 00
Qc (m3/s)
/EC

F i g u re E . 8 - D e g ree of d i l u t i o n (Exa m p l e N o . 4)
 - 82 - I E C 60079- 1 0 - 1 :2020 © I E C 2020

E
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tt t
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F i g u re E . 9 - H azard o u s d ista n c e ( Example N o . 4)

Exte nt(s) of zon e ( s ) , r fro m 1 , 0 m to 2 , 0 m d u e to s u rro u n d i n g ch aracteristics ( i . e . i m peded or

u n i m peded jet re lease ) .

S i nce t h e c h a rt is n ot va l i d fo r less t h a n 1 m t h e zone i s assessed a s 1 m . If further

refi nement of this zone extent i s d es i re d , then a n other asses s m e n t method o l ogy s h o u l d be
used .

Hazardous a rea class ifi cati on :

Hazardous a rea d ista nces a re based on the assess m e n t fro m F i g u re E . 9 . Ta king i nto acco u n t
relevant p a ra mete rs , the fo l l owi n g hazardous a r e a i s specific fo r the con s i d e red control valve
(see F i g u re E . 1 0 ) .
I E C 60079- 1 0- 1 : 2 020 © I E C 2020 - 83 -

Not to scale

+ - Source of release [1J ·Diffusive

� - Zone 2 [2] · Jet d ispersion
/EC

F i g u re E . 1 0 - Zones class ifi cation (Exam p l e N o . 4)

Exa m p l e 5

Closed process p i pework syste m , l ocated i n door, convey i n g fl a m m a b l e g a s .

C h a racte ristics o f re leases:

F l a m m a b l e s u bsta nce Wet, o i l we l l natura l gas

Molar m ass 2 0 kg /kmol

Lower fl a m m a b l e l i mit, L F L 4 % vo l . ( 0 , 04 vol ./vo l . )

Auto- i g n ition te m pe ratu re , A I T 500 ° C

G a s d e n s ity, Pg 0 , 8 3 1 kg/m 3 (calcu lated a t a m b i e n t con d itions)

Gas d e n s ity i n d i cates the c u rve that s h o u l d be
a p p l ied fro m the c h a rt i n F i g u re 0 . 1 .

M u l t i p l e s o u rces of re lease, MSR

a) g rade of re lease Conti n u o u s (fug itive e m issions)
- type Pipe fittings (d isconti n u ities a l o n g p i p i n g )
- re lease rate per u n it, w9 1 , 0 x 1 o-9 kg/s ( l a bo ratory d ata)
- vo l u m etric re lease rate per u n it, Q9 1 , 2 x 1 o-9 m 3 /s
- n u m be r of releases 10
b) g rade of re lease P r i m a ry
- type Sea l i n g e l e m e n ts on moving pa rts at low
speed (co n trol va lves stem packi n g )
- re lease rate per u n it , w9 1 , 5 x 1 o-6 kg/s ( m a n ufactu rer's data)
- vo l u m etric re lease rate per u n it, Q9 1 , 8 x 1 0-6 m 3 /s
- n u m be r of releases 3
 - 84 - I E C 60079- 1 0- 1 : 2 020 © I E C 2020

c) g rade of re lease Seco n d ary

- type Sea l i n g e l e m e nts on fixed pa rts (fl a n g e with
fi bre g as ket)
- re lease rate per u n it , w9 1 , 7 x 1 o- 3 kg/s , dete r m i ned cons i d e r i n g
operat i n g p res s u re p = 5 bar, a tem perature
T = 1 5 ° C , a h o l e size S = 2 , 5 m m 2 , a
com p ress i b i l ity factor z = 1 , po lytro p i c i n dex
r = 1 , 1 a n d a d i scharg e coeffi cient Cd = 0, 75

- v o l u m etric re lease rate per u n it, Q9 2 , 05 x 1 o- 3 m 3 /s

- n u m be r of releases 1 , the l a rg est one

C h a ra cteristics of l ocatio n :

I n door s ituation B u i l d i n g naturally venti lated ( by w i n d )

A m b ient p ress u re , P a 1 01 325 Pa

A m b ient te m pe rature, Ta 20 ° C ( 2 9 3 K)

E n clos u re size, L x B x H = v0 3,0 m x 3 , 0 m x 3 , 5 m = 31 , 5 m3

A i r flow rate , Qa 1 89 m 3 /h ( 0 ,053 m 3 /s)

A i r flow rate avai l a b i l ity F a i r, d efi ned con s i deri n g the wo rst
e n v i ro n m e ntal conditions (wi n d s peed at
meteorolog ical c a l m condition)

Ventilation i n effi ciency fa ctor, f 3

Ventilation velocity , uw 0 , 005 mis , est i m ated by Qa I (B x H)

Critical conce ntrat i o n , Xcrit 0 , 0 1 v o l . /vol . , e q u a l to (0, 25 x LFL)

Effects of m u ltiple sources of release:

G rade of re lease Conti nuous (fug itive e m issions)

s u m mation of re lease rate s , rw9 1 , 0 x 1 0-8 kg/s

s u m mation of vo l u m etric re lease rate s , L'Q9 1 , 2 x 1 o-8 m 3/s

backgro u n d concentrati o n , Xb 6 , 7 9 x 1 0-7 vol ./vo l .

con centrat i o n s comp arison

vo l u m etric re lease chara cteristic, Qc 3 , 0 1 x 1 o-7 m 3 /s

d e g ree of d i l ution High

type of zone( s) Zone 0 NE

G rade of re lease P r i m a ry p l u s conti n uo u s

s u m mation of re lease rates, rw9 4 , 5 1 x 1 0-6 kg/s

s u m m at i o n of vo l u m etric re lease rate s , L'Q9 5,42 x 1 o-6 m 3 /s

backgro u n d concentrati o n , Xb 3, 1 x 1 0-4 vo l . /vo l .

con centrat i o n s comparison

vo l u m etric re l e ase characteristic, Qc 1 , 36 x 1 0-4 m 3 /s

I E C 60079- 1 0- 1 : 2 020 © I E C 2020 - 85 -

d e g ree of d i l ution High

type o f zone(s) Zone 1 N E

G rade of re lease Second ary p l u s p ri m a ry p l us conti n u o u s

re lease rate , w9 1 , 7 x 1 0-3 kg/s

vo l u m etric re lease rate , Q9 2 , 0 5 x 1 0-3 m 3 /s

backgro u n d concentrati o n , Xb 0, 1 2 vo l . /vol .

con centrat i o n s comp arison

t i m e req u i red to reach Xcrit• td 1 , 2 3 h (safety m a rg i n equal to f)

vo l u m etric re lease chara cteristic, Qc 0 , 05 1 m 3 /s

d e g ree of d i l ution Low d u e to Xb > Xcrit

type of zone( s ) Zone 1

-�
E q u i p me n t g ro u p and temperature cl ass l l A T1

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/EC

F i g u re E . 1 1 - Deg ree of d i l u t i o n (Exa m p l e N o . 5)

The p roce d u re of esti mati n g the d e g ree of d i l ut i o n by u s i n g the ch art i s not necessary i n this
case because the backgro u n d conce ntration i n the e n c l osed space i s h i g h e r th a n the critical
(Xb > Xc rit ) . S o the d e g ree of d i l u tion wou l d be dec l a red as low a n yway. F i g u re E . 1 1 s h ows
that the i ntersection p o i n t is wit h i n the a rea of ' d i l ution m ed i u m ' but close to the d i v i d i n g l i n e .
Allowing for u n ce rta i n ties i n t h e method o l ogy this s h ows t h e p rece d i n g assess ment i s
a p propri ate .
 - 86 - I E C 60079- 1 0-1 :2020 © I E C 2020

E
� 1 00

t tt
Q) + +
(.)
c: + +
t1l
+
:�
"O � + + + ++ +
VJ
::i + + + ++
0
� +
t1l
N
t1l
I + .. ... +

+
+
+
+ +

• • • • • • • • • • •

0,01 0, 1 10

F i g u re E . 1 2 - H aza rd o u s d i sta nce (Exam p l e N o . 5)

Exte nt of zone (see F i g u re E . 1 2 , r extent of zone i s a p prox i m ately 1 , 0 m d u e to s u rround i n g

cha racte ristics ( i . e . i m peded j e t re lease)

Hazardous area classification :

The res u l t i n g hazardous a rea w i l l encom pass the whole vo l u m e of the i n door location
because the backgrou n d concentrat i o n exceeds the critical concentration and the time fo r the
con centration to fa l l to the criti cal concentrati on afte r the re lease has stopped , is s i g n ifica nt.
Also, the extent of zone is s i g n ificant rel ated to the e n clos u re s ize (see C . 3 . 6 . 1 ) .

E.3 Exa m p l e case study f o r h azard o u s area cl ass ification

The fo l l ow i n g exa m p l e i s i n te n d ed t o i l l ustrate the m ethod o l ogy o f hazardous area

classification and the way in which zones s h o u l d be d is p laye d . Zone deta i l s may vary
d e p e n d i n g on the specific i nsta l lation deta i l s or a p p l ication of the re levant code of practice.
T h i s exa m p l e has been taken because it conta i n s a variety of fo rms of re lease which are
fre q u e ntly met i n practice , separately or i n various com b i n ations or i n d i ffe rent contexts .
That's why the com pressor fac i l ity i n this exa m p l e s h o u l d be cons i d e red j u st as a fra m ework
for the methodology set forth in the sta n d a rd .

The exa m p l e i s a co m p ressor fac i l ity h a n d l i n g natu ra l gas (see F i g u re E . 1 3 ) . The com p ressor
u n its a re skid mou nted packages cons i st i n g of a gas eng i n e , co m p ressor, com b i ned a i r
coo ler, process p i p i n g , on-skid scru b b e rs , pu lsation bottl e s , a n d a ux i l i a ry eq u i p ment.
I E C 60079- 1 0- 1 : 2 020 © I E C 2020 - 87 -

Gas e n g i nes a n d com pressors i n t h i s exa m p le a re considered to be i nsta l l ed w ith i n a natura l ly

venti lated s h e l te r with a i r entering throu g h lo uvered o p e n i n g s at the bottom a n d a n open fro nt
of the she lter a n d leav i n g t h rou g h a rooftop o pe n i n g (see Ta b l e E . 1 ).

The exte rn a l part of the fa c i l ity is cons i d e red to consist of co m b i ned air coo l e rs with coo l i n g
water a n d process g a s heat exc h a n g e rs , p i p i n g , va lves ( e m e rgency s h u t dow n , b l ock and
reg u l ati n g ) , off-skid scru bbers , etc .

The fl a m m a b l e s u bsta nces that a p pear i n t h i s exa m p l e a re p resented i n Ta b l e E . 2 :

1) P rocess gas ( n atural gas with 80 % vol m et h a n e ) ,

2) P rocess gas condensate collected i n t h e scru b b e rs a n d autom atica l ly d ra i ned towards a
collect i n g rese rvo i r ( m a i n ly heavier hydrocarbons i n q u a ntities w h i c h a re dete r m i ned by
the respective eq u i l i b r i u m state at each sta ge of com p ress i o n ) ,
3 ) Gas eng i n e fu e l a n d sta rti n g g a s (dry p i p e l i n e q u a l ity natural gas, m i n 9 6 % vol metha n e ) ,
4 ) Various c h e m i c a l s a p plied i n t h e p roces s , e . g . co rros ion i n h i b i tors , antifreezing a d d i tives.

The sources of re lease that a p pear i n this exa m p l e a re p resented in Ta b l e E . 3 :

1 ) Sta rti n g gas vent ( a pre d i ctable source that g ives p r i m a ry g rade o f re lease; h a p pens at
each sta rt of the e n g i n e ) ,
2 ) C o m p ressor b l owdown v e n t ( a p red i cta b l e sou rce that g ives p r i m a ry g rade o f re lease;
happens at each depress u rization of the blocked compressor),
3) Gas e n g i n e shut-off valve vent (a relatively p red i ctable source that g i ves primary g rade of
re lease ( h a p p e n s at each s h utdown of the e n g i n e when the i n co m i n g fue l gas gets
b l ocked and the tra p ped gas i s evacu ated to atmosphere ) ,
4) P ress u re re l ief va l ve vent (a n o n pred i cta ble s o u rce t h at typ i c a l l y g i ves seco n d a ry g rade
of re lease; h a p p e n s i f the press u re u pstream i n creases a bove the set p o i n t ; u s u a l ly a
s h utdown safety device is i nsta l l e d i n the protective syste m of com p ressor u n i ts to tri p
before the safety re l i ef va lve opens a n d therefore it s h o u l d not norm a l ly be considered as
the source t h at g ives primary g rade of re lease; see B . 2 . 2 and B . 2 . 3 ) ,
5 ) C o m p ressor piston rod pack i n g s vent (a source that typica l l y g i ves pri m ary grade of
re lease, h owever, if in d o u bt reg a rd i n g mon itori n g , control a n d q u al ity of m a i ntenance , this
vent may be considered as a source that g ives continu ous g rade of release, see B . 2 . 2 and
B . 2 .3 ) ,
6 ) G a s e n g i n e , compressor a n d a i r coo l e r (sources t h at g ive seco n d a ry g rade o f re lease),
7) P rocess gas scru b be rs and d ra i n s (sou rces that g ive seco n d a ry g rade of re lease of the
l iq u i d p h as e ) .
8 ) Valves i n s i d e a n d outs i d e o f t h e s h elter (sources that g ive secondary g rade of re l e ase ) .
9) Pipe co n n ections (sou rces that g ive seco n d a ry g rade o f re lease ) .

T h e rates of re lease fo r the pu rpose o f this i l l ustration a re assessed as fo l l ows :

1) For start i n g g a s , the gas flow rate d e l ivered as s h own i n the m a n ufactu rer's data s h eet for
p n e u m atic sta rters ,
2) For blowdown vent, the press u rized gas tra pped i n the compressor cy l i n d e rs , scru bbers ,
pu lsati on bottles and p rocess p i p i n g ,
3) For g a s e n g i ne shut-off va lve vent, the gas tra pped i n the fue l l i n e a n d cy l i nd e rs ,
4) For safety rel ief va lves vent, the gas flow rate d e l ivered i n the m a n ufacturer's d ata s h eet
fo r the res pective p ressure set p o i n t , or the gas flow rates calcu l ated accord i n g to
B . 7 . 2 . 3 . 2 or B . 7 . 2 . 3 . 3 , or esti mated otherwise.
5) For all oth e r s o u rces of re lease, the gas flow rates c a l c u lated a ccord i n g to B . 7 . 2 . 3 . 2 , or
B . 7 . 2 . 3 . 3 , or esti mated otherwise.

�
Air outlet
�_j
�
Key
1 - Air outlet ventilation open i n g
2 - Starting gas vent
3 - Com pressor blowdown vent
4 - Fuel gas s h ut-off valve vent
5 and Sa - P ress u re relief valve vents
6 - Com pressor piston rod packings vent
F i g u re E . 1 3 - E n c l osed com pressor h a n d l i n g natu ral gas
Table E.1 - C o m p ressor fa c i l ity h a n d l i n g natu ral gas
C l a s s ificat i o n proced u re c o n s i d e ra t i o n s for t h e s h elter
01 What a re t h e flammable
s u bstances i nvolved?
02 Is the composition of those
s u bstances known?
03 For this example val ues
calcu lated or assu med for the
lower flammable l i mits of the
flammable su bsta nces are
provi ded.
04 What a re the sou rces of release
with i n the shelter?
05 What a re the g rades of release?
06 What wou l d be the most
representative sou rces of release
under g iven conditions?
- 88 - I E C 60079- 1 0- 1 : 2 02 0 © I E C 2020
1
3
4
Sa
5
6
/EC
Process gas, gas condensate collected in the i nterstage scrub bers of
the compressor u n its and engine fuel and starti n g gas.
It is known for the p rocess, fuel and starting gas but it is not known
for the process gas condensate. For the pu rpose of this example It
has been assumed that it is a mixture of various heavier
hydrocarbons, mostly penta ne and hexane with water.
• for the process gas: LFL = 0 , 04;
• for the fu el a n d starti ng gas: LFL = 0 , 05;
• LFL
for the condensate: =
0, 0 1 3 to 0 , 08 depending on the
compression stage.
Pipe con nections on the gas engines , com pressors, scrub bers and
the piping as well as local i nstruments connections
The g rades of release are all second a ry. It is assumed that th ere
should be no gas in the she lter under normal operati n g conditions
provi ded that the fac i l ity is we l l mon itored and maintained.
Reci p rocati ng com p ressors rarely leak at the cyl i n ders . However,
they are vi brating machi nery with the p rocess piping exposed to
dynamic a n d therm a l stresses. Therefore, any pipe con nection may
be a sou rce of release.
The other rea l istic source of re lease wou l d be c ran kcase b reather
valve of the compressor. When a piston rod packing gets worn or
broke n , then the com p ressed gas may blow-by, enter the cra n kcase
and then leak thro u g h the breather valve into the surrounding area.
There a re also other sou rces of release which have to be scrutinized .
Some may not be obvious and may re main hidden for q uite some
time thus ra ising the do ubts about the g rade.
I E C 60079- 1 0- 1 : 2 020 © I E C 2020 - 89 -

C l a s s i fi cati o n proced u re co n s i d e ra t i o n s for t h e s h elter

07 Since the sou rces that g ive The one that will g ive h igher release rate, e.g. at 2nd stage of
secondary g rades of release are compression which is the more stressed , taki n g the re lease orifice of
not sum mated, which of those 2 , 5 mm2 (see Table B . 1 ).
should be chosen for the
pu rpose? • M= 2 1 ,6 kg/kmol;
• y = 1 , 2;
• p = 5 1 bar;
• T= 422 K (max allowed worki n g temperature) .
08 Assuming that the leak at the Since the operati n g press ure ind icates sonic release, the res u lt shall
blown gasket appears as more be:
abu ndant, what would be the
release rate? w9 "' 1 , 54 x 1 0-2 kg/s; with Cd being 0,75 a n d S as 2,5 mm2
(see eq uation B . 4 )
Q "' 1 , 85 x 1 0-2 m 3/s
g
09 I s natura l venti lation of the Yes, the buoya ncy i n d uced natural ventilation will be possible even
s helter poss ible at all ambient d u ring hot summer d ays beca use the heat d issi pated by the engines
conditions throughout a year? and com p ressors will constantly keep the i nterior temperature a bove
the ambient. The confi g u ration of the s helter w i l l also enable wind to
enh ance the ventilation no matter at which d i rection it is blowi ng.
10 What a re the geometrical • Length of the shelter: L = 12 m
characteristics of the b u i l d i n g ?
• Breadth of the s helter: B = 12 m
• Overa l l height of the she lte r: H= 8,0 m
• Total vol ume concerned: V z 1 000 m 3
• Volume under consi deration: v0 0,80 x V = 800 m 3 ; A vol u m e
z

l e s s t h a n v0 is applied as a n allowance for t h e enclosed

equi pment which red uces the effective vol ume.
• Total effective a rea of the a i r i n let openings: A 1 = 30 m2
• = 24 m2
Total effective a rea of the a i r outlet open i ngs: A
2
• Vertical d ista nce between the midpoi nts of rear i n let a n d outlet
openings: H1 = 7,0 m
• Vertical d ista nce between the midpoints of front i n let and outlet
openings: H2 = 5,4 m
• Average vertical d istance between the midpoint of the openings:
Ha =6,2 m
11 What is the equ ivalent effective Ae"' 26,5 m2 (see C . 5 . 2 )
area of the lower open ing?
12 What a re the temperatu res a t the • Average inside tem perature: Ti n = 316 K
most u nfavou rable conditions?
• Outside tem peratu re: Tout = 313 K
13 What is the vol u metric flow rate Q8 "' 1 0,7 m 3 I s ; with Cd

� "' 48 h-1
be ing 0,75 (see equation C.4)
of fresh a i r?
14 What i s the n u mber of a i r
c
cha nges p e r hour i n t h e vol ume Vo
=

under cons ideration?

4 8 a i r cha nges per hour is selected for the pu rpose of this example
to i l l ustrate very d ra u g hty conditions and may not be applicable for
actual conditions in a rea l situatio n .
15 What i s the ventilation velocity? T h e ventilation velocity s h o u l d b e calcu lated accord i ng t o t h e air flow

� "' 0,075 m l s
pattern a n d that i m plies that the referent cross section of the shelter
is horizontal :

uw =
LxB

16 What i s the background

concentration i n the volume Xb = f x Qg
C V0
"' 0 18% 4 5%
, "' , LFL ( see equation C. 1 )
under cons ideration?
 - 90 - I E C 60079- 1 0- 1 : 2 02 0 © I E C 2020

C l a s s i fi cati o n proced u re co n s i d e ra t i o n s for t h e s h elter

17 What i s the vol u metric release Qc � 0,5 m 3/s

characteristic?
Since the air flow patte rn ind icates movement of the a i r u pward s ,
there is no reason to a p p l y a more strict factor o f inefficiency of
ventilation than 1 , 0.
18 What is the degree of d i l ution? See the chart i n F i g u re C. 1 a n d find the i ntersection of the values for
axis X and Y. The d i l ution ap pears as med i u m .
19 I s the background concentration No, it is 4,5 % LFL.
in this volume hig her than 25 %
LFL? Taking into acco u nt the answe r, the degree of d i l ution can be
considered as med i u m .
20 What is the ava ilability of the The avai l a b i l ity i n naturally ventilated enclosed spaces should never
ventilation? be considered as g ood due to the vari ous natural u ncerta i nties. So
we have to consider the avai l a b i l ity as fa ir.
21 What will b e the type o f the zone Taking i nto account the g rades of re lease, the degree of d i l ution and
within the shelter? the availabil ity of ventilation, the i nterior of the s h elter is classified
as zone 2 (see Table D. 1 ).
22 Is there any opening which may Yes, it is the rooftop outlet opening.
be considered as the sou rce of
release? It is type A open i n g .

23 What is t h e mass release rate of Wg = u 2 A2 Pg Xb = Uw L B Pg Xb

the gas through this opening?
w9 � 1 , 54 x 1 0-2 kg/s;
The res ult is the same as with equation ( B . 4 ) which is i n com plia nce
with Mass Conservation Law.
24 What is the degree of d i l ution? The degree of d i l ution is again obtained by using the chart in
F i g u re C. 1 , except that the ventilation velocity uw is now the wind
s peed. We assume that 1 , 0 mis is a rea l istic approximation taking
into acco u nt the height of the opening a bove the ground (see Table
C.2). The degree of d i l ution sti l l appears as med i u m .
25 What is t h e hazardous area The hazardous area shall apparently be zone 2 (see Fig ure E . 1 4 ) .
around t h e opening?
26 What is the hazardous d istance The hazardous d istance can be esti mated by applying the method
around the opening? set i n Annex D (see F i g u re D. 1 ). Ta king i nto acco unt the position of
the sou rce of release, there is no need fo r too much conservatism
and the lower curve should be the logical choice. Hazardous
d ista nce i n the chart ap pears somewhat a bove 1 , 0 m so the zone will
have the extent of 1 , 5 m (see Figure E . 1 4 ).
27 Conclusion The whole area under the shelter is zone 2. There is no need to
extend the zone beyond the wa lls except at the rooftop where the a i r
and gas mixture m a y escape as res ult o f t h e b uoyancy ind uced
natu ral ventilation (see F i g u re E . 1 4 and Figure E . 1 5 ) .

S i m i l a r cons i d e rations could be a p p l ied fo r oth e r sou rces of re lease q uoted in t h i s case study.
 m
()
Tab l e E . 2 - H az a rd o u s a rea c l ass ification d ata s h eet - Part I : F l am m a b l e s u bsta n ce l ist a n d c h a ra cteristics O')
0
0
S h eet 1 of 3 -....J
<O
I
__,..
P l a n t : C o m p ressor fac i l ity h a n d l i n g n atural g a s ( c a s e a n a l y s i s ) 0
F i g u res E . 1 4, E . 1 5 I
__,..
A re a :
"'
0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 "'
0
F l a m m a b l e s u b st a n c e Volatil ity" L F L/U F L Ex c h a racteristics
@
Name Compos iii Molar Relative Polytropic Flash Ignition Boiling Vapour vol (kg/m 3 ) Equip Temp. Any other relevant m
on mass density i ndex of point tem p . point p ress u re men! class i nformation or ()
gas/a i r a d i a batic 20 °C (%) g roup remark, "'
(kg/ expansion (oC) (oC) (oC) 0
kmol) (kPa) E.g. sou rce of data "'
0
v
80 % vol
C H4+
Process 0, 036/
1 higher 21 ,6 0,8 1 ,2 -
>400 - -
4,0/ 1 8 l lA T2 Laboratory report
gas 0, 1 62
hyd rocarb
ons
<O
l so- and
Process normal 0 , 025 to
1 , 3 to
gas pentane, 0, 1 53/ The val ues a re
2 46 >3,0 -
<30 <300 <50 u n known 8, 0/ UFL l lA T3
conden hexane UFL estimated
u n known
sate and u n known
heptane
96 % vol
Starting C H4+
0, 035/
3 and fuel higher 1 6,8 0,6 1 ,3 -
>500 - -
5,0/ 1 5 l lA T1 Laboratory report
0 , 1 05
gas hyd rocarb
ons

a
Normally, the value of vapou r pressu re is given, but in the a bsence of that, boiling point also ind icates the volati l ity.
 Tab l e E . 3 - H azard o u s a rea c l ass ification d ata s h eet - Part I I : List of s o u rces of re lease (1 of 2)

S h eet 2 of 3

P l a n t : C o m p re s s o r fac i l ity h a n d l i n g n atural g a s (case a n a l y s i s ) F i g u res

A re a : E.14, E.15

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
S o u rce of re l e a s e Flammable s u bstance Venti l ation Hazard o u s area
Descrip Location G rade Rate of Release Refere O perating State c Type ct Deg ree Avai l a Zone Zone extent Refe Any other
ti on of rele re lease characte nceb temperature of bility type (m) rence1 i nform a
a sea (kg/s) ristic and pressure d i l utione 0-1 -2 tion or
(m 3 /s) (oC) ( kPa) Vertical Horizontal remark
1 , 54 x
s
Air outlet 101,
1 Roof top 0,5 1 - G N Medium Good 2 1 ,5 1 ,5
opening 1 0-2 325
9,0 9,0 Manufac
p
Starting Above
2 0,5 16 3 25 1 000 G N Medium Good 1 from vent from vent tu re r's
gas vent the roof
outlet outlet data
Comp re
8,0 8,0 Trapped
p
ssor Above
3 1 ,75 52 1 35 5 000 G N Medium Good 1 from vent from vent volume
blowdown the roof
outlet outlet release <D
vent "'
Fuel gas 6,0 6,0 Trapped I
p
Above
4 shut-off 0,25 7,7 3 25 50 G N Medium Good 1 from vent from vent volume
the roof
valve vent outlet outlet release
3,0 3,0 Leak ( not
1 ,8 x
s
Safety Above
5 0,54 1 1 49 2 800 G N Medium Good 2 from vent from vent ful l flow
valve vent the roof 1 0-2
outlet outlet operation)
3,0 3,0 Leak ( not m
5a
Safety
Scrubber s
1 ,8 x ()
0,54 1 50 5 500 G N Medium Good 2 from vent from vent ful l flow
valve vent 1 0-2 CJ)
outlet outlet operation) 0
Piston rod 1 ,5 1 ,5 0
Above 1 ,0 x 0,3 101, --.J
6 packings P/C 1 25 G N Medium Good 0 or 1 from vent from vent <D
the roof 1 0-2 325 I
vent outlet outlet ......

0
I nside I

1 , 54 x
s
Gas I nterior of I nterior of ......

7 the 0,5 3 25 50 G N Medium Fair 2

engine 1 0 -2 the s helter the shelter "'
shelter 0
"'
I nside 0
1 , 54 x
s
Comp re 200 to I nterior of I nterior of
7a
ssor
the
1 0 -2
0,5 1 1 49
5 000
G N Medium Fair 2
the s helter the shelter @
s helter
m
l nfront of
1 ,8 x
2 500 3,0 3,0 ()
7b Air cooler the s 0,54 1 50 to G N Medium Good 2 from a i r from a i r
1 0 -2 "'
shelter 5 000 cooler cooler 0
"'
0
 m
Ta b l e E . 3 (2 of 2) ()
0)
0
S h eet 3 of 3
0
-....J
<O
I
P l a n t : C o m p ressor fa c i l ity h a n d l i n g natural gas (case a n a l y s i s ) F i g u res -->.

Area: E 1 4, E . 1 5 0
I
-->.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 "'
S o u rce of release F l a m m a b l e s u b stance Ventilation Hazard o u s area 0
"'
0
Descri p Location G rade Rate of Release Refere Operating Statec Type d Degree Availa Zone Zone extent Refe Any other
lion of re rel ease characte nceb temperature of bi l ily type rence1 i nform a @
(m)
leasea ( kg/s) ristic and pressure d i l ution° 0-1 -2 lion or m
remark ()
(m 3 /s) ( o C) (kPa) Vertical Horizontal
"'
Process I nside 0
0 , 93 x
s
the I nterior of I nterior of "'
8 gas 0,4 1 50 2 500 L N Medium Fair 2 0
scrubber 1 0 -2 the s helter the s helter
s helter
P rocess Outside 3,0 3,0
0 , 93 x
Sa gas of the s 0,4 2 50 5 000 L N Medium Good 2 from the from the
1 0 -2
scrubber s helter scrubber srcubber
Inside 2 500
1 ,8 x
s
I nterior of I nterior of
9 Valves the 0 , 54 1 /2/3 50 to G/L N Medium Fair 2
1 0 -2 the s helter the s helter <O
s helter 5 000 w
Outside 2 500 I
1 ,8 x
s
3,0 3,0
9a Valves the 0 , 54 1 /2/3 50 to G/L N Medium Good 2
1 0 -2 from valves from valves
s helter 5 000
Pipe Inside 2 500
1 ,8 x
s
I nterior of I nterior of
10 connec the 1 0 -2
0 , 54 1 /2/3 50 to G/L N Medium Fair 2
the s helter the s helter
lions s helter 5 000
3,0 3,0
Pipe Outside 2 500
1 ,8 x
s
from p i pe from p i pe
1 0a connec the 0 , 54 1 /2/3 50 to G/L N Medium Good 2
1 0 -2 connec connec
lions s helter 5 000
lions. lions

a
C - Continuous; S - Seconda ry ; P - Primary
b Quote the number of list in Part I
c G - Gas; L - Liquid; LG - Liquid gas; S - Solid
d N - Natura l ; A - Artificial
e
See Annex C
f
I ndicate code reference if used or cal cu l ation reference
�
N o t to scale

1 - Air outlet opening

Zone 1

�
2 - Starting gas vent

3 - Compressor bl owdown vent

Zone 2 4- F u e l gas shut-off valve vent

5 & Sa - Safety relief valve

6 - Compressor piston rod

packings vent

<D
.j:>.
I

m
()
CJ)
0
0
--.J
Air inlet
<D
I
......
wind
0
pressure I

(Pw)
......

"'
0
"'
0
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IEC

F i g u re E . 1 5 - Exa m p l e of h azard o u s a rea c l assifi cation fo r a c o m p ressor faci l i ty h a n d l i n g n at u ra l gas ( p l a n )

 - 96 - I E C 60079- 1 0- 1 : 2 0 2 0 © I E C 2020

An n ex F
(i nfo rmative )
Sc h e m a t i c a p p ro a c h to c l as s i f i c at i o n of h az a rd o u s a reas

F.1 Schematic a p p roach to classificat i o n o f hazardous areas

F i g u re F . 1 s h ows a sch ematic a p proach to cl assification of hazard o u s areas.

Flammable substance container

Does it conta i n a quantity of fla m m able substance

which is capable of prod ucing a dangerous vol ume of 1------1� No
...._ __,
explosive gas atmosphere? _

Are there a n y sou rces of release? No

Can the sou rces of release be eli m i nated? Yes

The g rades of each release m u st be determ i ned

CONTI N U O U S g rade of release PRI MARY g rade of release SECONDARY g rade of release

Go to F.2 Go to F . 3 Go t o F.4
/EC

NOTE A sou rce of release may g ive rise to more than one g rade of release or a com bination.

F i g u re F.1 - S c h e m at i c a p p roach to classificat i o n

I E C 60079- 1 0- 1 : 2 020 © I E C 2020 - 97 -

F.2 Schematic a p p roach t o classificat i o n of hazardous areas

F i g u re F . 2 s h ows a sch ematic a p proach to cl assification of hazard o u s a reas.

CONTI N U O U S g rade of release

Can it be changed to P R I MARY g rade?

Yes G o to F . 3

Para meters which affect the type a n d exte nt of zones m ust be eva l u ated
( e . g . release rate, velocity, etc . )

T h e d e g ree o f d i l ution m u s t b e determined ( i ndoor locations req u i re backgro u n d concentration assessment)

High

Can it be changed Can it be changed

Yes Yes
to High Dilution? to Medium Dilution?

The ava i l a b i l ity of the ventilation The avai l a b i l ity of the ventilation The ava i l a b i l ity of the ventilation
m ust be determ ined must be determ ined is not considered

The type of zone is determ ined

N on­ Zone O
Zone 1
hazardous +
(Zone O N E ) Zone O
(Zone O N E ) Zone 1

Zone O
Zone 2 +
(Zon e O N E ) Zone O
Zone 2

U s i n g a n appropriate code o r U s i n g an appro p riate code or U s i n g a n a p p ropriate code or

calculations determ i n e the extent cal c u l at i o n s dete r m i n e the extent calculations determ i ne the extent
of zone of zone of zone
/EC

NOTE Zones N E i n d icate zones which would be of n e g l i g i b l e extent u n d e r n o rmal co n d i t i o n s .

F i g u re F . 2 - Schematic a p p roach to c l assifi cation for conti n u o u s g rade releases

 - 98 - I E C 60079- 1 0- 1 : 2 020 © I E C 2020

F.3 Schematic a p p roach t o classificat i o n o f hazardous areas

F i g u re F . 3 s h ows a sch ematic a p proach to cl assification of hazard o u s a reas.

From F.1 or F.2

P R I M ARY grade of release

Can it be changed to secondary g rade?

Yes G o to F . 4

Para meters w h i c h affect t h e type a n d extent of zones m ust be eva l uated ( e . g .

rel ease rate, velocity, etc . )

T h e degree o f d i l ut i o n m ust b e deter m i ned (i ndoor l ocations req u i re b a ck g round concentration assessment)

High

Can it be changed to Can it be changed to

Yes Yes
H i g h D i l ution? Medium Dilution?

The ava i l a b i l ity of the vent i l ation The a v a i l a b i l ity of the ventilation The availability o f the ventilation
is not considered is not considere d is not considered

The type of zone is determined

Zone 1
Non-hazardous Zone 2
Zone 1 +
(Zone 1 N E )' 1 > (Zone 1 N E )' 1 > Zone 2

Zone 1
Zone 2
+
(Zone 1 N E )' 1 > Zone 2

U s i n g a n a ppropriate code or Using an a ppropriate code o r U sing a n a ppropriate code or

calculations determ ine the exte nt calculations determ ine t h e extent calculations determ ine the extent
of zone of zone of zone
/EC

NOTE 1 Zones N E i n d icate zones which would be of n e g l i g i ble exte nt u n d e r normal con d i t i o n s .

NOTE 2 W i l l be Z o n e 0 if the l o w d i l ution is so w e a k a n d t h e rel ease is such t h a t i n practice a n explosive gas

atmosphere exist v i rt u a l l y conti n u o u s l y i.e. a pp roac h i n g a " n o ventilation" co n d i t i o n .

F i g u re F . 3 - S c h e m at i c a p p roach to classificati o n fo r p ri m a ry g rade releases

I E C 60079- 1 0- 1 : 2 02 0 © I E C 2020 - 99 -

F.4 Schematic a p p roach t o classificat i o n of hazardous areas

F i g u re F . 4 s h ows a sch ematic a p proach to cl assification of hazard o u s a reas.

F rom F . 1 o r F . 3

S E C O N DARY g ra d e o f release

Can it be e l i m i nated?

Yes N o n -h azard o u s a re a

Parameters which affect t h e type and extent o f zones m u st be evaluated

( e . g . release rate, velocity, etc . )

The d e g ree o f d i lution m u s t be deter m i ned ( i ndoor locations req u i re backgro u n d concentration assessment)

High

Can it be changed to Can it be changed to

Yes Yes
H i g h D i l ut io n ? M e d i u m Dilution?

The ava i l a b i l ity of the vent i l ation The ava i l a b i l ity of the ventilation The ava i l a b i l ity of the ventilation is
m ust be determ ined must be determ ined not consid ered

The type of zone is deter m i ned The type of zone is determined

N o n -hazardous
Zone 2 ( 3 ) Zone 2 Zone 2 ( 3 )
(Zon e 2 N E ) P l

Non-hazardous Zone 1 and

(Zon e 2 N E ) P l even Zone O (2)

U s i n g an ap propriate code o r U s i n g an appropriate code or Using an ap propriate code or

calculations dete rm i n e the exte nt calculations dete r m i n e the extent calculations determ ine the extent
of zone of zone of zone
/EC

NOTE 1 Zones N E i n d icate zones which would be of n e g l i g i b l e exte nt u n d e r normal con d i t i o n s .

NOTE 2 W i l l be Z o n e O if t h e l o w d i l ution is so w e a k a n d t h e rel ease is such t h a t i n practice a n explosive gas

atmosphere exists v i rtually con t i n u o u s l y i . e . a p p roach i n g a " n o ventilation" co n d i t i o n .

NOTE 3 The Z o n e 2 a r e a created by secondary g rade o f release can exceed that attri butable to a pri m a ry or
conti n u o u s g rade of release.

F i g u re F.4 - S c h e m at i c a p p roach to c l ass ifi cation for secondary g rade releases

 - 1 00 - IEC 60079- 1 0 - 1 : 2 020 © I E C 2020

A n nex G
(i nfo rmative )
F l a m m a b l e m i sts

G.1 When a l i q u i d i s h a n d led at o r a bove its fl ash point, a n y re l e ase wi l l be tre ated throu g h
t h e normal hazardous a rea class ification p rocess described i n t h i s sta n d a rd . I f it is re leased
below the fl ash p o i nt, under certain c o n d i t i o n s , it may fo rm a fl a m m a b l e m i st cloud . Even the
l i q u ids that can be considered as non h azardous at p rocess te m pe ratures, in some s i tuations
may fo rm a fl a m m a b l e m ist which may then g ive rise to a n explosion h azard . Exa m p les of
l i q u ids that a re co m mo n l y con s i d e red in this reg a rd i n c l u d e high fl ash point l i q u i d fue l s , heat
excha nge o i l s a n d l u bricati n g o i l s .

G.2 I n p ractice , a l i q u i d re lease w i l l norma l ly com prise o f b road ra n g e o f d ro p l et sizes with

l a rg e r d ro p l ets te n d i n g to fa l lout i m m e d i ately, leav i n g only a s m a l l fraction of the re lease
a i rborne i n the form of a fl a m m a b l e mist. The fl a m m a b i l ity of the m i st depends u pon the
con centrat i o n i n air of the d rop lets p l us any vapour, a fu nction of the volat i l ity of the l i q u i d and
the d ro p l et sizes w ith i n the c l o u d . The size of d ro p l ets d e p e n d s upon the pressu re at w h i c h
t h e l i q u i d i s being released , the p roperties o f the l i q u i d ( p r i m a rily d e nsity, s u rface tens i o n a n d
viscosity) a n d the size a n d s h a pe o f t h e re lease o pe n i n g . N o rm a l l y , h i g h e r p ress u res a n d
s m a l l e r o p e n i ngs w i l l contri bute t o the d e g ree of atomization o f t h e re lease jet thus g iv i n g the
rise to a n explos ion h azard . O n the other h a n d , smaller release o pe n i ngs i m p l y s m a l l e r
re lease rates thus red ucing the h azard .

G.3 It has been p roved that fl a m m a b l e m i st s ized d ro p l ets a re the m ost eas i ly i g n itable
portion of the m ist clo u d , thou g h g e ne ra l l y these are only a s m a l l fraction of the tota l re lease .
T h i s fraction may i n crease if the re lease j et i m pa cts o n a nearby s u rface .

NOTE 1 F l a m m a b l e m ists a re s m a l l ( s u b-m icron to 50 m icrons) p a rticles in suspension in the atmosphere.

NOTE 2 Droplets i n the fla m mable mist range m ight be a s low as 1 % of the total mass released, s u bj ect to
release con d it i o n s .

NOTE 3 F u e l d roplet clouds h a v e generally been fou n d d iffic u l t to i g n ite, u n less t h e re is sufficient mass o f vapour
or very s m a l l d ro p l ets p resent.

G.4 The l i ke l i hood t h at the release of l i q u i d w i l l g e n e rate a fl a m m a b l e m i st d u ri n g normal

operati o n a n d/or exp ected ma l fu n ctions should be ca refu lly assessed a l o n g with the l i k e l i hood
of events that could lead to such a re lease . T h e assess ment may i n d i cate that the re lease of
s u bstance is of a very low pro b a b i l ity or t h at the m i st cloud co u l d be g e n e rated o n ly d u r i n g
ra re m a lfu n ctions or catastro p h i c fa i l u re s . Asses s m e n ts s h o u l d b e backed up b y refe re n ces o r
operati o n a l experie nce w i t h s i m i l a r p l a n ts . However, d u e t o thermodyn a m i c com p l exity of
m ists a n d a l a rge n u m b e r of factors that i nf l u e n ce fo rmation a n d fl a m m a b i l ity of m i sts , the
refe re n ce m ay not be ava i l a b l e for every g iven s ituati o n . In such case s , a j ud g e m e n t based
upon re levant d ata s h o u l d be a p p l ied .

G.5 It is i m porta nt to point out that not every l e a k w i l l cause a m i st format i o n , e . g . the
leaks throu g h broken fl a n g e gaskets or stuffi n g b oxes/pack i n g glands t h at a re the most
com m o n seco n d a ry g rades of re lease in case of g ases or vapours , w i l l usually be n eg l i g i b l e i n
case o f viscous l i q u i d s a n d i n m ost cases w i l l cause d r i p p i n g rather t h a n m i st. That means
that the l i ke l i hood of m ists b e i n g g e n erated thro u g h leaks at p i pe j o i nts, va lves , etc . s h o u l d
not be overstate d . S u c h consid erati ons s h o u l d t a k e i nto acco u n t the p hys ical properties o f t h e
l i q u i d , the conditions at which it is be i n g h a n d l e d , mecha n i cal deta i l s o f the eq u i p m e n t
throu g h w h i c h it i s being processed , q u a l i ty o f eq u i pment and o bstructions near a source of
re lease.

NOTE 1 For l i q u ids released w e l l below t h e i r f l a s h po i n t , examples o f mist explosions a re ra re i n process

i n d ustries. This is probably due to d iffic u l ty in generating sufficiently s m a l l d roplet s izes from a n accidental release
a n d the associated d ifficulty of i g n i t i o n .
I E C 60079- 1 0- 1 : 2 020 © I E C 2020 - 1 01 -

NOTE 2 F l a m m a b l e m ists may be i g n ited by s pa rks of s i m i la r e n ergy as for vapour ig nition but gen era l l y req u i re
very h i g h s u rface temperatu res for i g n i t i o n . I g nition of m ists by contact with hot s u rfaces genera l l y req u i res
temperatu res h i g her than fo r vapour i g n i t i o n .

G.6 If formation of a fl a m m a b l e m i st is con s i d e red poss i b l e , then the source of re lease

s h o u l d p refera bly be co ntained or ma n aged to red uce the hazard , e . g . by porous g u a rds i n
ord e r to prom ote the coalesc i n g of the m ist, m ist d etectors o r s u p pression syste m s . Where
conta i n m ent or s i m i l a r controls can not be ass u red , then the potential for a m i st h azard s h o u l d
be con s i d e red . Howeve r , because t h e d i spers i o n m e c h a n i s m s a n d t h e crite ria o f fl a m m a b i l ity
for m i sts a re d iffe rent t h a n th ose for gases and vapours , the method o l ogy of cl assification
presented i n A n n ex B cannot be a p p l ie d .

NOTE 1 T h e conditions that a re needed to form a fla m m a b l e m i s t are s o complex that o n l y a q u a l itative a p p roach
may be appro p riate. It m i g h t be useful to i d e ntify the factors related to the h a ndled l i q u i d which contri bute to
format i o n , and to the flam m a b i l ity of mist. These factors along with t h e proba b i l ity of events that wou l d lead to
release of the l i q u i d may be sufficient to eva l u ate the d e g ree of the haza rd and h e l p to decide whether a h azardous
area is req u i red .

NOTE 2 I n genera l , the o n l y element releva nt to determ i n i n g the type of zone is the g rade of release. I n most
cases, it will be a seco n d a ry g rade of release. Conti n u o u s or pri m a ry g rades of release would typically be
associated with e q u i p ment which is i ntended fo r s pray i n g , e . g . s p ray painti n g .

G.7 Ta k i n g i nto a cco u nt that there a re m a n y u n certa i nties i nvolved i n fo rmation o f a

fl a m m a b l e m i st c l o u d , the assess ment of a m ist hazard s h o u l d be based on specific i n d u stry
experience and specific codes . E . g . M i st h azards are recogn ized for some heat transfe r
a p p l ications w h e re the l i q u i d is h eated to near or a bove the flas h p o i n t a n d used at very h i g h
te mperatures. M i st h azard s for typ ical fuel d i stri bution n etworks designed t o s u ita ble p i p i n g
cod es a re not considered a cred i b l e r i s k based o n t h e m a n y years o f operati o n s fo r such
i n sta l l ations wo rldwi d e .

NOTE I nd u stry codes for the class ification of hazard o u s a reas for fla m mable l i q u i ds gen era l l y do not acco u nt for
misting as if misting was considered then l a rger h azardous a reas wou l d be recommended fo r common applicati o n s .
This also s u ggests the potential f o r m ists d u e combustible l i q u i d s s h o u l d n o t be overstated when the com bustible
l i q u i d is h a n d led at a s i m i l a r p ress u res a n d with com para ble i nteg rity of piping codes.

G.8 If a m i st hazard has been esta b l ished , it s h o u l d not be cl assified as Zone 0 , 1 or 2

hazardous areas as the types of protection a p p l ied for th ese zones a re not req u i red for m i st
hazards. See I E C 60079- 1 4 . The p otential for a m ist hazard s h o u l d be d isti n g u is h e d o n the
a rea d rawi n g fro m oth e r h aza rdous areas associ ated with gases and vapours, e . g . by
a p p ro p ria te m a rki n g .

G.9 Even the m ists that are not i g n itable accord i n g to t h e criteria o f d ro p l ets s ize could
eve n tu a l ly land on a hot s u rface , re l ative to the a uto-ig n it i o n te mperature of the vapour, thus
causing a fi re hazard . Other high energy i g n ition sources s u c h as flames should a l s o be
con s i d e re d . Care should be taken to conta i n poten t i a l re l eases and prevent contact with hot
s u rfaces and other h i g h e n e rgy i g n ition sources .

G . 1 0 M ists req u i re m i n i m u m concentratio n s t o be fl a m m a b l e ( i n a s i m i l a r m a n n e r to

fl a m m a b l e vapo u rs or com b usti b l e d u sts ) . For l i q u i d s well below t h e i r fl ash point, this would
typically be associated with a cloud that red u ces v i s i b i l i ty.

M ists a re typ i ca l l y vis i b l e a n d hence re leases can be u s u a l ly m it i g ated . Consideration s h o u l d

be g iven t o the t i m e fra m e before a leak i s d etecte d .

N O T E Lower fla m m a b i l ity l i m its for fuel fl a m m a b l e m ists have b e e n s h own to be s i m i l a r t o or l e s s t h a n those
associated with the fuel vapour.
 - 1 02 - I E C 60079- 1 0 - 1 : 2 0 2 0 © I E C 2020

G.1 1 F l a m m a bl e m i sts m ay occur with i n e q u i p m e n t due to oil l u b rication syste m s , s p las h i n g

or ag itation as a p a rt o f t h e process operations. T h e hazards associ ated with i nte rnal parts of
process p l ant s h o u l d then be considered and may req u i re specific m it i g ation measures to be
a p p l ie d . E . g . m i st explosion or fi re s u p p ression syste m . U n de r certa i n co nditio n s , s u c h m i sts
may also be vented to atmos p here, e . g . l u b r i cati n g o i l m ists thro u g h cran kcase breathers,
ta n k or gea rbox vents , thus g i v i n g the rise to fire h aza rd . Venting of such m ists s h o u l d
prefera bly be e l i m i n ated b y m ist extractors .

G . 1 2 Add itio n a l co n s i d e rati ons s h o u l d be a p p l ied fo r s i tuati o n s where the l i q u i d s a re b e i n g

s p rayed i n tenti o n a l l y , e . g . s p ray p a i n ti n g . H aza rdo u s a r e a cl ass ifi cation i n s u c h cases i s
u s u a l ly t h e s u bj ect o f s pecific i n d u stri a l cod es .

G.1 3 I E C 60079- 1 4 fo r sel ecti on of eq u i p m e n t a n d i n sta l latio n s does not i n c l u d e

req u i re m e nts fo r m ist h azards d u e t o l i q u i d s w i t h a h i g h f l a s h point w h e re fl a m m a b l e vapours
are not p resent.
I E C 60079- 1 0- 1 : 2 020 © I E C 2020 - 1 03 -

An nex H
(i nfo rmative )
H y d rog e n

H.1 The fl a m m a b l e range of hydrogen i n a i r i s between 4 % a n d 7 7 % b y vol u m e .

Hydrogen i s also co m m o n ly fou nd i n m ixtu res o f fl a m m a b l e g ases s u c h as refi n e ry process
stre a m s . With gas m i xt u re s , the e q u i p ment g ro u p s h o u ld be considered as l l C or l l B+ H 2
where a gas m ixtu re i n c l udes 30 % or more of hydrogen by vo l u m e u n less other s pec ific data
is avai l a b l e . The tem perature cl ass s h o u l d be taken as the lowest a uto- i g n ition te m p e rature
for any gas exceed i n g 3 % i n the m ixtu re .

NOTE I SO/I E C 80079-20-1 i n cludes g u id a nce for s pecific g a s m i xtu res i n c l u d i n g hydrogen such a s coke oven gas
a n d i n d ustrial methane for rel evant e q u i pment groups.

H.2 The auto-i g n ition te m pe rature of hydrog e n i s 560 ° C . Although very h i g h te m peratures
are req u i red to i g n ite a hydroge n - i n - a i r m ixtu re , preca utions s h o u l d be ta ken to e n s u re
hydrogen leaks a re not exposed to any hot s u rfaces.

H.3 The d iffu sion rate of a gas due to b u oyancy i s proportional to its dens ity re lative to
that of a i r. Hydrogen is a l i g hter t h a n a i r gas w h i c h d iffu ses rapidly with a tend e n cy to rise
u pward s . However, as the gas d iffu ses the b u l k d e n s i ty of a g i ven v o l u m e w i l l te n d to
a p proach t h at of a i r. As the conce ntration of hydrogen red u ces, such that the b u l k d e n s ity
a p proaches t h at of a i r , the l ow concentration of hydrogen wi l l tend to m ove with the a i r .

H.4 H i g h vo l u m e re leases o f hyd rog e n a re l i kely t o acc u m u late i n overhead spaces. A

hydrogen gas release can fo rm gas pockets i n a l coves , roof peaks , and dormers which tend to
be poorly venti lated . Conversely, re latively s m a l l o p e n i n g s in such spaces w i l l a l low hydrog e n
t o escape a n d m a y b e sufficient t o preve nt hydrogen concentrati n g d u e t o low vo l u m e
re leases.

H.5 Hydrogen gas re l e ases w i l l g e n e ra l ly res u l t i n a jet p l u m e i n the orientation of the point
of re lease. O n ce the jet mom entu m i s d issipated the plume w i l l take a more vertical ascent
and genera l ly h a rm l ess ly d i s pe rse i n a well venti lated area.

H.6 A l i q u i d hyd rogen s p i l l , which com m o n ly h as a vessel sat u ration press u re of 4 b a r , can
suddenly expose the cryog e n i c content of the vessel to am bient press u re . S u ch a condition
will i nsta ntly boil or flash a s i g n ificant p ortion of t h e l i q u id to cryog e n i c vapour potentia l ly
res u l t i n g i n the re m a i n i n g contents to s p i l l . L i q u i d hydrogen b o i l s at 2 0 K at 1 atmos p h e re a n d
the contents w h e n exposed t o a m b ient te m p e ratures wi l l h ave s ufficient h e a t t o rapidly
vaporize the l i q u id hydrog e n . T h e exposed cross-secti o n a l area of the l i q u i d hydrogen s p i l l
affects t h e rate a t which t h e contents fl ash t o vapou r a n d warms . At hydrog e n ' s boi l i n g p o i n t ,
the cold hydrogen va p o u r is heav i e r t h a n a i r u nt i l it warms. A s the c o l d vapours m ix with a i r,
the a i r can be c h i l led below the d ew point, caus i ng cond e n sation a n d form i n g a v i s i b l e c l o u d .
After dwel l i n g near the g ro u n d a n d warm i n g s uffi ciently, t h e visi b l e v a p o u r c l o u d m a y fo rm a
p l u m e as it rises.

H.7 The fl a m e fronts observed with hydrogen- i n - a i r m ixtu res burn less read i ly w h e n
constra i ned t o b u r n i n g i n a horizonta l d i rection , and e v e n l e s s so i n a downwa rd d i recti on .

The re lease of a l a rge q u a n tity of hydrogen ca n for m a p l u me that possesses a n i n creas i n g

con centrat i o n o f hyd rogen towards t h e ce ntre l i n e o f t h e p l u m e . Reg ions o f lowe r­
con centrat i o n hydrog e n - a i r m ixtures req u i re g reate r i n itiation e n e rgy to i g n ite t h a n those of
h i g h e r conce n tration toward s the cen tre of a p l u m e . Movement a n d water vapour i n a p l u me
w i l l a l so result i n g reater i n itiation energy w h e n co m pa red to the same com position m ixtu re ,
that i s d ry a n d without movement.
 - 1 04 - I E C 60079- 1 0 - 1 : 2 0 2 0 © I E C 2020

Therefore, as a p l u m e of hydrogen rises, the exte rior reg ions of the p l u m e (the regions l i ke l y
t o encou nter a n i g n ition sou rce) a re l e s s l i kely t o i g n ite when compared t o near-sto i c h i o m etric
m ixtu res . S h o u l d i g n it i o n occur in an exte rior reg i on of the p l u m e , only the gas in the
i m m e d i ate v i c i n ity of the i g n it i o n s o u rce w i l l tend to b u r n a n d the pote n t i a l for flame
propagation or deflagration t h roug h ou t the cloud i s red u ced . T h e refore , u n less some process
ra p i d ly m ixes the hydrogen p l u m e to form a near-sto i c h i o metric m ixture with a i r thro ug h ou t
the c l o u d , the normal factors th at typ i c a l l y i n fl u e n ce m ix i n g (d iffusion , buoyancy, w i n d , a n d
turb u l e n ce ) i n a re l ease w i l l not res u l t i n comp l ete com b ustion o f t h e p l u m e .

H.8 M itigation strateg ies fo r hydrog e n re lease s h ou l d consider prov i d i n g fo r ra p i d

asce n s i o n o f the gas t o open a i r away from stru ctu res t o assist with p reve ntion o f pote n t i a l
i g n ition d u ri n g a re lease. I n d oors , s u p p l e m e ntal ventilation and/o r adequ ate s pa ce for d i l ution
a n d d i s pers i o n of a re lease may be p rov i d e d . W h e re gas d etection is used as a control
measure , sensors s h o u l d be p l aced a bove re lease poi nts a n d/or near the ce i l i n g , exit fa n or
exit d u ct. The sensors req u i re a ro utine ca l i b ration sche d u l e , and the sensor s h o u ld o n ly be
cali brated using hydrog e n as the ca l i bration gas.

H.9 Hydrogen gas has severa l perso n n e l safety a n d hea lth h azard i m p l i cati o n s that s h o u l d
be considered d u ri n g fac i l ity i n stallati on .

Hydrogen gas has the potential to cause oxygen defi c i e n cy. An i n creased hydrogen-in-a i r
m ixtu re condition m a y b e safe fo r b reath i n g for s h o rt periods of t i m e , but t h e atmos p h e re
would be a bove the lower fl a m m a b l e l i m i t ( L F L ) ca u s i n g a pote nti a l l y exp losive gas
atmos p here.

Hydrogen fl a m es , u n less seeded with i m p u rities, are very h a rd to see in dayl i g h t . This
property, combi ned with its low e m i ssivity prod u c i n g very l i ttle i nfra red rad iati o n , m a kes
hydrogen com b ustion h a rd to sense u n t i l p hys i ca l con tact i s made with the fla m e . Hydrogen
com b ustion i n air a l s o p rod u ces u ltraviolet ( U V) rad i ation capa b l e of p rod u c i n g effects s i m i l a r
t o ove rex pos u re t o t h e s u n . D i rect expos u re t o hydrogen fl ames prod u ces i m med i ate b u r n s .

Hydrogen is very easily i g n ited w h e re it i s re leased a n d i g n ition a n d/or fi re is n o r m a l ly

expected to occur. S m a l l leaks m ay occur and i g n ite , b u t g o u n noticed u n t i l m a i nte n a n ce
pers o n n e l enter the a re a . A p l u m e of hydrogen th at is i g n ited w i l l ra p i d l y flash back to the
source of hyd rog e n . F ro m the pers pective of contro l l i n g hazards, a hydrogen fire local ized to
a s o u rce o r leak is ofte n p refera b l e to a g row i n g hydrog e n p l u m e .

W h e re hydrogen leaks a re known t o b e prob l e m at i c , e . g . very h i g h p ress u re or h i g h

te mperature syste m s , t h e n a d d i t i o n a l safe g u a rds fo r t h e l e a k s o u rces s h o u l d b e considered .
These safe g u a rds could i n c l u d e :

• Deflectio n g u a rd s to l i mit j et momentu m and prom ote d i s pe rs i o n ,

• Steam j ets a ro u n d the source of re lease to cool h i g h te m p e rature re leases, wet the gas
and mod ify j et d i spersion behaviour.

C o m b ustion of a hydrogen cloud wi l l occu r com p lete ly with i n severa l seconds . There is not
e n o u g h deposition of thermal e n ergy to i g n ite typ i ca l s u bstances of constructi o n used i n
b u i l d i n g s . Perso n n e l caught i n cl ose prox i m ity m a y b e seve rely b u rned a n d d i rectly exposed
fl a m m a b l e l i q u i d s may also be i g n ited .

Hydrogen stored a t h i g h press u re w i l l n o rma lly prod u ce a jet o n re lease. I f i g n ite d , t h i s would
create a l o u d j et of n e arly i n v i s i b le fl a m e that would be extremely d a n g e ro u s to anyth i n g in its
path . In h i g h press u re syste m s with j o i nts that a re known to be suscepti b l e to leakage
s u p p l e m e nta l contro l s s h o u l d be considere d .

H.10 I S O/TR 1 59 1 6 p rov i d es additional g u ida nce on safety for hyd rog e n but does not
cons ider the c l assificati o n of h azard o u s areas or su ita b l y refere nce the I E C 60079 series. I n
this case the safety g u i d a n ce may b e usefu l but the req u i re m ents fro m I E C 60079 series a n d
I S O/I E C 8 0 0 7 9 series s h o u l d also be fo l lowe d .
I E C 60079- 1 0- 1 : 2 020 © I E C 2020 - 1 05 -

An n e x I
(i nfo rmative )
H y b r i d m i xtu res

1.1 General

A hybrid m ixtu re is a combi ned m ixtu re o f a fl a m m a b l e gas or vapour w i t h a c o m b u s t i b l e d u st

or com busti b l e fly i n g s . T h i s hybrid m ixtu re may b e h ave d iffe re ntly th a n the gas/vapour o r d ust
i n d iv i d u a l ly. The n u m be r of situations that may b e encou ntered in i n d ustry w i l l be h i g h ly
varia b l e and as such it is not practical to prov i d e s pecific g u i d a n ce. However this Annex
prov i d es g u i d ance o n issues that s h o u l d be considered when hybrid m ixtures are fo u n d .

1.2 U s e o f ventilation

The use o f ventilation as a control measure n e e d s to be ca refu l ly co n s i d e red as it may red u ce

the gas/va pou r hazard but i n c rease the d ust haza rd or h ave oth e r vary i n g effects on the
d ifferent com ponents of the m ixture .

1.3 Concentrat i o n l i m its

A hybrid m ixtu re may form a n exp losive atmos p h e re outs i d e the i n d ivid u a l exp losive l i m its of
the g as/va pour o r ex p l os ive conce ntrat ions for the d ust. I t is recom m e n ded , u n less further
d ata is ava i l a b l e , that a hybrid m ixtu re is considered exp los ive if the concentration of the
gas/va p o u r exceeds 25 % of the LFL or the concentration of the d ust exceeds 2 5 % of the
MEC.

1.4 Chem ical react i o n s

Consid erations s h o u l d a l so be ta ken t o chem ical reactions t h at m ay occur with i n the m ate rials
or e ntrapped gas i n the d u st t h at may res u l t i n evo l ution of gas in the p rocess .

1.5 Energy/tem peratu re l i m its

W h e re a hybrid m ixtu re exists , the m 1 n 1 m u m i g n it i o n p a ra m eters such as M I E a n d a uto­

i g n ition te mperature for gas/va pour or m i n i m u m i g n i tion te mperature of a d ust cloud cou l d be
l ower t h a n any co m p o n e n t param eter in the m ixtu re . In the a bsence of other i nformat i o n , the
parameter used s h o u ld be the l owest of any com ponent i n the m ixtu re .

1.6 Zo n i n g req u i re m e nts

C o n s i de ration s h o u l d be g iven to the ass i g n ment of both gas a n d d ust zones with the same
rating to match the worst case req u i re m e n t for a n y component, e . g . zone 21 with zone 2
s h o u l d be considere d as zo n e 2 1 with zone 1 . I t s h o u l d be i d e ntified that the res u l t of i g n ition
of a n y component w i l l lead to a worst case conseq u e n ce when considering any E P L
assess ment.
 - 1 06 - I E C 60079- 1 0 - 1 : 2 0 2 0 © I E C 2020

A n n ex J
(i nfo rmative )
U s efu l e q u at i o n s i n s u p port to
h az a r d o u s a re a c l a s s ificat i o n

J.1 General

T h e a p proach t o hazardous a rea cl assification req u i res sou n d u n d e rstand i n g o f fl a m m a b l e

s u bstance properties t o i d e n tify the i r behaviour w h e n re leased or b e i n g re leased . T h e
fo l l owi n g sections conta i n usefu l e q u ations that co u l d be u s e d t o calculate some para meters
i nfluencing the d i s p e rs i o n a n d d i lution of fla m m a b l e gas or vapour i n a i r at a m bient
co n d i t i o n s . Laboratory or field tests a re prefe rred w h e re a p p ro p r i ate .

J.2 D i l ut i o n with a i r o f a flam mable s u bsta n ce release

The th eoretical m i n i m u m ventilation flow rate of fresh air to d i l u te a g iven re lease of

fl a m ma b le s u bsta nce to a conce n tration below t h e l ower fla m m a b l e l i mit Qa m i n ca n b e
calcul ated by means o f t h e eq u ation :

(J . 1 )

where

Qa min is theoretical m i n i m u m ventilation flow rate of fres h air req u i red for d i l u tion ( m 3 /s ) ;
Q9 is the vo l u m etric release rate of fla m m a b l e s u bsta nce ( m 3 /s ) ;
LFL is the lower fl a m m a b l e l i mit (vol/vo l ) ;
Ta is the a m bient te m perat u re ( K ) .

Safety m a rg i ns s h o u l d always be con s i d e red t o acc o u n t fo r other factors such as t u r b u l e n ce

or u neven d i stri bution of the fres h a i r.

EXA M P L E

F i n d the th eoretical m i n i m u m ventilation flow rate o f fres h a i r req u i red t o d i l u te a re lease rate
Q9 = 8 , 64 x 1 o- 4 m 3 /s of benze n e d u e to the eva poration of a confi ned l i q u i d pool , at a n
a m b i e n t te m p e rature o f 4 0 ° C :

Qg x Ta 8,64 x 1 0 -4 1
Qa m i n = = x 3 3 = 0 ' 077 m3 1 s
LFL 29 3 0,0 1 2 29 3

A safety m a rg i n could be considered u po n a s o u n d j ud g e m e n t a n d h e n ce a h i g h e r v a l u e

would be obta i n e d .

NOTE T h e lower flammable l i m i t was taken from I SO/I EC 80079-20- 1 .

J.3 Est i m ate o f t h e t i m e req u i red t o d i l ute a fla m m a b l e s u bsta n ce release

The theoretical time td req u i red to d i l ute the concentration of fl a m m a b l e su bsta nce fro m a
certa i n steady state b ackg ro u nd concentration Xb to a re q u i re d critical conce n tration Xcrit • i n a
specific vo l u m e , can be est i m ated fro m :
I E C 60079- 1 0- 1 : 2 020 © I E C 2020 - 1 07 -

(J . 2 )

where

td is the theoretical time req u i red to d i l ute a d efi ned value of fl a m m a b l e s u bsta nce
conce ntrat i o n to a n other one lesser t h a n fi rst ( s ) ;
f is the ve n t i l at i o n i n effi c i e n cy facto r;
C is the n u mber of a i r c h a n ges per u n it t i m e i n the specific vo l u m e (s- 1 ) ;
Xb is the fla m m a ble s u bsta nce backgro u nd concentration at steady-state con d itions
(vo l/vo l ) ;
Xcrit is the d es i red/critical value of the fl a m m a b l e s u bsta nce concentrati on (vol/vo l ) .

EXA M P L E

F i n d t h e theoretical t i m e t o red uce t h e average fl a m m a b l e s u b stance conce ntrat i o n i n a n

a rtifi c i a l ly venti l ated enclosure with a n u m b e r of a i r c h a n g es p e r u n i t t i m e C = 0 , 002 s- 1
(::::: 6 h - 1 ) from the i n i t i a l value Xb = 0 , 0 1 2 to the d e s i red va l u e Xcrit = 0 , 0 024 if the ventilation

l ) ( )
i n effi c i e n cy factor i s 3:

f xb 3 0'0 1 2 .
td = - In -- = -- x ln = 24 1 5 s = 40,3 min
C Xcrit 0,002 0,0024

The theoretical time td calculated as a bove is based on a n idea l d i l ution of the fl a m m a b l e

s u bsta nce re leased i nto the e n c l os u re . Safety m a rg i n s s h o u l d a lways be considered t o
account o t h e r factors such as turb u l e nce or u n eve n d istri bution o f the fl a m m a b l e s u bsta nce.
 - 1 08 - I E C 60079- 1 0- 1 : 2020 © I E C 2020

An nex K
(i nfo rmative )
I n d u s try c o d e s and n at i o n a l sta n d a rd s

K. 1 General

I n genera l , exa m p les o f classification m ay be accepted i n accorda nce with nati o n a l or i n d ustry
cod es where the i r a p p l ication to the p a rt i c u l a r situation can be clearly d e m o n strate d . Any
criteria or l i m itations i d e ntified i n the i n d ustry code o r national sta n d a rd s h o u ld be fo l l owe d .

If it i s i ntended t h a t t h e exa m p les g iven i n the reference i n d ustry codes or national sta n d a rd s
be u s e d fo r hazardous a rea cl ass ificat i o n , a cco u n t s h o u l d be take n o f the specific deta i l s of
each i n d i v i d u a l case, e . g . p rocess and location c h a ra cte ristics.

In g e n e ra l , the exa m p les provided i n i n d ustry codes and national sta n d ards a re b ased on the
ass u m pt i o n t h at p l a nt and e q u i p me n t are adequate ly m a i ntained .

The codes a n d sta n d ards may not a p p l y to specific s ituati ons, fo r exa m p l e where:

a) the q u a ntity of re lease i s either very l a rge or very s m a l l ;

b ) the design of a p a rt i c u l a r p l a n t does not co m p ly with a l l the req u i re m e nts of the
a p p ro p ri ate national sta n d a rd or i n d ustry cod e ; o r
c) ventilati o n , use o f i n e rt gases, vapour ba rri e rs o r other methods a re used to red uce the
extent of the h azard or the l i ke l i hood of the occurrence of a parti c u l a r hazardous a re a .

W h e re the u s e o f exa m p les from s pecific codes or sta n d a rds is fo l lowe d , sta n d a rd s a n d codes
a d d ress i n g the same exa m p l e s h o u ld n ot be i nterch a ng e d , e . g . w h e re a sta ndard is s e l ected
as a p referred base fo r a s ite or a p p l i cati o n , exa m p l es fro m another sta n d a rd s h o u ld not be
selected to achieve a less rigorous cl assification without d u e j u stificati o n . N otw ithsta n d i n g this
pri n c i p l e , i n some cases the cl assification exa m p l es provided i n relevant i n d ustry codes or
national sta n d a rd s can, where a p propriate , be used to cl assify some co m po n e n ts of l a rg e r
p l a nts associ ated w i t h other relevant n a t i o n a l or i n d ustry codes .

W h e re exa m p les from i n d ustry codes or nati o n a l sta n d a rd s a re used , then they s h o u l d be
q u oted as the basis fo r classification rather t h a n I E C 60079- 1 0- 1 . Exa m p les of nati o n a l
sta ndards or i n d ustry codes i n c l u d e , but a re not l i m ited t o those shown i n Table K. 1 . The
coun tries of o r i g i n a re l i sted i n a l p h a betical order.
I E C 60079- 1 0- 1 : 2 020 © I E C 2020 - 1 09 -

Table K . 1 - Exa m ples of codes a n d sta n d a rds

C o u ntry o r R e g i o n Code o r Sta n d a rd Tit le Deve l o p i n g Body A p p l ication N otes

of O r i g i n Des i g n at i o n

Austra l i a a n d New
Zea l a n d
AS/NZS ( I EC) Exp losive Standards Austra l ia/ Additional d etai l is
60079. 1 0 . 1 Atmospheres P a rt 1 0- Standards i n c l u d ed i n AS/NZS
1 : Class ification of New Zea l a n d 60079. 1 0. 1 as a
a reas - Explosive national Annex or
Gas Atmospheres S u pplement

Germany DG UV-Regel 1 1 3-001 Explosionssch utz- DG UV- Deutsche

"Explosionssch utzreg Regeln (EX-RL) - Gesiitzliche
e l n ( EX-RL)" Sammlung U nfallversicherung
technischer Regel n
fUr das Vermeiden d e r
Gefa h ren d u rch
explosionsfii h i g e
Atmosphiire m i l
Beispielsa m m l u n g z u r
E i n te i l u n g
explosio nsgefii h rdete r
Bere i c h e i n Zonen
Explosion Protection
Ru les (EX-RL) -
Co l l ection of tech nical
rules for avoi d i n g the
d a n gers of explosive
atmospheres with
examples coll ectio n
for classification o f
hazardous a reas i nto
zones

TRBS 2 1 52/ Gefiih rliche BauA- B u ndesa nstalt

TRGS 720 explos i o nsfii h i g e f U r Arbeitssch u tz u nd
Atmosphare - Arbeitsmedizin
Allgemei nes
Hazardous explos ive
atmosphe res -
G e n e ra l i nfo rmatio n

TRBS 3 1 5 1 /TRGS 751 Verm e i d u n g von BauA- B u ndesa nstalt

B rand-, Explos i o n s fUr Arbeitssch u tz u nd
und Arbeitsmedizin
Druckg efii h rd u ngen
a n Ta n kstel l e n und
GasfU l l a nlagen zur
BefU l l u n g von
Landfa h rze u g e n
Avoida nce of fire,
explosion and
pres s u re hazards at
fi l l i n g stations a n d
gas fi l l i n g systems for
fi l l i n g l a n d vehicles

TRGS 509 Lagern von fl U s s i g en BauA- B u ndesa nstalt

u n d festen fUr Arbeitssch u tz u nd
Gefa h rstoffen i n Arbeitsmedizin
ortsfesten Behii ltern
sowie F U i i und
Entleerste l l e n fUr
orts bewegliche
Behiilter
Storage of l i q uid and
solid h azardous
s ubstances i n fixed
conta i ners as well as
fi l l i n g and e m ptying
poi nts for mobile
conta i ners
 - 1 10 - I E C 60079- 1 0 - 1 : 2 0 2 0 © I E C 2020

C o u ntry o r R e g i o n Code o r Sta n d a rd Tit le Deve l o p i n g Body A p p l ication N otes

of O r i g i n Des i g n at i o n

TRGS 5 1 0 Lagerung v o n BauA- B u ndesa nstalt

Gefa h rstoffen i n fUr Arbeitssch u tz u nd
ortsbewe g l i c h e n Arbeitsmedizin
Behalte rn
Storage of h azard o u s
s u bstances i n
tran sportable
conta i ners

Sweden Klassning av Class ification of S E K Sve nsk Ava i l a b l e o n l y i n

explosio nsfa r l i g a Haza rd o u s Areas Elsta n d a rd Swed ish
o m raden

Switzerland S UVA Merkblatt Explosionssch utz- Schweizerische

N r. 2 1 53 G ru ndsatze- U nfall-
versicherungsanstalt
M i n destvo rsch riften-
Zonen
Explosion protection-
Bas ics-M i n i m a l
req u i rements-Zo nes

The N etherlands N P R 79 1 0- 1 Netherlands p ractical N etherlands

g u i d e l i n e NPR 79 1 0- Sta n d a rd izati on
1 , Class ificati o n of I nstitute, N E N
hazard ous a reas with
respect to explos i o n
hazard - part 1 : g a s
explos i o n hazard,
based on N E N- E N -
I EC 60079- 1 0- 1

UK El 1 5 Model code of safe Energy I nstitute E l 1 5 is used as an

practice for the i n d ustry sta n da rd in
petro l e u m i n d ustry, the petro(chem)
Part 1 5: Area i n d ustry in m a n y
Class ification C o d e cou ntries
for Petro l e u m
I nsta l lations H a n d l i n g
Flammable Liquids.

I G E M/S R/25 Haza rd o u s area I nstitution of Gas

class ification of E n g i n eers and
natu ra l gas M an agers
i nsta l lations.

USA API RP 505 Reco m m e nded American Petro l e u m

Practice for I nstitute (AP I )
Class ification of
Locations for
Electrical I nsta l l ations
at Petro l e u m Faci l it i es
class ified as Class I ,
Zone 0 , Zone 1 a n d
Zone 2 .

N F P A 59A Sta n d a rd for the National F i re

Prod uction , Stora g e , Protection
a n d Handling of Association
Liq uefied N at u ra l
Gas.

NFPA 496 Sta n d a rd fo r P u rged National F i re Where relevant to

a n d Press u rized Protection pres s u rized control
Enclosures fo r Association room
Electrical E q u i p m e nt
I E C 60079- 1 0- 1 : 2 020 © I E C 2020 - 111 -

C o u ntry or R e g i o n Code o r Sta n d a rd Tit le Deve l o p i n g Body A p p l ication N otes

of O r i g i n Des i g n at i o n

NFPA 497 Reco m m e nded National F i re

Practice for t h e Protection
Class ification of Association
Flammable L i q u i d s ,
Gases, or Vapours
a n d of Hazardous
( C l a ss ified) Locations
for E l ectrical
I nsta l lations in
Chemical Process
Areas.
 - 1 12 - I E C 60079- 1 0 - 1 : 2 0 2 0 © I E C 2020

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[1 ] A . W . Cox ; F . P . Lee & M . L . An g ; Classification of Hazardous Locations, /ch e m , 1 99 3

[2] I G E M/SR/2 5 ; Hazardous Area Classification of Na tural Gas Installations; UK I nstitution

of Gas E n g i neers and M a nagers , 2 0 1 0

[3] P . F . L i n d e n , Th e Fluid Mechanics of Natural Ven tila tion, A n n u a l Review, F l u id

Mechanics, 1 99 9 .

[4] A. Walker, Natural Ventilation , N at i o n a l Re newa b l e E n e rgy Laboratory, 0 6 . 0 3 . 2008

[5] AS H RA E , H a n d book of F u n d a m e nta l s , 2 0 0 1

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