Unit 11:

Inspection & Maintenance

to BS EN 60079-17
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Objectives:

On completion of this unit ‘Inspection & Maintenance’, you should know:

a. The importance of appropriate and regular inspection and maintenance.

b. The requirements of types of inspection ‘initial’, ‘periodic’ and ‘sample’.

c. How to apply inspection schedules, Tables 1, 2 & 3 form BS EN60079-17 for ‘visual’,
‘close’ and ‘detailed’ grades of inspection.

d. The knowledge and skills requirements for technicians (operatives) undertaking

inspection and maintenance of explosion protected equipment in hazardous areas.

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Inspection and Maintenance
Introduction
This unit is concerned with the inspection and maintenance of electrical apparatus used in
hazardous locations in accordance with relevant standards. This is very important because,
in addition to the risk of mechanical damage to apparatus, there is also the risk that
degradation of the apparatus, due to environmental conditions and other factors, could affect
the integrity of the apparatus and allow ignition of any flammable gas or vapour in an
hazardous area.
Inspection of equipment should be carried out on a regular basis to enable detection of
potential faults early enough to prevent major breakdowns occurring, minimise downtime
and loss of production, and also possible injury to personnel. A maintenance programme
based on the results of inspection surveys can then be implemented, which will allow
continued reliability and safe operation of the equipment.
Apparatus will only remain certified if it is maintained in accordance with the
recommendations provided by manufacturers and relevant standards.

Standards

Electrical apparatus for explosive gas atmospheres:

BS EN60079-17: 2007 Part 17. Inspection and maintenance of electrical installations
in hazardous areas (other than mines).

Explosive atmospheres –
IEC 60079-17: 2007
Part 17: Electrical installations inspection and maintenance

Code of practice for the selection, installation and

BS 5345 (Withdrawn) maintenance of electrical apparatus for use in potentially
explosive atmospheres.

Qualifications of Personnel
It is essential that personnel involved in the selection, installation, inspection and
maintenance of explosion protected apparatus in hazardous areas have a clear
understanding of the various types of explosion protection, installation practices, rules and
regulations, and the general principles of area classification. Manufacturers have gone to
great lengths to design and build apparatus in accordance with relevant standards and have
it tested and certified by a third party test house to ensure the apparatus is safe for use in
hazardous areas. All this effort will have been in vain if the technician in the field does not
have the necessary knowledge to install and/or maintain apparatus in accordance with the
manufacturer’s requirements, relevant standards and Codes of Practice. Personnel
operating in this field must, therefore, have appropriate training, and thereafter, regular
refresher training. Records detailing the experience and training of personnel must be
maintained. Apparatus may be explosion protected at the time of leaving the manufacturer’s
premises but, the way the apparatus is subsequently handled, selected, installed and
maintained, will have an influence on whether the apparatus will be safe for use in an
hazardous area and/or remain certified. Personnel need to be aware of, for example, the
consequences of a broken foot on a flameproof motor. Increased Safety apparatus may
have ‘special conditions of use’ and failure to observe these will reduce margins of safety
and invalidate the certification. Furthermore, the incorrect selection of cable glands with
regard to, for example, flameproof apparatus will affect the integrity of such apparatus.

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Knowledge and skills of technicians (operatives)

Inspection and maintenance

Technicians, or operatives as they are called in the standard, are required to have sufficient
knowledge to enable proper inspection and maintenance of explosion protected equipment
in hazardous areas. This knowledge includes:

(a) an understanding of the general principles of explosion protection;

(b) an understanding of the general principles of types of protection and marking;
(c) an understanding of those aspects of equipment design which affect the protection
concept;
(d) an understanding of certification and relevant parts of IEC60079-17;
(e) an understanding of the additional importance of Permit to Work systems and safe
isolation in relation to Explosion Protection;
(f) familiarity with the particular techniques to be employed in the inspection and
maintenance of equipment referred to in IEC60079-17;
(g) a comprehensive understanding of the selection and erection requirements of
IEC60079-14:
(h) a general understanding of the repair and reclamation requirements of
IEC60079-19.

Competency
Furthermore technicians (operatives) are required to provide evidence of their competency in
the areas specified immediately above and, in addition, documentary evidence of
competency in respect of the following:

(a) the use and availability of documentation;

(b) the practical skills required for the inspection and maintenance of the various
types of explosion protection.

Assessment
The competency of technicians (operatives) shall be verified and approved at intervals not
exceeding 5 years from sufficient evidence that the person:

(a) has the necessary skills required for the scope of work;
(b) can act competently across the specified range of activities; and
(c) has the relevant knowledge and understanding underpinning the competency.

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Principal causes of apparatus deterioration
BS EN60079-17 lists factors which have a significant effect on the deterioration of equipment
in hazardous locations. These factors are listed below.

1) Susceptibility to corrosion;

2) Exposure to chemicals or solvents;

3) Likelihood of accumulation of dust or dirt;

4) Likelihood of water ingress;

5) Exposure to excessive ambient temperatures;

6) Ultraviolet radiation;

7) Risk of mechanical damage;

8) Exposure to undue vibration;

9) Training and experience of personnel;

10) Likelihood of unauthorised modifications or adjustments;

11) Likelihood of inappropriate maintenance, for example not in accordance with

manufacturer’s recommendations.

Apparatus withdrawn from service

Where it is required to withdraw apparatus during maintenance, any exposed conductors
from the apparatus must be made safe by:

(a) termination in a suitable enclosure, or

(b) isolated from all sources of power supply and insulated, or
(c) isolated from all sources of power supply and earthed.

Where the intention is to permanently remove apparatus, the associated wiring must be
isolated from all sources of power supply and terminated in a suitable enclosure, or
completely removed.

IEC Standards
The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) Standards relative to explosion
protected apparatus have been available since the late nineteen-sixties when they were
published under the IEC 79-xx series, which subsequently evolved into the IEC 60079-xx
series. These Standards, however, had not kept pace with the advances in made by the
European Standards. Attempts to remedy this situation were implemented by the various
committees within IEC to effect a complete revision of their Standards. There has also been
greater co-operation between IEC and CENELEC to achieve technical alignment of their
respective Standards.

With regard to the EU, explosion protected apparatus is normally constructed in accordance
with national and harmonised standards. IEC standards, however, have tended not to be

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used for this purpose but, because of the trend towards global harmonisation of standards,
in which the IEC has an important role, this situation has changed. To fuel this change there
have been instances where manufacturers have been requested by larger users of explosion
protected apparatus to have such apparatus constructed and certified to the IEC Standards.
The certification of such apparatus has created difficulties for the manufacturers and, in one
instance, has led to the manufacturer issuing a ‘self declaration’ for apparatus they have
manufactured to a particular IEC Standard.

An IEC Standard which has become more widely accepted is IEC 60079-17, which is now a
British Standard, BS EN60079-l7. This Standard comprises a series of Tables for the
inspection of the various methods of explosion protection. Table 1 is an inspection schedule
which lists the areas to be inspected for the types of apparatus Ex d, Ex e and Ex n. Table 2
and Table 3 are schedules for the inspection of IS apparatus and Pressurised Ex p
apparatus respectively. These Tables are illustrated at the end of this section. For each
type of explosion protection, three grades of inspection are specified which are ‘visual’,
‘close’ and ‘detailed’ and defined as follows:

Visual: An inspection which identifies, without the use of access equipment or tools,
those defects, e.g. missing bolts, which will be apparent to the eye.

Close: An inspection which encompasses those aspects covered by a Visual

Inspection and, in addition, identifies those defects, e.g. loose bolts, which will
be apparent only by the use of access equipment, e.g. step ladders (where
necessary), and tools. Close inspections do not normally require the
enclosure to be opened, or the equipment to be de-energised.

Detailed: An inspection which encompasses those aspects covered by a Close

Inspection and, in addition, identifies those defects, e.g. loose termination’s,
which will only be apparent by opening the enclosure, and/or using, where
necessary, tools and test equipment.

Inspection schedules are, therefore, a means by which electrical installations may be

systematically assessed for the correct installation of apparatus and also the effects of
environmental conditions such as water, ambient temperature, vibration etc.

Documentation
Prior to the implementation of an inspection / maintenance programme it is essential that all
necessary documentation is available. These will include hazardous area drawings of the
plant, apparatus group and temperature class, list and location of apparatus spares,
technical information, manufacturer’s instructions, and a complete inventory of all hazardous
area equipment installed in the plant including their location in the plant and up-to-date
records of all previous inspections and maintenance tasks carried out. It is also vitally
important that the certification documents for each item of explosion protected apparatus are
available so that, for example, clarification of any ‘Special Installation Conditions’ may be
verified at a later date.

The maintenance of comprehensive records is thus an essential requirement for the safe
operation of electrical equipment in hazardous areas. Experience has shown that
modifications to existing hazardous area equipment and also the installation of additional
hazardous area equipment, has occurred in hazardous areas installations without these
actions being recorded in the relevant documentation.

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Inspections types
Three types of inspection are specified in BS EN60079-17. These are:
a) initial inspection;
b) periodic inspection;
c) sample inspection.

An installation, including its systems and apparatus, should be subjected to an ‘initial

inspection’ before being brought into service to establish that the types of protection
selected, and their method of installation are suitable. The grade of inspection shall be
‘detailed’ in accordance with Tables 1, 2 and 3 of BS EN60079-17. No faults are
permissible on handover.
Thereafter, ‘periodic inspections’ should be implemented to verify that the installation is
being maintained in an appropriate condition for continued use in the hazardous area. The
grade of inspection for ‘periodic inspections’ may be ‘visual’ or ‘close’ and should be
carried out at regular intervals, the interval being influenced by the environmental conditions,
but should not be greater than 3 years unless expert advice is sought. Depending on the
outcome of a ‘visual/close inspection’, it may be necessary to carry out a further ‘detailed
inspection’. Experience gained in similar situations with regard to apparatus, plants and
environments may be used to establish the inspection programme.
Factors having an influence on the frequency and grade of ‘periodic inspections’ are:

a) type of apparatus;
b) manufacturers recommendations;
c) environmental conditions;
d) Zone of use;
e) results of previous inspections

It is recommended that, however, the interval between ‘periodic inspections’ does not
exceed three years. Interim ‘sample inspections’ may be implemented to either support or
modify the frequency of ‘periodic inspections’ and may be of a grade ‘Visual’, ‘Close’ or
Detailed.
The flowchart on page 8 illustrates how a typical maintenance programme may be
established and how the various grades of inspection, i.e. ‘visual’, ‘close’ or ‘detailed’, may
be applied during the various types of inspection, i.e. ‘initial’, ‘periodic’ or ‘sample’.
Consideration is also given to frequency of periodic inspections.
Note: I.C. appearing in the flowchart on page 10 infers that electrical equipment contains
components which are ignition capable in normal operation. Typical components
are switches, contactors, relays etc. where ignition capable arcs or sparks are
produced at their contacts, and, for example, resistors which may produce
excessive surface temperatures.

Moveable equipment
The movement of electrical equipment, i.e, portable, hand-held and transportable, can result
in damage due to incorrect handling and hence there may be a need for a shorter interval
between periodic inspections. The recommendation is that a close inspection is carried out
every 12 months.
Where equipment is frequently opened, typically battery compartments, the recommendation
is a detailed inspection every 6 months.
Furthermore, it is the responsibility of the user to visually inspect equipment prior to use to
ensure freedom from apparent damage.

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Typical inspection procedure for periodic inspections

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BS EN 60079-17 Table 1: Inspection Schedule for Ex’d’, Ex’e’, and Ex ‘n’ Installations
(D = Detailed, C = Close, V = Visual)
Check that: Ex’d’ Ex’e’ Ex’n’
Grade of Inspection
D C V D C V D C V
A APPARATUS

1 Apparatus is appropriate to area classification * * * * * * * * *

2 Apparatus group is correct * * * * * *
3 Apparatus temperature class is correct * * * * * *
4 Apparatus circuit identification is correct * * *
5 Apparatus circuit identification is available * * * * * * * * *
6 Enclosure, glass parts and glass-to-metal sealing gaskets * * * * * * * * *
and/or compounds are satisfactory
7 There are no unauthorised modifications * * *
8 There are no visible unauthorised modifications * * * * * *
9 Bolts, cable entry devices (direct and indirect) and blanking
elements are of the correct type and are complete and tight
- Physical check * * * * * *
- Visual check * * *
10 Flange faces are clean and undamaged and gaskets, if any, *
are satisfactory
11 Flange gap dimensions are within maximal permitted values * *
12 Lamp rating, type and position are correct * * *
13 Electrical connections are tight * *
14 Condition of enclosure gaskets is satisfactory * *
15 Enclosed-break and hermetically sealed devices are undamaged *
16 Restricted breathing enclosure is satisfactory *
17 Motor fans have sufficient clearance to enclosure and/or covers * * *
18 Breathing and draining devices are satisfactory * * * * * *

B INSTALLATION

1 Type of cable is appropriate * * *

2 There is no obvious damage to cables * * * * * * * * *
3 Sealing of trunking, ducts, pipes and/or conduits is satisfactory * * * * * * * * *
4 Stopping boxes and cable boxes are correctly filled *
5 Integrity of conduit system and interface with mixed system is * * *
maintained
6 Earthing connections, including any supplementary earthing
bonding connections are satisfactory (e.g. connections are tight
and conductors are of sufficient cross section)
- Physical check * * *
- Visual check * * * * * *
7 Fault loop impedance (TN system) or earthing resistance * * *
(IT systems is satisfactory)
8 Insulation resistance is satisfactory * * *
9 Automatic electrical protective devices operate within permitted * * *
limits
10 Automatic electrical protective devices are set correctly (auto reset * * *
not possible)
11 Special conditions of use (if applicable) are complied with * * *
12 Cables not in use are correctly terminated * * *
13 Obstructions adjacent to flameproof flanged joints are in * * *
accordance with IEC 60079-14
14 Variable voltage/frequency installation in accordance with * * * * * *
documentation

C ENVIRONMENT

1 Apparatus is adequately protected against corrosion, weather, * * * * * * * * *

vibration and other adverse factors
2 No undue accumulation of dust and dirt * * * * * * * * *
3 Electrical insulation is clean and dry * *

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Note 1: Apparatus using a combination of both ‘d’ and ‘e’ types of protection will require
reference to both columns during inspection.

Note 2: The use of electrical test equipment, in accordance with items B7 and B8, should
only be undertaken after appropriate steps are taken to ensure the surrounding area
is free of a flammable gas or vapour.

BS EN60079-17: Table 2: Inspection Schedule for Ex ’i’ Installations

Check That: Grade Inspection

Detailed Close Visual

A Apparatus

1 Circuit and/or apparatus documentation is appropriate to area * * *

classification
2 Apparatus installed is that specified in the documentation – Fixed * *
apparatus only
3 Circuit and/or apparatus category and group correct * *
4 Apparatus temperature class is correct * *
5 Installation is clearly labelled * *
6 There are no unauthorised modifications *
7 There are no visible unauthorised modifications * *
8 Safety barrier units, replays and other energy limiting devices are of * * *
the approved type, installed in accordance with the certification
requirements and securely earthed where required
9 Electrical connections are tight *
10 Printed circuit boards are clean and undamaged *

B Installation

1 Cables are installed in accordance with the documentation *

2 Cables screens are earthed in accordance with the documentation *
3 There is no obvious damage to cables * * *
4 Sealing of trunking, ducts, pipes and/or conduits is satisfactory * * *
5 Point-to-point connections are all correct *
6 Earth continuity is satisfactory (e.g. connections are tight and *
conductors are of sufficient cross-section)
7 Earth connections maintain the integrity of the type of protection * * *
8 The intrinsically safe circuit is isolated from earth to earthed at one *
point only (refer to documentation)
9 Separation is maintained between intrinsically safe and non- *
intrinsically safe circuits in common distribution boxes or relay
cubicles
10 As applicable, short-circuit protection of the power supply is in *
accordance with the documentation
11 Special conditions of use (if applicable) are complied with *
12 Cables not in use are correctly terminated * * *

C Environment

1 Apparatus is adequately protected against corrosion, weather, * * *

vibration and other adverse factors
2 No undue accumulation of dust and dirt * * *

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BS EN60079-17: Table 3: Inspection Schedule for Ex ’p’ Installations

Check That: Grade Inspection

Detailed Close Visual

A Apparatus

1 Apparatus is appropriate to area classification * * *

2 Apparatus group is correct * *
3 Apparatus temperature class is correct * *
4 Apparatus circuit identification is correct *
5 Apparatus circuit identification is available * * *
6 Enclosures, glass parts and glass-to-metal sealing gaskets and/or * * *
compounds are satisfactory
7 There are no unauthorised modifications *
8 There are no visible unauthorised modifications * *
9 Lamp rating, type and position are correct *

B Installation

1 Type of cable is appropriate *

2 There is no obvious damage to cables * * *
3 Earthing connections, including any supplementary earthing
bonding connections are satisfactory (e.g. connections are tight and
conductors are of sufficient cross section
- Physical check *
- Visual check * *
4 Fault loop impedance (TN systems) or earthing resistance (IT *
systems) is satisfactory
5 Automatic electrical protective devices operate within permitted *
limits
6 Automatic electrical protective devices are set correctly *
7 Protective gas inlet temperature is below maximum specified *
8 Ducts, pipes and enclosures are in good condition * * *
9 Protective gas is substantially free form contaminants * * *
10 Protective gas pressure and/or flow is adequate * * *
11 Pressure and/or flow indicators, alarms and interlocks function *
correctly
12 Pre-energising purge period is adequate *
13 Conditions of spark and particular barriers of ducts for exhausting *
the gas in hazardous area satisfactory
14 Special conditions of use (if applicable) are complied with *

C Environment

1 Apparatus is adequately protected against corrosion, weather, * * *

vibration and other adverse factors
2 No undue accumulation of dust and dirt * * *

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