These pages include:

Index of contents of Swansea Consulting's 'Ex- and Haz-Loc' pages News:  Links to a separate page on this site.

Agencies Table - Table of haz. loc. eqpt. testing and certifying agencies:  Links to a separate page on this site.

..... and more.  For a listing of all the pages, see Index

Bookmark this page .. so you can use it again to help you find the wealth of information on the Internet about the Zone classification system for hazardous locations, the ATEX directive , methods of protection ,  IECEx System , News of Seminars on these topics and links to other websites .

If you have a question about the use or certification of equipment for use in explosive gas atmospheres, visit the specific Yahoo group 'hazloc'  that has been set up to give you a 'hot-line' to the experts. SIgn up to this group to post and respond to questions. 

•  --NEWS-- - including  info. such as seminars and abstracts of technical paper
• Agencies Table - showing reciprocal agreements and links to testing and certifying agencies
• Commercial Links - to pages with less educational content than Manufacturers list
• CSA certification for Division or Zone classified areas
• Electrical Heat Tracing standards for Hazardous areas, Industrial use and Non-industrial use
• Explosion protection techniques
• IECExSystem - also UL notes on IECEx System 
• IEC notes - also IEC TC 31 and working group activities
• Information links - such as API and OSHA
• Manufacturers of Ex- equipment, offering further technical information
• North American wiring methods  - (awaiting further input)
• Standards writing bodies
• Technical Books / Publications
• Technical Papers
• Testing and Certifying Agencies with information pages mentioning Ex-e
• Zones and Divisions - Why the increased interest in North America?

ATEX Directive:  Links to a separate page on this site.

Commercial links with less educational content :  Links to a separate page on this site.

CSA certification for Division or Zone classified areas:  Links to a separate page on this site.

Electrical Heat Tracing standards - cross reference chart:  Links to a separate page on this site.
for Hazardous areas, Industrial use and Non-industrial use

•                 Ex d     Flameproof - Zone 1
•                 Ex e     Increased safety - Zone 1
•                 Ex h     Hermetic Sealing - No longer permitted
•                 Ex ia    Intrinsic safety - Zone O or Zone 1
•                 Ex ib    Intrinsic safety - Zone 1
•                 Ex m    Encapsulation - Zone 1
•                 Ex n     Non Sparking Zone - Zone 2
•                 Ex o     Oil Immersion - Zone 1
•                 Ex p     Pressured enclosure - Zone 1 (px, py, pz - IEC draft 79-2)
•                 Ex q     Sand filling - Zone 1
•                 Ex s     Special protection - Zone O or Zone 1
•                 DIP     Dust-Excluding Ignition proof - Class II

The International Standard IEC 60079-7 defines Increased Safety "e" as follows:

Increased safety "e":  Type of protection applied to electrical apparatus that does not produce arcs or sparks in normal service, in which additional measures are applied so as to give increased security against the possibility of excessive temperatures and of the occurrence of arcs and sparks.
NOTES:    1  This type of protection is denoted by "e".
                 2  Apparatus producing arcs or sparks in normal service is excluded by this definition.

IECEx System:  Link to a separate page on this site.

IEC notes:  Link to a separate page on this site.

IEC TC 31 and working group activities:  External link.

Info. links such as API and OSHA :  Links to a separate page on this site.

Manufacturers of Ex- equipment offering further information: Links to a separate page on this site.

The US National Electrical Code (1999) and the Canadian Electrical Code (1998) recognized the use of the Zone system of Hazardous Location classification, as used in Europe and other parts of the world. This provided the opportunity for electrical products designed for European hazardous locations to gain acceptance in North America.  Also, North American companies now have a local, as well as an overseas market for products specifically designed to offer methods of protection such as the Ex-e method of protection. More detailed information is available from Killark (faq pages no longer on their website, but see Killark hazardous location data) or review a copy of their old faqs (frequently asked questions) information at (Killark 1997 faqs).

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