GUIDE TO

Explosive Atmospheres
Area Classification Protection Concepts ATEX Marking (European)
Code /
Standard Flammable Material
Present
Continuously (1)
Present
Intermittently
Present
Abnormally
Type of Protection
Symbol
Division / Zone Market Standard Concept of Protection
0598 II 2 G Ex db IIB T4 Gb
Electrical Equipment for Flammable Gas, Vapours and Mist
IEC / EN 60079-10-1 Gas / Vapour Zone 0 Zone 1 Zone 2 CE Marking Surrounding Explosion
Ex db Zone 1 IECEx / ATEX IEC / EN 60079-1 Equipment
IEC / CENELEC Combustible Dust or Flameproof atmosphere: Protected Protection
IEC / EN 60079-10-2 Zone 20 Zone 21 Zone 22 Level of Protection Ex db Zone 1 Canada CAN/CSA-C22.2 No. 60079-1 Contain the G - Gas
Ignitable Fibers explosion and Identification of the Notified Level
“db” AEx db Class I, Zone 1 US ANSI / UL 60079-1 Body responsible D - Dust Type of Protection:
Gas / Vapour Zone 0 Zone 1 Zone 2 prevent flame “db” - Flameproof
for EX Quality System
ATEX Directive 99/92/EC Combustible Dust or (XP) Class I, Division 1 Canada CSA-C22.2 No. 145 / No. 30 propagation approval. “db eb” - Flameproof with Gas group
Zone 20 Zone 21 Zone 22 Explosion Proof Equipment Category: increased Temperature
Ignitable Fibers (XP) Class I, Division 1 US UL 674 / UL 1203 e.g. 0598 is the identification
1 for Zone 0 or 20 safety terminal box Class:
number for SGS Fimko “eb” - Increased Safety - Zone 1
ANSI/NFPA 70 National Increased Safety Ex eb Zone 1 IECEx / ATEX IEC / EN 60079-7 2 for Zone 1 or 21
“ec” - Increased Safety - Zone 2
T1, T2, T3, T4,
NEC 501 Gas / Vapour Class I, Division 1 Class I, Division 1 Class I, Division 2 3 for Zone 2 or 22 T5 or T6
Electrical Code Article 501 Level of Protection Ex eb Zone 1 Canada CAN/CSA-C22.2 No. 60079-7 The European Commission “nA” - Non-sparking
mark for explosion protection M1 - Mines: Required to “tb” - By Enclosure - Zone 21
“eb” AEx eb Class I, Zone 1 US ANSI / UL 60079-7 “tc” - By Enclosure - Zone 22
ANSI/NFPA 70 National remain functional in the
“pxb” - Pressurized - Zone 1 Dust group
NEC 505 Gas / Vapour Class I, Zone 0 Class I, Zone 1 Class I, Zone 2 Increased Safety Ex ec Zone 2 IECEx / ATEX IEC / EN 60079-7 presence of an explosive Maximum
Electrical Code Article 505 “pyb” - Pressurized - Zone 1
Equipment group: atmosphere “pzc” - Pressurized - Zone 2 surface
Level of Protection Ex ec Zone 2 Canada CAN/CSA-C22.2 No. 60079-7:16 No arcs, sparks or M2 - Mines: Must be temperature:
ANSI/NFPA 70 National Combustible Dust or II Surface Industry
NEC 502 Class II, Division 1 Class II, Division 1 Class II, Division 2 “ec” AEx ec Class I, Zone 2 US ANSI / UL 60079-7 hot surfaces I Mines (underground de-energized in the Gas group: T125ºC
Electrical Code Article 502 Ignitable Fibers industries) presence of an explosive I: Mining
Non-sparking Ex nA Zone 2 Canada CAN/CSA-C22.2 No. 60079-15
atmosphere IIA: Propane
ANSI/NFPA 70 National Combustible Dust or “nA” AEx nA Class I, Zone 2 US ANSI / UL 60079-15 IIB: Ethylene Mines group
NEC 506 Zone 20 Zone 21 Zone 22
Electrical Code Article 506 Ignitable Fibers (NI) Class I, Division 2 Canada CSA-C22.2 No. 0 / No. 213 IIC: Acetylene, Hydrogen maximum
Nonincendive (Div.2) surface
CSA C22.1 Canadian (NI) Class I, Division 2 US UL 674 / ISA 12.12.01 Dust group: temperature
Gas / Vapour Class I, Zone 0 Class I, Zone 1 Class I, Zone 2 - IIIA: combustible flyings
Electrical Code Section 18 Pressurized Ex pxb Zone 1 IECEx / ATEX IEC / EN 60079-2 - IIIB: non-conductive dust
is limited to
CEC Sec. 18 150°C.
CSA C22.1 Canadian Combustible Dust or Level of Protection Ex pxb Zone 1 Canada CAN/CSA-C22.2 No. 60079-2 - IIIC: conductive dust
Class II, Division 1 Class II, Division 1 Class II, Division 2 “pxb”
Electrical Code Section 18 Ignitable Fibers AEx pxb Class I, Zone 1 US ANSI / UL 60079-2
(1) Electric motors are not allowed in Zone 0/20 locations; Pressurized
Level of Protection
Ex pyb
Ex pyb
Zone 1
Zone 1
IECEx / ATEX
Canada
IEC / EN 60079-2
CAN/CSA-C22.2 No. 60079-2
IECEx Marking (Global)
“pyb”
Pressurized
AEx pyb
Ex pzc
Class I, Zone 1
Zone 2
US
IECEx / ATEX
ANSI / UL 60079-2
IEC / EN 60079-2
Keep flammable
gas out Ex db eb IIC T4 Gb
Level of Protection Ex pzc Zone 2 Canada CAN/CSA-C22.2 No. 60079-2
Atmosphere Groups Temperature Classes “pzc” AEx pzc Class I, Zone 2 US ANSI /UL 60079-2 Explosion Protected Equipment Protection Level

Type X Class I, Division 1 Canada / US NFPA 496 Type of Protection: Gas group: Gas group
Pressurized Type Y Class I, Division 1 Canada / US NFPA 496 I: Mining Temperature Class:
ATEX IEC / CENELEC NEC 500 / CEC Maximum Surface “db” - Flameproof
North America “db eb” - Flameproof with increased IIA: Propane T1, T2, T3, T4, T5 or T6
IECEx NEC 505 / CEC SECTION 18 Annex J Temperature Type Z Class I, Division 2 Canada / US NFPA 496 safety terminal box IIB: Ethylene
Substance Electrical Equipment for Combustible Dusts “eb” - Increased Safety - Zone 1 IIC: Acetylene, Hydrogen Dust group
NEC / CEC NEC / CEC T1 T1 450 °C (842 °F) “ec” - Increased Safety - Zone 2 Max. surface temperature: 125ºC
Group(3) Class Division Zone Protection by Ex tb Zone 21 IECEx / ATEX IEC / EN 60079-31 “nA” - Non-sparking
T2 T2 300 °C (572 °F)
System System (3) Enclosure Ex tb Zone 21 Canada CAN/CSA-C22.2 No. 60079-31
“tb” - By Enclosure - Zone 21
Dust group: Mines group maximum surface
“tc” - By Enclosure - Zone 22 temperature is limited to 150 °C.
Methane T2A 280 °C (536 °F) Level of Protection - IIIA: combustible flyings
AEx tb Zone 21 US ANSI/UL 60079-31 “pxb” - Pressurized - Zone 1
I - Gaseous Mines (2) “tb” “pyb” - Pressurized - Zone 1
- IIIB: non-conductive dust
(Fire damp) T2B 260 °C (500 °F) - IIIC: conductive dust
Protection by Ex tc Zone 22 IECEx / ATEX IEC / EN 60079-31 “pzc” - Pressurized - Zone 2
Propane IIA Group D IIA T2C 230 °C (446 °F) Enclosure Ex tc Zone 22 Canada CAN/CSA-C22.2 No. 60079-31
T2D 215 °C (419 °F) Level of Protection
Ethylene IIB
I
Group C IIB
T3 T3 200 °C (392 °F)
“tc” AEx tc Zone 22 US ANSI/UL 60079-31
Keep combustible NEC/CEC Marking (North American)
Hydrogen IIC Group B IIC (DIP) Class II, Division 1 Canada CSA-C22.2 No. 25 dust out
T3A 180 °C (356 °F) Dust Ignition Proof Division System
(DIP) Class II, Division 1 US UL 1203
Acetylene IIC Group A IIC T3B 165 °C (329 °F)
Dust Protected
(NI) Class II, Division 2 Canada CSA-C22.2 No. 25 Class I, Division 1, Group C & D, T4
Fibers and Flyings IIIA III - IIIA T3C 160 °C (320 °F) (NI) Class II, Division 2 US ANSI/UL 1604
T4 T4 135 °C (275 °F) (PX) Class II, Division 1 Canada / US NFPA 496 Explosive atmosphere: Area classification: Gas group: Temperature code:
Grain Dust IIIB Group G IIIB Pressurized (PY) Class II, Division 1 Canada / US NFPA 496 - Class I (Gas or vapour) - Division 1 - A: Acetylene - T1, T2, T2A, T2B ... T4A,
T4A 120 °C (248 °F) - Class II (Dust) - Division 2 - B: Hydrogen T5 or T6
Coal Dust IIIB II Group F IIIB (PZ) Class II, Division 2 Canada / US NFPA 496 - Class III (Flyings) - C: Ethylene
T5 T5 100 °C (212 °F) - D: Propane
- E: Metal dusts
Metal Dust IIIC Group E IIIC T6 T6 85 °C (185 °F)
Equipment Group, Category, Zone and Protection Level (EPL) - F: Carbonaceous dusts
- G: Combustible dusts
(2) Not within scope of NEC or CEC. Mining applications
under jurisdiction of MSHA (Mine Safety & Health Equipment Category Equipment
Equipment Protection Zone System (6)
Association). (acc. ATEX Directive Zone Protection Atmosphere Use
Group Level
Gb

The values shown are subject to change without prior notice.

(3) Equipment with Gas Group marking IIC, covers also 2014/34/EU) Level
Class I, Zone 1, AEx db IIC T4
the Groups IIA and IIB. I M1 - Ma Methane Very High Operable in Ex atmosphere
Equipment with Dust Group marking IIIC, covers also (Mines) M2 - Mb (Fire damp) High De-energised in Ex atmosphere Explosive atmosphere: Explosion Protected approved to U.S. Gas group: Gas group Equipment
- Class I (Gas or vapour)(4) Standards (5) - IIA: Propane Temp. Protection

Cod: 50042119 | Rev: 10 | Date (m/y): 12/2020

the Groups IIIA and IIIB. 0 Ga Zones 0, 1 and 2 - IIB: Ethylene Class: Level
1 Very High Area classification:
Type of Protection: - IIC: Acetylene, T1, T2, T3,
20 Da Zones 20, 21 and 22 “db” - Flameproof Hydrogen T4, T5 or T6
- Zone 1 (Gas or vapour) “db eb” - Flameproof with increased
1 Gb G - Gas, Zones 1 and 2 - Zone 2 (Gas or vapour)
II safety terminal box Dust group:
2 Vapours High - Zone 21 (Dust) “eb” - Increased Safety - Zone 1
(All other) 21 Db Zones 21 and 22 - IIIA: combustible Dust group
D - Dust - Zone 22 (Dust) “ec” - Increased Safety - Zone 2
flyings maximum surface
2 Gc Zone 2 “nA” - Non-sparking
- IIIB: non- temperature:
3 Enhanced “tb” - By Enclosure - Zone 21
conductive dust T125ºC

When it comes to
22 Dc Zone 22 “tc” - By Enclosure - Zone 22
“pxb” - Pressurized - Zone 1 - IIIC: conductive
“pyb” - Pressurized - Zone 1 dust

HAZARDOUS AREAS,
“pzc” - Pressurized - Zone 2

(4) For Dust environments (Zone 21 or 22) the Class of the hazard (Class II) shall not be mentioned in the marking
e.g. Zone 21, AEx tb IIIC T125ºC Db
(5) For Canadian Standards letter “A” shall not be mentioned in the marking e.g. Class I, Zone I, Ex db IIC T4 Gb

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(6) Zone System is recommended for new installations in Canada. For United States, the installation, Zone System is optional.