BS EN 60079-6:2015

What is BS EN 60079-6 - EA equipment protection o standard about ?

Dusts, as defined in BS EN 60079, are hazardous because when they are dispersed in air by any means they may form potentially explosive atmospheres. Furthermore, layers of dust may ignite and act as ignition sources for an explosive atmosphere.  

IEC 60079-6 contains specific requirements for the design, construction, testing and marking of Ex Equipment and Ex Components with type of protection liquid immersion “o” intended for use in explosive gas atmospheres. In IEC 60079-6, type of protection powder filling “o” provides equipment protection level of either: 

• Level of Protection “ob” (EPL “Mb” or “Gb”)
• Level of Protection “oc” (EPL “Gc”) 

Note: IEC 60079-6 requirements for higher voltages are under consideration.

Who is BS EN 60079-6 - EA equipment protection o standard for ?

BS EN 60079-6 on EA equipment protection o standard is useful for: 

• Manufacturers of transformers
• Manufacturers of high voltage equipment 
• Operators in high voltage areas 
• Concerned maintenance teams  
• Product development teams  
• Quality control teams 
• Health and safety bodies 

Why should you use BS EN 60079-6 - EA equipment protection o standard ?

Safety is a prime concern when employees are around EA. Parts which might ignite an explosive atmosphere are immersed in oil or other non-flammable, insulating liquid so that gases and vapours above the oil level and outside the enclosure cannot be ignited by electric arcs or sparks generated below the oil level, or by hot residual gases from the switching process or by hot surfaces – e. g. on a resistor. BS EN 60079-6 standard applies to electrical equipment, parts of electrical equipment and Ex components with: 

• A rated supply current less than or equal to 16 A 
• A rated supply voltage less than or equal to 1 000 V 
• A rated power consumption less than or equal to 1 000 W 

BS EN 60079-6 is intended to be applied where for Level of Protection “ob”, this standard applies where the rated voltage does not exceed 11 kV r.m.s. a.c. or d.c. and for Level of Protection “oc”, this standard applies where the rated voltage does not exceed 15 kV r.m.s. a.c. or d.c. The sections on levels of protection and requirements of electrical equipment, protective liquid, switching device, and verification and tests have been discussed in thorough details in BS EN 60079-6. In BS EN 60079-6 a liquid immersion "o" (oil immersion) is used for a type of protection in which the electrical equipment or parts of the electrical equipment are immersed in a protective liquid in such a way that an explosive gas atmosphere which may be above the liquid or outside the enclosure cannot be ignited. Using BS EN 60079-6 guidelines, you can protect your employees when they work in a potentially explosive gas atmosphere; and avoid potential hazards including explosion, fire, and electrical hazards. BS EN 60079-6 guidelines help you to comply with safety requirements. 

What’s changed since the last update ?

BS EN 60079-6:2015 supersedes BS EN 60079-6:2009. BS EN 60079-6:2015 includes some technical changes with respect to BS EN 60079-6:2009. These include: 

• Edition 4 represents a major technical revision of the requirements for oil immersion “o” and should be considered as introducing all new requirements. The normal “Table of Significant Changes” has not been included for this reason 
• Additional requirements have been introduced for the protective liquid