1 Scope
This part of IEC 60079‑29 specifies general requirements, test methods and acceptance criteria that apply to flammable, oxygen and toxic gas detection equipment intended to detect gases and vapours and to provide an indication, alarm or other output function for personnel or property protection in industrial and commercial applications.
NOTE 1 The term gas detection equipment is often referred to as the term gas detector.
NOTE 2 The terms 'gas' and 'gases' used in this document are also intended to include 'vapour' and 'vapours'.
This document applies to the following gas detection equipment:
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Gas detection equipment Type "FL" intended for the detection of flammable gases:
Type FL-Group I, in mines susceptible to firedamp;
Type FL-Group II, in locations other than mines susceptible to firedamp; and
Type FL-OP, open path gas detection equipment for flammable gases.
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Gas detection equipment Type "O2" intended for the detection of oxygen:
Type O2-DE, detection of oxygen deficiency or oxygen enrichment; and
Type O2-IN, inertisation as measuring function for explosion protection.
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Gas detection equipment Type "TX" intended for the detection of toxic gases:
Type TX-SM, detection in areas for safety monitoring applications and typically using alarm signalling;
Type TX-HM, occupational exposure measurement in the region of occupational exposure limit values; and
NOTE 4 Type TX-HM gas detection equipment performance requirements reside in IEC 62990‑1.
Type TX-OP, open path gas detection equipment for toxic gases.
NOTE 5 This document addresses equipment giving a level of performance suitable for general purpose applications. Specific applications might require particular tests or evaluations that are additional to and separate from the compliance with this document.
NOTE 6 Although the focus of this document is gas detection equipment for use in 'explosive atmospheres', this document can be applicable to detection in areas not formally classified as 'explosive atmospheres'.
NOTE 7 Refrigerant gas detection equipment used for life, health and safety area monitoring are within the scope of this document or IEC 62990‑1.
This document is not applicable to equipment:
used for medical applications;
used only in laboratories for analysis or measurement;
used only for process monitoring or control purposes (such as a gas analyser);
used in the domestic environment;
used in environmental air pollution monitoring;
used for flue gas analysis;
used for sampling systems external to the gas detection equipment;
with samplers and concentrators such as sorbents or paper tape having an irreversible indication;
consisting of a passive optical receiver without a dedicated optical source;
equipment within the scope of IEC 60335‑2‑40 and IEC 60335‑2‑89.
NOTE 3 Inertisation is an explosion protection technique where an explosive atmosphere is purged with inert gas.