REPAIRING Ex EQUIPMENT

1 General
• Routine maintenance is required on most equipment in
order that it stays working reliably for long periods.
• Failure of the equipment, may cause an explosion of the
flammable materials to which they are exposed, may not
cause an operational problem.
• It is useful to distinguish between maintenance and
repair.
• Maintenance/overhaul as limited at most to like-for-like
replacements
• Repair goes beyond this to damage which has occurred
to a non-replaceable part of the equipment.
• Clearly, the certification (and possibly the safety) of the
equipment will lapse if it is maintained and repaired by
those who do not understand the safety principles of the
equipment.
• For maintenance, it is sufficient for those who have been
trained in the principles of hazardous area electrical
equipment to undertake the job.
• Repair is more specialised and many users do not have
the facilities on-site to repair equipment.
• It should either be returned to the manufacturer or, if not,
only entrusted to a repair facility which is approved to do
the work to the current code of practice.
2. Maintenance and Repair
2.1. BS IEC 60079-19:1993 and the BEAMA/AEMT Code
of Practice
• In 1984 the British Electrotechnical and Allied
Manufacturers' Association and the Association of
Electrical Machinery Trades published a code of practice
for the repair and overhaul of electrical equipment in
potentially explosive atmospheres.
• It deals mainly with electrical rotating machines, not
because they are the most important items, but because
they are often items of expensive equipment which lend
themselves to being repaired.
• The failure in these machines is often of a mechanical
nature anyhow.
• This code has now been reproduced as an IEC standard
IEC 60079-19:1993.
2.2 Identification of repaired apparatus
• Where the repair affects the integrity of the explosion
protection, repaired apparatus should be marked on the
main part in a visible place.
• This marking should be legible and durable taking into
account possible chemical corrosion.
• .
• According to Annex A of both the BEAMA and
IEC 60079-19 codes, the marking should include:
– the standard number “IEC 79-19” or the national
equivalent ("BEAMA AEMT Code of Practice on
Repairs”)
– the name or registered trade mark of the repairer
– the repairer's reference number relating to the repair
– the date of overhaul/repair
– the symbol R or R
• The marking could be on a plate permanently attached
to the repaired apparatus
2.3 Removal of electrical apparatus
• Where electrical apparatus is removed for maintenance,
any exposed conductors which remain should be
mechanically and electrically secured in an appropriate
manner so as to prevent the occurrence of an unsafe
condition.
2.4 Documentation
• In addition to the certificate, other documentation,
suitable for the repair and/or overhaul, should be
available,
• e.g. the appropriate drawings, specifications, etc.
• The data available for the repair and/or overhaul should
generally include, but need not be limited to, details of:
– technical specification;
– performance and conditions of use;
– dismantling and assembly instructions;
– certification limitations, where specified;
– marking (including certification marking);
– recommended methods or repair/overhaul for the
apparatus.
• Records of any previous repairs, overhauls or
modifications should be kept by the user and made
available to the repairer.
 Appendix
3 Yearly Ex equipment Inspection –
Hazardous Areas

1. Obtain necessary drawing and note relevant zone

classification.
2. Note any item in the area which is not shown on the
drawing and vice versa.
3. Check if equipment is certified for use in the hazardous
area.
4. Inspect visually all Ex 'd', 'e', 'n', 'p', 'i' equipment
externally for the following:
• No unauthorized modifications.
• Bolts, cable entry devices and blanking elements are
of correct type, complete, in good condition and tight.
• No obvious damage to cables.
• Sealing of trunking, ducts, pipes and or conduits is
satisfactory.
• Earthing and bonding connections are in good
condition and tight.
• No undue accumulation of dust and dirt.
• Enclosure, glasses, sealing gaskets and or
compounds are satisfactory.
• Inspect circuit identification present and correct on
controls and major equipment.
• Fit tie wrap to equipment once inspection is complete.
5. Inspect visually all Ex 'p' equipment and or installation for
the following:
• Ducts, pipes and enclosures are in good condition.
• Pressurization medium is substantially free from
contaminants, water, oil and dirt.
• Pressurization medium pressure and or flow is
adequate.
6. Inspect all Ex 'i' equipment internally on the following:
• Earth connections maintain integrity of type of
protection.
• Safety barrier units, relays and other energy limiting
devices are of the approved type, installed in
accordance with certification requirements and
securely earthed where required.
7. Inspect 10% of all Ex 'd', 'e', 'n', 'p' motor, RCUs, boxes
and sockets population for the following:
• General condition, and tightness of electrical
connections.

8. Test and measure all Ex 'e' motors protection devices

operate within 10% limits.

9. Test all Ex 'p' alarms.

Note:
1. Effort should be directed towards detecting any changes
in condition which may invalidate the certification of a
piece of equipment.
2. Type of protection 'd'
• When reassembling flameproof enclosures, all
flameproof joints should be thoroughly cleaned and
lightly smeared with a suitable grease to prevent
corrosion and to assist weatherproofing.
• Blind holes should be kept free of grease. Only non
metallic scrapers and non corrosive cleaning fluids
should be used to clean flanges.
• It is normally not necessary to check the diametrical
clearances of spigot, shaft, spindle and thread joints,
unless there is evidence of wear, distortion, corrosion or
other damage,
• In this case reference should be made to the
manufacturer's documents.
• 3. When major corrective repairs are required or
spares are not available, please raise corrective work-
order in CMMS.