Commission Directive 98/65/EC of 3 September 1998 adapting to technical progress Council Directive 82/130/EEC on the approximation of the laws of the Member States concerning electrical equipment for use in potentially explosive atmospheres in mines susceptible to firedamp (Text with EEA relevance)
Date: 1998-09-03
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: European standard, approximation of laws, electrical equipment, explosive, mining operation, technical standard

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COMMISSION DIRECTIVE 98/65/EC

of 3 September 1998

adapting to technical progress Council Directive 82/130/EEC on the approx-
imation of the laws of the Member States concerning electrical equipment for
use in potentially explosive atmospheres in mines susceptible to firedamp

(Text with EEA relevance)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE:

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community,

Having regard to Council Directive 82/130/EEC of 15
February 1982 on the approximation of the laws of the
Member States concerning electrical equipment for use in
potentially explosive atmospheres in mines susceptible to
firedamp (1), as last amended by Commission Directive
94/44/EC (2), and in particular Article 7 thereof,

in view of

Whereas,
technical
progress, it is now necessary to adapt the contents of the
harmonised standards referred to in Annex A to Directive
82/130/EEC;

the present

state of

Whereas, in view of the present state of the standardisa-
tion of the types of protection involved, it is necessary to
provide for the first and second editions of the standards
for electrical equipment for use in potentially explosive
atmospheres to be used in parallel;

Whereas certificates issued on the basis of the first edition
standards listed in Annex A to Directive 82/130/EEC, as
amended, are referred to as ‘generation D certificates', and
certificates issued on the basis of
the second edition
standards listed in Annex I to this Directive are referred
to as ‘generation E certificates'; whereas ‘generation D
certificates' and ‘generation E certificates' are to be used
in parallel;

Whereas Directive 94/9/EC of the European Parliament
and the Council of 23 March 1994 on the approximation
of the laws of the Member States concerning equipment
and protective systems intended for use in potentially
explosive atmospheres (3) stipulates that Directive 82/
130/EEC be repealed as from 1 July 2003;

Whereas the measures provided for in this Directive are
in accordance with the opinion of
the Restricted
Committee of the Safety and Health Commission for the
Mining and other Extractive Industries,

(1) OJ L 59, 2. 3. 1982, p. 10.
(2) OJ L 248, 23. 9. 1994, p. 22.
(3) OJ L 100, 19. 4. 1994, p. 1.

Article 1

Directive 82/130/EEC is hereby amended as follows:

1. in the first sentence of Annex A, the reference to the
‘table below' shall be replaced by the ‘tables below';

2. Annex I to the present Directive shall be added to

Annex A;

3. Annex II to the present Directive shall be added to

Annex B.

Article 2

Member States shall bring into force the laws, regulations
and administrative provisions necessary to comply with
this Directive not later than 31 December 1999 and shall
forthwith inform the Commission thereof.

When Member States adopt these provisions, these shall
contain a reference to this Directive or shall be accom-
panied by such reference at the time of their official
publication. The procedure for such reference shall be
adopted by the Member States.

Member States shall communicate to the Commission the
texts of the provisions of national law which they have
already adopted or adopt in the field governed by this
Directive.

Article 3

This Directive is addressed to the Member States.

It shall enter into force on the 20th day following its
publication in the Official Journal of the European
Communities.

Done at Brussels, 3 September 1998.

For the Commission

P(cid:145)draig FLYNN

Member of the Commission

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Certificates issued on the basis of the standards listed in the table below shall be referred to as ‘generation E
certificates'. The letter E shall appear at the beginning of the serial number of each such certificate.

ANNEX I

EUROPEAN STANDARDS
(drawn up by Cenelec, 35 rue de Stassart, B-1050 Brussels)

Title

Edition

Date

Electrical apparatus for potentially explosive
atmospheres:
General requirements

Electrical apparatus for potentially explosive
atmospheres:
Oil immersion ‘o'

Electrical apparatus for potentially explosive
atmospheres:
Pressurised apparatus ‘p'

Electrical apparatus for potentially explosive
atmospheres:
Powder filling ‘q'

Electrical apparatus for potentially explosive
atmospheres:
Flameproof enclosure ‘d'

Electrical apparatus for potentially explosive
atmospheres:
Increased safety ‘e'
Electrical apparatus for potentially explosive
atmospheres:
Intrinsic safety ‘i'

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

December 1992

April 1994

October 1995

April 1994

August 1994

March 1994

August 1994

Number

EN 50014

EN 50015

EN 50016

EN 50017

EN 50018

EN 50019

EN 50020

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Amendments and supplements made to the European Standards listed in Annex A to this
Directive (second editions of European Standards)

ANNEX II

ELECTRICAL APPARATUS FOR POTENTIALLY EXPLOSIVE ATMOSPHERES OF GROUP I

Appendix 1

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

(European standard EN 50014)

Replace the text of 7.3.1 of European Standard EN 50014 (December 1992) by the following text:

‘7.3.1. Electrical apparatus of Group I

Enclosures of plastic materials with a surface area projected in any direction of more than 100 cm2, or
containing exposed metallic parts with a capacitance to earth of more than 3 pF, under the most
unfavourable conditions in practice, shall be so designed that under normal conditions of use, maintenance
and cleaning, danger of ignition due to electrostatic charges is avoided.

This requirement shall be satisfied:

(cid:190) either by suitable selection of the material: its insulation resistence, measured according to the method

given in 23.4.7.8 of this European standard, shall not exceed:
(cid:190) 1 GY at 23 5 2 (cid:190)C and 50 5 5 % relative humidity,
(cid:190) 100 GY under extreme service conditions of temperature and humidity specified for the elctrical
apparatus; the “X” shall then be placed after the certificate reference, as indicated in, 27.2.9,

(cid:190) or by the size, shape, layout or by other protective methods. The non appearance of dangerous
electrostatic charges shall then be verified by actual tests for ignition of an air methane mixture
containing 8,5 5 0,5 % of methane.

If, however, the danger of ignition cannot be avoided in the design, a warning label shall indicate the safety
measures to be applied in service'.

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Appendix 3

ELECTRICAL APPARATUS FOR POTENTIALLY EXPLOSIVE ATMOSPHERES OF GROUP I

INTRINSIC SAFETY ‘i'

Intrinsically safe electrical systems

Note: In mines susceptible to firedamp in the Federal Republic of Germany, the word ‘Anlage' is used instead

of ‘System'.

1.

Scope

1.1.

1.2.

1.3.

This Annex contains the specific requirements for construction and testing of intrinsically safe
electrical systems all or parts of which are intended for installation in potentially explosive
atmospheres of mines susceptible to firedamp, in order to ensure that such electrical systems will not
cause an explosion in the surrounding atmosphere.

This Annex supplements European Standard EN 50020 ‘Intrinsic safety “i”' (second edition, August
1994) the requirements of which apply to the construction and testing of intrinsically safe electrical
apparatus and associated electrical apparatus.

This Annex does not take the place of installation rules for intrinsically safe electrical apparatus,
associated electrical apparatus and intrinsically safe electrical systems.

2.

Definitions

2.1.

The following definitions, specific to intrinsically safe electrical systems, are applicable in this Annex.
They supplement the definitions which are in European Standards EN 50 014 ‘General requirements'
and EN 50020 ‘Intrinsic safety “i”'.

2.2.

Intrinsically safe electrical system

An assembly of items of electrical apparatus defined in a descriptive system document in which the
intended for use in a potentially explosive
interconnecting circuits, or parts of such circuits,
atmosphere, are intrinsically safe circuits, and which meet the requirements of this Annex.

2.3.

Cerified intrinsically safe electrical system

An electrical system conforming to 2.2 for which a testing station has issued a system certificate,
certifying that the type of electrical system complies with this Annex.

Note 1: It is not necessary for each electrical apparatus in an intrinsically safe electrical system to be

certified individually, but it must suitably be identifiable.

Note 2: In so far as the national regulations for installation make it possible, electrical systems
conforming to 2.2, for which the knowledge of the electrical parameters of the items of
certified intrinsically safe electrical apparatus, certified associated electrical apparatus,
non-certified devices conforming to 1.3 of European Standard EN 50014 ‘General
the
requirements', and the knowledge of
components and interconnecting wiring permits the unambiguous deduction that intrinsic
safety is conserved, can be installed without additional certificates.

the electrical and physical parameters of

2.4.

Accessory

Electrical apparatus which contains only components for connecting and switching intrinsically safe
circuits and which do not prejudice the intrinsic safety of the system, such as terminal boxes, junction
boxes, plugs and sockets and similar items, switches, etc.

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3.

Categories of intrinsically safe electrical systems

3.1.

Intrinsically safe electrical systems, or parts thereof, shall be placed in one of the two categories: ‘ia' or
‘ib'. The requirements of this Annex apply to both categories, unless otherwise specified.

Note: Intrinsically safe electrical systems, or parts thereof, may have categories different from those of
the intrinsically safe electrical apparatus and associated electrical apparatus included in the
system or part thereof. Also different parts of an intrinsically safe electrical system may have
different categories.

3.2.

Category ‘ia'

Intrinsically safe electrical systems, or parts thereof are of category ‘ia' if they comply with the
requirements for intrinsically safe electrical apparatus of category ‘ia' (see 5.2 of European Standard
EN 50020 ‘Intrinsic safety'), except that the intrinsically safe electrical system as a whole shall be
considered as a single item of electrical apparatus.

3.3.

Category ‘ib'

Intrinsically safe electrical systems, or parts thereof, are of category ‘ib' if they comply with the
requirements for electrical apparatus of category ‘ib'
(see 5.3 of European Standard EN 50020
‘Intrinsic safety') except that the intrinsically safe electrical system as a whole shall be considered as a
single item of electrical apparatus.

4.

Interconnecting wiring in an intrinsically safe electrical system

4.1.

4.2.

The electrical parameters and all characteristics of
the interconnecting wiring specific to an
intrinsically safe electrical system, in so far as intrinsic safety depends on them, shall be specified in
the certification documents for that electrical system.

Where a multicore cable contains interconnections which are parts of more than one intrinsically safe
circuit the cable shall meet the following requirements:

4.2.1.

The radial thickness of the insulation shall be appropriate to the diameter of the conductor. In the
case of polyethylene, the minimum radial thickness shall be 0,2 mm.

4.2.2.

Before leaving the manufacturer’s works, the multicore cable shall be submitted to AC dielectric tests
specified either in 4.2.2.1 or in 4.2.2.2. The success of these tests shall be attested by a tests certificate
issued by the cable manufacturer.

4.2.2.1. Either each core, before assembly into the cable, is tested at a voltage value (rms) equal to 3 000 V +

(2 000 times the radial thickness of the insulation in mm) V; the assembled cable:

(cid:190) is firstly tested at a voltage value (rms) equal to 500 V applied between all the armourings or
screens of the cable joined together electrically and the bundle of all cores joined together
electrically, and

(cid:190) is secondly tested at a voltage value (rms) equal to 1 000 V applied between a bundle comprising

one half of the cable cores and a bundle comprising the other half of the cores.

4.2.2.2. Or the assembled cable:

(cid:190) is firstly tested at a voltage value (rms) equal to 1 000 V applied between all the armourings or
screens of the cable joined together electrically and the bundle of all cores joined together
electrically, and

(cid:190) is secondly tested at a voltage value (rms) equal to 2 000 V applied in succession between each
core of the cable and the bundle formed by all the other cores joined together electrically.

4.2.3.

The tests prescribed in 4.2.2 shall be carried out with an a.c. voltage of substantially sinusoidal wave
form at a frequency between 48 and 62 Hz given by a transformer of appropriate power, taking into
account the cable capacity. In the case of dielectric tests on assembled cables, the voltage shall be
increased steadly to the specified value in a period not less than 10 seconds and then maintained for
at least 60 seconds.

These tests are carried out by the cable manufacturer.

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4.3.

4.3.1.

No fault between the cores of a multicore cable shall be taken into account if one of the two
following requirements is satisfied:

The cable conforms to 4.2 and each individual intrinsically safe circuit is enclosed in a conducting
screen providing at least 60 % coverage.

Note: The eventual connection of the screen to earth or frame will be specified in the installation

rules.

4.3.2.

The cable conforms to 4.2, is effectively protected against damage and each intrinsically safe circuit
within the cable has, in normal operation, a peak voltage of equal to or less than 60 volts.

4.4.

4.5.

4.6.

4.7.

Where a multicore cable conforms with 4.2 but not with 4.3 and contains only intrinsically safe
circuits forming parts of a single intrinsically safe electrical system, faults shall be considered between
up to four cores of the cable in addition to the application of either 3.2 or 3.3.

Where a multicore cable conforms with 4.2 but not with 4.3 and contains intrinsically safe circuits
forming parts of different intrinsically safe electrical systems, each intrinsically safe circuit contained
in the cable shall have a safety factor of at least four times that required by either 3.2 or 3.3.

Where a multicore cable does not comply with 4.2 and 4.3, any number of faults between the cores of
the cable shall be taken into account in addition to the application of 3.2 or 3.3.

The certification documents of the intrinsically safe electrical system shall specify the conditions of
use resutling from the application of 4.3 to 4.6.

5.

Accessories used in intrinsically safe electrical systems

The accessories which are listed in the certification documents as parts of an intrinsically safe
electrical system shall meet:

(cid:190) points 7 and 8 of European Standard EN 50014 ‘General requirements',
(cid:190) points 6 and 12.2 of European Standard EN 50020 ‘Intrinsic safety “i”'.

Their marking shall bear at least the manufacturer’s name or its registered trade mark.

Note: The use of noncertified accessories is subject to the installation requirements.

6.

Type tests

Intrinsically safe electrical systems shall be type tested in accordance with the type test requirements
of point 10 of European Standard EN 50020 ‘Intrinsic safety “i”', but taking into account point 4 of
this Annex.

7.

Marking of intrinsically safe electrical systems

Certified intrinsically safe electrical systems shall be marked by the holder of the certificate of that
system on at least one of the electrical apparatus set on a strategic position. The marking shall include
the minimal marking of 27.6 of European Standard EN 50 014 ‘General requirements' and the letters
‘SYST'.