1.1 This part of IEC 60079 specifies the construction and testing of intrinsically safe apparatus, intended for use in potentially explosive atmospheres and for associated apparatus, which is intended for connection to intrinsically safe circuits which enter such atmospheres. It also contains details of the test apparatus previously published as IEC 60079-3.

1.2 This standard supplements IEC 60079-0:1998, the requirements of which apply to intrinsically safe apparatus and to associated apparatus except as indicated in the following list. If associated apparatus is protected by a type of protection listed in IEC 60079-0 then the requirements of that method of protection together with the relevant parts of IEC 60079-0 also apply to the associated apparatus. The list of exclusions which follows is directly applicable to associated apparatus intended for use in situations where there is no potentially explosive atmosphere and in other circumstances should be used in combination with the requirements of the other methods of protection.