Protect your electrical equipment and ensure your enclosures meet all applicable Explosion and Flame Proof protection standards

This protection method assumes that the surrounding explosive atmosphere can enter an enclosure intended to protect electrical equipment and that there will be internal explosions during the life of the protected equipment.

In order to be certified as explosion or flame proof, the enclosure must be strong enough not to fracture or distort under the internal pressures generated in order to contain explosions and prevent propagation. When testing a product for Explosion proof protection, it will have to undergo several actual explosions within simulated environments.

The chart below gives an overview of North American and International Explosion and Flame Proof protection standards:

Explosion and Flame Proof

Canada Europe United States International
CSA 60079-0 EN 60079-0 FM 3600 IEC 60079-0
CSA 60079-1 EN 60079-1 FM 3615 IEC 60079-1
C22.2 No. 30   UL 60079-0  
CSA 137 (Lighting)   UL 60079-1  
    UL 1203  
    UL 844 (Lighting)  


There are differences between Explosion Proof protection and Flame Proof protection that must be noted and will have an impact on your projects depending on where you intend to sell them. Generally, Explosion Proof is utilized in the US while Flame Proof is utilized in Canada and Europe.