This standard gives guidance on the procedure and information required to allow ignition hazard assessment to be carried out for the design of equipment or component. In this procedure the following information is to be taken into account: Possible occurrence of an explosive atmosphere inside the equipment or component or penetrating the equipment or component from the outside (in normal operation or during malfunctions) and the amount of explosive atmosphere involved leading to possible explosion impact inside of the equipment or component; equipment or components surrounded by an explosive atmosphere (in normal operation or during malfunctions); equipment or components with an internal explosive atmosphere which can be released to the surroundings (in normal operation or during malfunctions); presence and likelihood (effectiveness) of ignition sources. The final objective is designing and manufacturing equipment or component intended for use in potentially explosive atmospheres. For this purpose equipment or component shall be built with type(s) of protection. This standard describes neither specific methods of analysis associated with ignition hazard assessment, nor specific requirements for a category of equipment. It describes the methodology of ignition hazard assessment. This standard provides advice for decision to be made for the categorisation of equipment but does not provide means to prove the conformity of equipment categories. This standard applies to all categories of equipment referred to in EN 13463-1. This ignition hazard assessment procedure does not preclude the conditions prevailing in an installation where the equipment or component is put into operation by a user. NOTE Protective systems shall be covered in another standard as the procedure and information required to allow ignition hazard assessment is different from the above procedure.