IEC Technical Committee TC31 Equipment for explosive atmospheres
The committee concerned with the development of the standards on equipment for explosive atmospheres at IEC is Technical Committee TC 31 Equipment for explosive atmospheres. The Secretariat for this committee is held by the UK. Jim Munro (Managing Director of Jim Munro International Compliance Pty Ltd) was Chairman of the committee from 1979 to July 2014. The current Chairman is Martin Thedens.
The scope of TC 31 is to prepare and maintain international standards relating to equipment for use where there is a hazard due to the possible presence of explosive atmospheres of gases, vapours, mists or combustible dusts.
TC 31 has three sub-committees, 13 working groups, three project teams, three joint working groups, 12 maintenance teams, one joint maintenance team and three advisory groups. It has 41 participating countries, called P-members, and 11 observer countries. The subcommittees also have working groups, project teams and maintenance teams.
It is responsible for over 30 standards associated with hazardous areas.