​In the high-stakes environments of oil and gas, chemical processing, and mining, safety isn't just a priority—it’s a regulatory mandate. When operating in areas where flammable gases or dust are present, the IEC 60079-13 certificate stands as a critical benchmark for safety and operational integrity.

But what exactly is IEC 60079-13, and why is it essential for your facility?

What is the IEC 60079-13 Standard?
The IEC 60079-13 is a specialized international standard within the IEC 60079 series. While other parts of the series focus on individual components (like sensors or motors), Part 13 specifically governs equipment protection by pressurized rooms ("p") and artificially ventilated rooms ("v").

Essentially, this standard provides the framework for creating a "safe zone" within a hazardous area by using overpressure or ventilation to prevent explosive atmospheres from reaching non-certified electrical equipment.

Why the IEC 60079-13 Certificate is Crucial for Your Business
1. Risk Mitigation and Personnel Safety
The primary objective of IEC 60079-13 is to prevent catastrophic ignitions. By maintaining a pressurized environment, you ensure that even if a gas leak occurs nearby, the flammable vapors cannot enter the control room or E-House, where electrical sparking might occur.

2. Legal and Regulatory Compliance
Adhering to IEC standards is often mandatory for global operations. Obtaining an IEC 60079-13 certificate ensures you meet:
  • ATEX requirements (in Europe).
  • IECEx international certification schemes.
  • Local occupational health and safety (OSHA) standards.

3. Cost-Effective Protection for Large Equipment
Rather than purchasing expensive, individually explosion-proofed (Ex d or Ex e) components, IEC 60079-13 allows you to house standard industrial equipment inside a certified pressurized room. This significantly reduces capital expenditure (CAPEX) for large-scale installations.

4. Global Market Access
Because IEC standards are internationally recognized, a certificate in IEC 60079-13 acts as a "technical passport," allowing your equipment or modular buildings to be deployed across borders with minimal regulatory friction.

Key Requirements for IEC 60079-13 Compliance
To achieve and maintain certification, a facility must demonstrate rigorous control over its pressurized environments. Key technical factors include:
  • Purge Cycles: The system must be able to flush out any potentially hazardous air before the equipment is energized.
  • Pressure Monitoring: Maintaining a minimum overpressure (typically ≥50Pa) is mandatory.
  • Safety Interlocks: If pressure is lost, the system must trigger an alarm or an automatic power-off sequence to prevent hazards.
  • Air Source Integrity: The air used for pressurization must be drawn from a guaranteed non-hazardous location.

How to Obtain IEC 60079-13 Certification
The path to compliance involves four critical stages:
  • Engineering & Design: Integrating pressure sensors, fire dampers, and airtight seals into the room’s design.
  • Rigorous Testing: Performance testing to ensure the room can maintain pressure under operational stress.
  • Third-Party Auditing: Verification by a notified body to confirm the installation meets all IEC 60079-13 criteria.
  • Lifecycle Maintenance: Periodic inspections to ensure seals haven't degraded and safety systems remain functional.

Conclusion
The IEC 60079-13 certificate is more than just a piece of paper; it is a vital safeguard for modern industrial operations. Whether you are managing a remote offshore platform or a complex pharmaceutical plant, understanding and implementing this standard is key to protecting your assets, your people, and your reputation.

TLS Offshore Containers / TLS Energy is a global supplier of standard and customised containerised solutions. 
Wherever you are in the world, TLS can help you. Please contact us.

Product brochures:
Offshore pressurised mud logging cabin brochure
MCC | Switchgear | VFD | VSD pressurised shelter


Keywords: #IEC 60079-13 certificate, #Ex p pressurized room standards, #Hazardous area equipment protection, #Explosive atmosphere compliance, #IECEx, #Artificially ventilated room protection, #E-House explosion protection, #Electrical installation, #ATEX room certification 
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Written by Oliver

In offshore oil & gas platforms, offshore wind farms, and remote engineering projects, accommodation facilities are often a critical constraint during project mobilization. Delays in personnel deployment, incomplete on-site infrastructure, or repeated adjustments to temporary housing can directly affect construction schedules, cost control, and workforce stability.

Compared with traditional camps or permanent buildings—which typically involve long construction periods and limited flexibility—offshore accommodation containers offer an engineered and standardized solution that addresses the key requirements of speed, safety, and cost control. As a result, they have become a proven accommodation option for remote and offshore operations.

1. Engineered Structural Design for High-Risk Environments
Offshore accommodation containers are commonly designed and manufactured in accordance with recognized offshore standards such as DNV 2.7-1 and EN 12079. These standards are intended to address several typical challenges in remote and offshore environments, including:
  • Structural fatigue caused by frequent lifting and repeated transportation
  • Long-term corrosion exposure in high-humidity and high-salinity conditions
  • Reliability requirements in locations with limited maintenance resources
By using high-strength steel structures combined with proven corrosion protection systems and structural redundancy, these containers maintain predictable structural performance throughout transportation, installation, and long-term operation. This helps reduce unplanned downtime and safety risks, providing a stable foundation for continuous project execution.

2. Modular Configuration for Flexible Project Requirements
Once traditional camps are constructed, modifications or relocation often involve high costs and complex logistics. In contrast, remote projects frequently face uncertainties such as changes in workforce size, schedule adjustments, or site relocation.
Through modular design, accommodation containers allow:
  • Flexible combinations of single or double cabins, sanitary units, and common areas
  • Adjustment of accommodation capacity according to different project phases
  • Relocation and reuse after project completion, reducing stranded assets
This scalable, movable, and reusable approach is well suited to multi-project and cross-regional operations where flexibility is essential.

3. Factory Prefabrication to Shorten Project Lead Time
In remote areas, on-site construction is often constrained by limited labor availability, material supply challenges, and unpredictable site conditions. Accommodation containers address these issues through factory-based prefabrication, including:
  • Structural fabrication
  • Interior outfitting
  • Basic functional testing
Once delivered to site, the units can be installed through lifting and simple utility connections, allowing accommodation facilities to be operational within a very short timeframe. This significantly reduces the preparation period during early project stages.

4. Predictable Lifecycle Cost Control
Unlike on-site construction, where scope changes often lead to cost overruns, modular accommodation containers allow configurations, schedules, and budgets to be clearly defined at the design stage.
In addition, the ability to redeploy containers across multiple projects lowers the effective cost per project over time. This makes them particularly attractive for energy and engineering companies operating long-term, multi-site developments.

Conclusion
In remote and offshore projects, accommodation facilities are not merely supporting infrastructure—they directly influence personnel safety, construction efficiency, and overall project timelines.
Through engineered design, modular configuration, and compliance with established offshore standards, accommodation containers transform housing from a site constraint into a planned, controllable, and reusable technical solution. They have proven to be a reliable and practical choice for remote operations where speed, safety, and cost predictability are critical.

TLS Offshore Containers / TLS Energy is a global supplier of standard and customised containerised solutions. 
Wherever you are in the world, TLS can help you. Please contact us.
 
Keywords:#Offshore accommodation containers,#Remote project housing solutions,#Modular accommodation units,#Offshore living quarters,#Fast deployment accommodation,#DNV 2.7-1 certified containers,#Temporary housing for offshore projects,#Cost-controlled accommodation solutions,#Prefabricated offshore modules,#accommodation for remote sites
 

Written by Snowy

​In the high-stakes world of offshore research and chemical analysis, laboratory safety isn't just a protocol—it’s a lifeline. As industries move toward more complex experimentation in remote environments, the demand for controlled, secure, and mobile workspaces has never been higher.

TLS Offshore Containers is leading this shift with its advanced Negative Pressure Laboratory Containers. In this guide, we explore why negative pressure is the gold standard for containment and how TLS is setting new industry benchmarks.

What is a Negative Pressure Laboratory?
A negative-pressure environment is a containment strategy where the air pressure inside the container is lower than the pressure outside. This creates a "vacuum effect" ensuring that air flows into the lab but cannot escape unless it passes through a specialized filtration system.

For laboratories handling volatile chemicals, hazardous biological agents, or offshore mud logging, this is essential to prevent the accidental release of contaminants into the surrounding environment or living quarters.

Key Features of TLS Offshore Negative Pressure Solutions
1. Advanced HEPA and Carbon Filtration
Safety starts with what you can’t see. TLS containers integrate medical-grade HEPA (High-Efficiency Particulate Air) and activated carbon filters. These systems capture 99.97% of airborne particles and neutralize toxic vapors, ensuring that exhaust air is clean and compliant with environmental standards.

2. DNV 2.7-1 Certified Robust Construction
Offshore environments are unforgiving. TLS builds its labs to meet DNV 2.7-1 and EN 12079 standards for offshore lifting and transport. These containers are:
  • Fire-Rated (A60): Protecting personnel from external fire hazards.
  • Corrosion Resistant: Specialized coatings for high-salinity maritime air.
  • Blast-Resistant: Options available for high-risk zones.

3. Precision Control & Monitoring Systems
Maintaining a precise pressure differential requires constant vigilance. TLS units feature Integrated PLC Control Panels that allow researchers to:
  • Monitor real-time pressure levels (typically between -30 Pa and -50 Pa).
  • Receive instant alerts if pressure integrity is compromised.
  • Adjust airflow based on specific experiment requirements.

4. Bespoke Customization
No two labs are the same. Whether you require a BSL-2 biosafety setup, a petrochemical analysis lab, or a clean room environment, TLS offers modular configurations tailored to your equipment and workflow.

Why Choose TLS for Your Containment Needs?
1. Enhanced Researcher Safety
By isolating hazardous substances at the source, TLS minimizes the risk of inhalation or skin contact for laboratory technicians, even in the confined spaces typical of offshore rigs.

2. Regulatory Compliance
Meeting international safety standards (ISO, IMO, and DNV) is a complex hurdle. Utilizing a pre-certified TLS solution simplifies the auditing process and ensures your operations remain compliant with global safety mandates.

3. Versatility Across Industries
While "Offshore" is in the name, these containers are ideal for any site requiring rapid deployment, including:
  • Pharmaceutical Field Research
  • Remote Mining Operations
  • Emergency Bio-Containment

The Future of Mobile Laboratory Safety
As global industries prioritize ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) standards, the move toward specialized containment like the TLS Negative Pressure Laboratory is no longer optional—it is a best practice. By combining structural durability with atmospheric precision, TLS Offshore Containers ensures that the most dangerous work can be done in the safest possible way.

TLS Offshore Containers / TLS Energy is a global supplier of standard and customised containerised solutions. 
Wherever you are in the world, TLS can help you. Please contact us.
 
Please download the Laboratory container brochure for reference.


Keywords: #Negative Pressure Laboratory Container, #Offshore Lab Container, #DNV 2.7-1 Certified Container, #Hazardous Substance Containment, #Mobile Containment Laboratory, #A60 Fire Rated Laboratory, #HEPA Filtration Lab Systems, #Offshore Mud Logging Cabin, #Modular Bio-Containment Unit

Written by Oliver