Navigating Gas Detector Standards: Combustible, Toxic, and Safety Compliance – Part 2

26 Dec 2025

Choosing the Right Path

In a continuation of our series on gas detectors we’ll explore some of the key international standards that define the gas detection industry today.

Combustible Gas Detectors

IEC/EN/CSA/UL 60079-29-1
The IEC/EN/CSA/UL 60079-29-1 standard is the benchmark for combustible gas detectors used in hazardous (explosive) environments. Recognized across Europe, Canada, and the USA, it works alongside IEC/EN/CSA/UL 60079-0, which outlines general equipment safety for hazardous areas.

Protecting Against Toxic Gases

IEC/EN/CSA/UL 62990-1
Toxic gas hazards can be just as dangerous as combustible ones. The IEC/EN/CSA/UL 62990-1 standard ensures that detectors designed for toxic gas monitoring perform accurately and reliably. While the IEC version of this standard is under revision with updates expected in 2026, it remains a recognized standard internationally and across Europe, Canada, and the USA for toxic gas detection.

Unlike combustible gas detectors, equipment certified to IEC 62990 or EN 50402-1 is not limited to hazardous areas, offering greater flexibility in laboratories, manufacturing facilities, and commercial buildings.

Gas and Vapor Detectors

UL 2075
For North American building safety, UL 2075 is the standard to know. It defines rigorous requirements for gas and vapor monitors, detectors, and sensors for toxic and combustible gases for non-hazardous areas.

In fact, major U.S. building codes rely on it:

• The International Building Code (IBC) requires UL 2075 Listed CO monitors.
• Since 2018, the International Mechanical Code (IMC) has required CO and NO₂ detectors in enclosed parking garages to be UL 2075 Listed.

This standard ensures that building systems meet the highest safety expectations — a priority for every facilities manager and engineer.

The Canadian Equivalent

ULC 588
In Canada, ULC 588 serves as the national counterpart to UL 2075 in the United States, developed by Underwriters Laboratories of Canada (ULC). It sets equivalent performance and safety requirements, ensuring that gas detection equipment meets Canadian compliance standards for both industrial and commercial environments again for combustible and toxic gases in non-hazardous locations. For businesses operating across North America, dual UL and ULC certification helps streamline approvals and simplify cross-border projects.

Refrigerant Detection in Modern Appliances

IEC TS 63542:2024
As the world shifts toward more environmentally friendly refrigerants, the IEC TS 63542:2024 standard takes on growing importance. It applies to refrigerant detection systems used in appliances designed under the IEC 60335 series, particularly those using flammable refrigerants. This technical specification ensures that appliances, from HVAC units to commercial refrigeration systems, maintain safe operation even as the industry transitions to low-GWP, flammable alternatives.

Functional Safety for Gas Detection Systems

EN 50402-1
Within the European Union, EN 50402-1 focuses on the functional safety of gas detection systems rather than their installation environment. It applies to both combustible and toxic gas detectors that are part of Safety Instrumented Systems (SIS). Although less common outside Europe, this standard is critical for ensuring detectors perform safety-related control functions reliably, preventing system failures that could lead to hazardous incidents.

How do I Choose?

Choosing the correct standard to evaluate your product is about understanding whether the area is hazardous or not, the gas you will be detecting, and the target country or region you will be selling your product. Sometimes there are two standards for the same application, and this is when you should engage your certification partner to discuss your options in detail and determine what is the best choice for both now and the future. For example, if you are seeking to measure toxic gas for North America and Europe you may be better served by using IEC/EN/CSA/UL 62990-1 however if your main certification goal is the USA then UL 2075 is the best choice. Also sometimes a product line is designed for hazardous locations for both combustible and toxic gases so in this case you would need to comply with both IEC/EN/CSA/UL 60079-29-1 and IEC/EN/CSA/UL 62990-1 with some repeated testing when the standards don’t converge.