ISO 13577-2:2023

Overview - ISO 13577-2:2023 (Industrial furnaces safety: Combustion & fuel handling systems)

ISO 13577-2:2023 specifies safety requirements for combustion and fuel handling systems that form part of industrial furnaces and associated processing equipment (TPE). It applies to single- and multiple-burner systems using gaseous or liquid fuels and covers fuel pipework (from and including the manual isolating valve), combustion air supply (including oxygen and oxygen-enriched air), burners, ignition devices, flue systems and safety-related control functions. The standard addresses significant hazards, required safety devices, verification methods and information for use, while excluding electric heating, upstream supply piping before the manual isolating valve, gas welding, blast furnaces, boilers and certain petrochemical fired heaters.

Key topics and technical requirements

• Fuel pipework: requirements for connections, flexible tubing, marking, leak tightness, condensate drains, purge points and pressure-relief provisions.
• Gaseous and liquid fuel safety devices: manual isolating valves, filters/strainers, pressure regulators, low/high pressure protection, automatic shut-off valves and valve proving.
• Combustion air & air/fuel ratio: safe air supply, pressure and airflow sensing devices, and control of premixed fuel/air circuits.
• Burner and ignition safety: requirements for main burners, pilot/ignition devices, permanent pilots, atomization for liquid fuels, burner capacity control and flue venting.
• Automatic burner control systems: design and functional requirements for low- and high-temperature equipment, flame supervision and start-up sequencing (pre-purge, ignition, maximum safety times).
• Oxygen and oxygen-enriched combustion air: material compatibility, pipework, fittings, flow velocities and backflow prevention for oxygen service.
• Verification & information for use: testing, inspection and required documentation/instruction handbook to ensure safe operation and maintenance.
• Limitations: excludes hazards from processed product releases, electrical heating, and systems manufactured prior to publication.

Practical applications and users

ISO 13577-2:2023 is used to design, manufacture, install, commission and maintain safe combustion systems in industrial furnaces. Primary users include:

• furnace and OEM equipment manufacturers,
• process and combustion engineers,
• safety and compliance officers,
• maintenance and commissioning teams,
• notified bodies and inspectors.

Applying this standard helps reduce fire, explosion and combustion-related hazards, ensures consistent safety device selection and control logic, and supports regulatory compliance and risk assessments.

Related standards

• ISO 13577-1:2016 - general safety requirements common to TPE (see Annex B for process lists and complementary requirements).

Keywords: ISO 13577-2:2023, industrial furnaces safety, combustion and fuel handling systems, burner safety, fuel pipework, combustion air, automatic burner control.