Items of personal equipment which are battery or solar operated are sometimes carried by personnel and inadvertently taken into a hazardous area.
A basic electronic wrist watch is an example of a low voltage, electronic device which has been independently evaluated and found to be acceptable for use in a hazardous area under both historic and current EPL requirements.
All other personal battery or solar operated equipment (including electronic wrist watches incorporating other devices) shall:
a) conform to a recognised type of protection appropriate to EPL, gas/dust group and temperature class requirements, or
b) be subjected to a risk assessment, or
c) be taken into the hazardous area under a safe work procedure.
Generally we can say electronic watch can be taken into Ex environment, but operated it shall be not.
![](https://i0.wp.com/exprofessional.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/pocket-watches-436567_1920.jpg?resize=678%2C1024&ssl=1)
NOTE An increased risk is associated with lithium batteries which may be used to power personal electronic equipment.
Keep up good work.
Arpad
exprofessional.com