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represent a serious danger. Examples illustrating this are facilities that
T
process grains, sugar, metal powders, and wood products. It is essential to understand the conditions that can create explosive environments and the proper equipment required to enter them safely. The equipment you are using must meet or
exceed the standards for the most explosive environment you could face under known or unknown situations. In the United States, intrinsically safe products are tested to the UL 913 8th edition standards harmonised to the EN/IEC 60079 -01/-11 standard for European Union ATEX certifications and the remaining countries IECEx certifications. For an explosion to occur, five components
must be in place: oxygen, confined space, ignition source, dispersion, and a fuel source. Eliminating one of these five elements will prevent an explosion, but eliminating these hazards is not a simple process. Oxygen in confined spaces typically cannot be eliminated. Therefore, managing fuel sources and the use of properly rated equipment to prevent ignition is essential. All portable lighting must be specifically
engineered to avoid a spark from occurring and igniting any flammable vapors or explosive dusts. In some cases, these can be colorless and odorless, making them especially dangerous. Commercial worksites have different
hazardous areas classified at a specific level called a “Zone”. All equipment safety ratings must be carefully selected based on the most dangerous Zone it may encounter; therefore, it is critical to identify the Zone in which you will be working. Let us look at the specific characteristics of each Zone.
Zone 0
An area in which an explosive atmosphere is always present.
Zone 1 An area in which explosive atmospheres are likely to occur during regular operation. This may be due to leakage, scheduled maintenance, or emergency repairs.
Zone 2
An area in which an explosive atmosphere does not occur during normal operation, or for a short period of time only. This is usually the result of an accident or other unusual operating conditions.
HIDDEN EXPLOSIVE ENVIRONMENT DANGERS
Do not rely strictly on a product’s Zone
rating when evaluating it for use in a hazardous environment because Zone ratings are rated independently from temperature codes and gas group types defined within the intrinsically safe classification systems. Temperature codes refer to the maximum
surface temperature of any device component that can be exposed to a hazardous environment in a fault condition. A T1 rating can be up to 450°C (842°F), but a T4 rating cannot exceed 135°C (275°F). These significant differences between temperature codes often go unnoticed unless examined closely. Likewise, gas group ratings require careful
scrutiny. Group B type gas contains explosive gases like Hydrogen and Etheylene Oxide, while Group D type gas contains less volatile gases like Propane and Gasoline vapours. These differences often go unnoticed by safety professionals who rely solely on a Zone rating for guidance. Without a complete understanding of these
T codes and gas ratings, it is not hard to imagine a scenario where someone might unknowingly believe that any device rated for Zone 0 would be safe in a Zone 1 environment which in this scenario is not true. Here is a couple of product marking files to illustrate this point.
II 1 G Ex ia IIA T1 Ga: This is a Zone 0 product
II 2 G Ex ia IIC T4 Gb: This is a Zone 1 product
8 MARCH/APRIL 2022 | INDuSTRIAL COMPLIANCE
Nightstick
www.nightstick.com
In these examples, this Zone 0 device with a
T1 code and a rating for Group D type gases would not be safe for use in a Zone 1 environment that requires a T4 code and a rating for Group B type gases. Thus, this Zone 0 product would not be safe for use in this particular Zone 1 environment. The quality of your equipment is vital in
explosive environments. You must ensure it is manufactured by a reputable company with documented experience in creating intrinsically safe (IS) products. A single source manufacturer ensures consistent quality and safety across the entire product line. Because of the knowledge, time, and expense required to engineer and produce IS products, a very limited number of companies can achieve this. Nightstick, a global manufacturer of
intrinsically safe, professional, portable LED lighting products that exceed industry standards in performance, quality, and user-safety, has over fifty IS products. The company has an IS product to meet your needs, from penlights to floodlights, for use above ground or below ground. You need to be able to focus on completing your job with confidence, knowing your equipment was designed and rated for the highest levels of safety when your life depends on light. Find the certification level you need or locate a dealer near you at
nightstick.com.
he dangers of explosive environments are obvious in the petroleum and chemical processing industries, but many other industries can create explosive atmospheres that are not as obvious but still
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