@® CLASS |, CLASS Il, AND CLASS Ill HAZARDOUS (CLASSIFIED) LOCATIONS 500.5 Hazardous (Classified) Locations. Hazardous (classified) locations are rated or classi- fied by the type of hazard presented by the chemi- cal or Substance and by the degree of explosion present. The locations are then classified according to the likelihood that a flammable or com- bustible mixture is present hy division, sueh as Divi- sion 1 of Division 2. Division 1 areas are more likely to have flammable or combustible atmospheres, dusts, or fibers present than are Division 2 areas, Generally, it is not intended that the National Electrical Code® (NEC®) be used to perform clas- sification studies to establish the type of hazard involved or the extent of the boundaries, Many other standards are useful for these purposes. See the Informational Notes in 500.4(8) for a helpful list of standards, The NEC is very valuable for provid- ing the wiring methods required for wiring in the various classified areas. sk of fire or Class I Locations. Class I locations are those in which flammable gases or vapors are or may be present in the air in quantities sufficient to produce explosive or ignitable mixtures. Class I, Division 1 locations are more likely to have these gases or vapors present and Class I, Division 2 locations are less likely to have the gases or vapors present in quantities suificient to produce an explosion. Class I Locations, Class II locations are those that are hazardous because of the presence of com- bustible dust, Class II locations are divided into Division 1 and Division 2 areas on the basis of the risk of explosion present Class IIL Locations. Class HII locations are those that are hazardous because of the presence: of easily ignitable fibers or flyings, but in which such fibers or flyings are not likely to be in sus- pension in the air in quantities sufficient to pro- duce ignitable mixtures. Class HI locations are also divided into Division 1 and Division 2 areas on the basis of the risk of fires being initiated by electrical equipment ™® 250.100 BONDING IN HAZARDOUS (CLASSIFIED) LOCATIONS The Requirement: Regardless of the vollage of the electrical system, the electrical continuity of non-current-carrying metal parts of equipment, raceways, and other enclosures in any hazardous (classified) location as defined in 500.5, 505.5 and 506.5, required to he ensured by any of the bond- ing methods specified in 250,92(B)(2) through (4) that are approved for the wiring method used, One or more of these bonding methods must be used whether or not equipment grounding conductors of the wire type are installed. Discussion: Because of the risk of fire or explo- sion in hazardous locations, additional precau- tions for bonding are required (sce Figure 8-1). Hazardous location Service ‘Control dunetion, equioment panel 2a us “| Double locknuts, Bonding bushingliocknut, locknutbushing not bonding locknuitocknt permitted hub connections acceptable Service ‘Control dunciion — Hazanious equipment panel box location run cup cit, B= cil Bending from hazardous location to setviee Separately J | te cil, Faia St (ieee Sit - \ A FIGURE 8-1 Bonding in hazardous (classified) locations, 250.100. Copmig Cengage UnigThis bonding attempts to ensure the reliability of the ground-fault return path of the metal conduit or other metallic wiring method and to prevent arcing or sparking where connections are made at enclo- sures. These rules do not require a supplemental equipment grounding conductor in metal raceways, in hazardous (classified) locations. The purpose of the bonding requi ensure the reliability and performance of the single- fault current path provided by the wiring method. Arcing or sparking in a hazardous location could be the source of ignition, It is fairly common for con: sulting and design electrical engineers to require a supplemental equipment grounding conductor in all metal raceways. If these equipment grounding conductors are installed, they must be installed in ‘compliance with all applicable rules, including the sizing requirements of 250.22, The installation of an equipment grounding conductor in a metal race- way does not relieve the installer from the require ment to use the bonding methods otherwise required for the metal conduit or other metal raceway Specific requirements for bonding and provid- ing the effective ground-fault return path are con- tained in the following Code locations: ments is to 501.30 Class | locations (classified due to flam- mable vapors) 502,30 Class II locations (classified due to com- bustible dust) 503.30 Class III locations (classified due to ihers and flyings) To emphasize the importance of bonding in Class I locations, 50/.30(A) contains the following, requirements (identical requirements are contained in 502.30(A) for Class II locations and in 503.30(A) for Class III locations): 1, The locknut-bushing and double-locknut types of contacts are not permitted for bond- purposes, 2 Bonding jumpers with proper fittings or other approved means of bonding are required to be used 3. Such means of bonding must be provided at all intervening raceways, fittings, boxes, en- closures, and so forth between Class I loca- tions and the point of grounding for service equipment or point of grounding of a sepa- rately derived system ‘These requirements are very specific and very clear. In addition to the general classification of haz~ ardous (classified) locations in NEC 500.5, specific articles in the NEC that describe hazardous loca- sions include the followi Article 511 Commercial Garages, Repair, and Storage Article 513 Aircraft Hangars Article 514 Motor Fuel Dispensing Fa Article 515 Bulk Storage Plants Article 516 Spray Application, Dipping, Coating, and Printing Processes Using Flammable Combustible Materials Article 517 Health Care Facilities (rooms or areas where flammable inhalation anesthet- ics are administered) These articles apply to occupancies that com- monly have hazardous (classified) areas. Included in these articles are classification of specific areas that are hazardous because of flammable vapors, com- bustible dusts, or fibers and flyings. On the basis, of the degree of hazard, the areas are classified as, Division | or Division 2. Division | areas are more likely to be hazardous in normal operations, and Division 2 areas are less likely. Specific requirements are included in these ar- with the goal of allowing the electrical equip- ‘ment to operate safely and not become the source of ignition. Specific wiring methods are provided where necessary to achieve minimum safety. The types of equipment that are permitted to be used in these areas are carefully controlled. Protection techniques and conduit s plemented for Class I areas to contain explosions inside enclosures and prevent igniting flammable vapors on the outside of the conduit systems. Other requirements for Class II areas inelude limiting the: temperature of enclosures and equipment to prevent the equipment from igniting flammable vapors. Steps are taken in Class III atvas to prevent fibers or flyings from entering enclosures and to control temperatures, below the ignition points ofthe fibers or flyings. Electrical installations in other locations classified as Class I, such as may be found in a cals are im-petrochemical plant, must have grounding and bonding systems that comply with the applicable requirements of the NEC. A hazardous location area classification study is required for those occupan- cies not included in Articles 5// through 517, This study must be documented as required by 500.4(A) and be available to those authorized to design, install, insp trical equipment at the location. Examples of Class I locations can be found in 500.5(B)(1), Informational Note No. 1 and No. 2 Also see NFPA 497, Recommended Practice for the Classification of Flammable Liquids, Gasses, or Vapors and of Hazardous (Classified) Loca- sions for Electrical Installations in Chemical Pro- cess Areas. Examples of Class II locations ean be found in 500,6(B) and in NFPA 499, Recommended Practice for the Classification of Combustible Dusts and of Hazardous (Classified) Locations for Electrical Installations in Chemical Process Areas. Examples of Class III hazardous (classified) loca- tions can be found in 500,5(D)(1), Informational Notes No. f and No. 2. maintain, or operate 501.30(A), Exception: The specific bonding means is only requived to the nearest point where the grounded circuit conductor and the grounding elec trode are connected together on the line side of the building or structure disconnecting means as speci- fied in 250.32(B), provided the branch circuit current protection is located on the load side of the disconnecting means. (A similar exception is found in 502.30(A) for Class I areas and in 503.30(A) for Class Ill areas.) ver Discussion: ‘This exception applies to complexes that have one or more buildings or structures that are supplied by one or more feeders of branch circuits from another building or structure, (See Figure 8-2.) Note that 225.30 generally limits the supply from one building or structure to another to one feeder or branch cireuit, Provisions are made in 225.30(A) through (E) for additional supplies under the spe- ic conditions provided. These rules for a sing! supply, except for the specific exceptions provi are not modified in Articles 500 through 516, so they apply to buildings or structures having a haz~ ardous (classified) location. Building disconnecting means with Service reutral Control Hazardous equipment grounded Panel lecation ) A. Bonding from hazardous location to building disconnecting means Building disconnecting Service neutralnot_ = Gontrol_-—— Hazardous. equipment grounded panel location oN A Bonding for hazardous ocalon wo sore ‘eaupment FIGURE 8.2 Bonding hazardous (classified) locations in building or structure separate from service, 501.30, 502.30, 503.30. As provided in the exception to 250.32(B), the grounded circuit conductor is permitted to be used. for grounding at the building or structure discon- necting means only for existing installations if the requirements of the exception are complied with, ‘The grounded circuit conductor (often a neutral) is not permitted to be grounded again at the build ing or structure disconnecting means for installa- tions made to comply with recent editions of the NEC. An equipment grounding conductor is re~ quired to be installed with the feeder or branch circuit, The requirement in 250,32(B) has the ef- fect of requiring the positive bonding required by 501.30(A) and identical rules in other articles to extend to the service equipment or se rived system even though the hazardous location is in another building or structure. As indicated in the exception to 50/.30(A), the bonding for haz~ ardous locations is not required to extend beyond the separately derived system that is the source of power for the branch circuit or feeder to the hazardous location. rately de-Service Control equipment panel z Junetion Hazardous box location A Double locknuts, Bonding bushing/locknut, locknut/bushing not bonding locknut/locknut, permitted hub connections acceptable Service Control Junction Hazardous equipment panel box location Bonding from hazardous location to service Separately Service derived equipment system Bonding from hazardous location to separately derived system Control Hazardous panel location 5 a FIGURE 8-1 Bonding in hazardous (classified) locations, 250.100. Copyright © Cengage LeaBuilding disconnecting means with Service neutral Control Hazardous equipment grounded panel location Bonding from hazardous location to building disconnecting means Building disconnecting means, Service neutral not Control Hazardous equipment grounded panel location Bonding from hazardous location to service equipment Copyright © Cengage Learning”. FIGURE 8-2 Bonding hazardous (classified) locations in building or structure separate from service, 507.30, 502.30, 503.30.