Hazardous Area

Classification
Department Editor: Rebekkah Marshall

Guidelines by location Table 1. Hazardous Areas*

North America IEC (Europe)
Over the years, hazardous area clas- Class — Division Zones
sification requirements for the U.S. An area in which an explosive atmosphere is
Division 1: Pres-
have evolved around a single area-clas- Class I — Gas or ent or likely to be Zone 0 (Gas) / continually present or present for long
sification system known as the Class/ vapor present in normal Zone 20 (Dust) periods or frequently
Division system. Today, the system operation
addresses establishment of boundaries Class II — Dust Gas/Vapor Zone 1 (Gas) / An area in which an explosive atmosphere is
of hazardous areas and the equipment Division 2: Not or Dust Zone 21 (Dust) likely to occur in normal operation
and wiring used in them. Meanwhile, Class III — Fiber present in normal
European countries, as well as some or flying (no group operation, could Zone 2 (Gas) / An area in which an explosive atmosphere is
designation) be present in ab- Zone 22 (Dust) not likely to occur in normal operations and,
other countries around the world, have
normal operation if it does occur, will exist for only a short time
developed their own area classification
systems to address hazardous locations * This table represents a corrected version from that in the original printing
safety issues. This independent develop-
Table 2. Relationship Between Divisions and Zones Table 3. Temperature Codes
ment has resulted in systems for these
North America Europe The Temperature class defines the maximum
countries or groups of countries based
Division Zone surface temperature of the device. Ratings are
on the International Electrotechnical
method method IEC standard given with reference to 40°C ambient
Commission (IEC) Zone system, with de-
Ignitable mixture present Zone Zone 0 T1 450°C T3A 180°C
viations to meet each country’s national continuously (long periods) Division 0 (Zone 20-Dust)
codes. While other countries do accept T2 300°C T3B 165°C
Ignitable mixture present 1 Zone Zone 1
and use the Division system (most nota- T2A 280°C T3C 160°C
intermittently 1 (Zone 21-Dust)
bly Canada and Mexico), the majority Zone 2 T2B 260°C T4 135°C
Ignitable mixture is not Division Zone
of the world’s hazardous locations are normally present 2 2 (Zone 22-Dust) T2C 230°C T4A 120°C
classified using the concepts of the IEC
Zone system. The U.S. National Electri- T2D 215°C T5 100°C
Table 4. Gas and Dust Groups
cal Code (NEC; NFPA 70) also recog- Hazardous locations are grouped according to their ignition T3 200°C T6 85°C
nizes the Zone system and allows its properties The additional temperature classifications high-
use in the U.S. under article 505 of the Typical IEC gas North Ameri- Minimum ignition lighted above are for USA and Canada only
NEC. ATEX requires the use of IEC-type gas group can group energy
hazardous area classifications. Acetylene IIC A 20µJ Table 6. Types of Protection for Electri-
Hydrogen IIC + H2 B 20µJ cal Equipment (IEC/ATEX and NEC)
Defining hazardous areas Ethylene IIB C 60µJ IEC
Permitted
Permit-
Propane IIA D 100µJ Technique Des- ted Di-
Zone
A hazardous area is designated as any cription vision
location in which a combustible material *Methane I — Ex o 1&2 —
Oil immersion
is or may be present in the atmosphere Metal dust — E Pressurization Ex p 1&2 1&2
in sufficient concentration to produce an Coal dust — F Ex q 1&2 —
Powder filling
ignitable mixture. The North American
Grain dust — G Flameproof Ex d 1&2 —
method identifies these areas by Class,
Division and Group or optionally by Fibers — — Explosion Proof — — 1&2
Class, Zone and Group, while the IEC *Mining application under jurisdiction of U.S. Mine Safety and Increased safety — — —
and CENELEC designate these areas by Health Administration (MSHA)
Intrinsic safety Ex ia 0,1 & 2 1&2
Gas/Dust, Zone and Group. The likeli-
Table 5. Information Required For Establishing Intrinsic safety Ex ib 1&2 —
hood that the explosive atmospheres are Extent of Hazardous Area
present when the equipment is operating Encapsulation Ex m 1&2 —
Gas/Vapors Dust
are designated in Tables 1, 2 and 5. Special protection Ex s 0,1 & 2 —
• Flash point • A/B classification
• Flammability limits •M  inimum explosible dust Nonincendive — — 2
equipment selection • Auto-ignition temperature concentration
Nonsparking Ex nA 2 —
• Minimum ignition energy, • Minimum ignition energy
For equipment selection purposes, haz- MIC or MESG – for equipment • M  inimum ignition tempera- Enclosed break Ex nC 2 —
ardous area classifications also consider: selection purposes ture (cloud/layer)
• Gas/Vapor group • Electrical resistivity Energy limited Ex nL 2 —
• The maximum surface temperature of • Vapor/Gas density • Dust group Simplified
the equipment under normal operat- • Area ventilation conditions • Area ventilation conditions Ex nP 2 —
pressurization
ing conditions (see the Temperature • Location of gas/vapor release • L ocation of dust release
points. Frequency and rate of points. Frequency and rate of Restricted
Code designations in Table 3) Ex nR 2 —
release release breathing
• The ignition-related properties of
the explosive atmosphere (see the Table 7. Types of Ignition Protection for Mechanical Equipment (ATEX)
Group designations in Table 4) Method Description
• The protection method(s) used by To ensure that ignition sources cannot arise Construction safety “c”, Inherent safety “g”,
the equipment to prevent ignition of To ensure that ignition sources cannot become active Control of ignition sources “b”
the surrounding atmosphere (see the To prevent the explosive atmosphere from reaching Inert liquid immersion “k”, Inert gas pressuriza-
Protection Method designations in the ignition source tion “p”, Flow restricting enclosure “fr”
Table 6) To contain the explosion and prevent flame propagation Flame proof enclosures “d”, Flame arresters

Acknowledgement and references Classification of Flammable Liquids, Gases, or
Vapors and of Hazardous (Classified) Locations for
We would like to thank Vladimir Stetsovsky of Chilworth Electrical Installations in Chemical Process Areas.
Technology, Inc. for his contributions to this page
3. NFPA 499-2004, Recommended Practice for the
1. National Electrical Code-2005-NFPA 70, National Classification of Combustible Dusts and of Hazard-
Fire Protection Association. ous (Classified) Locations for Electrical Installations
2. NFPA 497-2004, Recommended Practice for the in Chemical Process Areas.
4. IEC 60079-10-2002 Electrical apparatus for explo-
sive gas atmospheres — Part 10: Classification of
hazardous areas.
5. IEC 61241-3-2005 Electrical apparatus for use in
the presence of combustible dust — Part 3: Classifi-
cation of areas where combustible dusts are or may
be present.