HAZARDOUS AREA ZONES, DEFINITIONS & EXPLOSION PROTECTION TECHNICAL GUIDE
The Hazardous Area Technical Guide provides an overview for the design and use of equipment used
within potentially explosive atmospheres created by gases, vapours and ignitable dusts or fibres,
commonly referred to as hazardous area zones.
Typically this includes such installations as oil/gas rigs, processing refineries, chemical production
facilities, flammable liquids storage facilities, fuel transportation, petrol stations, paint production,
paper production etc, however this list is not exhaustive and many new areas may be re-classified as
hazardous. A “hazardous area” is defined as an area in which the atmosphere contains, or may contain
in sufficient quantities, flammable or explosive gases, dusts or vapours. In such an atmosphere a fire or
explosion is possible when three basic conditions are met. This is often referred to as the “hazardous
area” or “combustion” triangle.
HAZARDOUS AREAS
In order to protect installations from a potential explosion a method of analysing and classifying
a potentially hazardous area is required. The purpose of this is to ensure the correct selection
and installation of equipment to ultimately prevent an explosion and to ensure safety of life. The
methods used to classify an installation can vary depending upon which part of the world it is located,
but generally there are two main types of classification. In countries that have adopted the IEC
(International Electrotechnical Commission) philosophy this is referred to as Zoning whilst in North
American installations are classified by Classes, Divisions and Groups to ascertain the level of safety
required.
HAZARDOUS AREA CLASSIFICATION
IEC AND ATEX STANDARDS
A Hazardous Area is defined by three main criteria, these being:
The type of hazard (groups)
The auto-ignition temperature of the hazardous material (temperature or “T” rating)
The likelihood of the hazard being present in flammable concentrations (zones)
Mining Surface Industry
Group I Group II Group III
Electrical equipment for places with an Electrical equipment for places with
explosive gas atmosphere an explosive dust atmosphere
Sub-Division Ignition Energy Sub-Division Explosive Atmosphere
Electrical equipment for mines
susceptible to firedamp
IIA 260 Microjoules IIIA Combustible flyings
IIB 95 Microjoules IIIB Non-conductive dust
IIC 18 Microjoules IIIC Conductive dust
The Type of Hazard
The type of hazard will be in the form of either a gas or vapour or a dust or fibre.
The classification of these hazardous zones is primarily divided into two groups depending on whether it
is in a mining or above surface industry. These are defined below:
Group I -electrical equipment for use in mines and underground installations susceptible to firedamp
Group II and Group III -electrical equipment for use in surface installations
Groups II & III are further sub-divided depending upon the hazard. Group II gases are grouped together
based upon the amount of energy required to ignite the most explosive mixture of the gas with air.
Group III dusts are subdivided according to the nature of the explosive atmosphere for which it is
intended.
AUTO IGNITION TEMPERATURE OR “T” RATING
The hazard level of the gases increases from gas group IIA to IIC with group IIC being the most severe.
Substances in this group can be ignited very easily with Hydrogen being the most at risk to ignition.
The temperature class or T-Class Rating is based on the auto-ignition temperature of the gas, details of
which are given below.
Apparatus Groups and Temperature Classes for Common Flammable Gases and Vapours – Group II
Gas Temperature Class
Group T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6
I Methane
Acetone Ethanol Diesel Fuel Acetaldehyde
Methane Cyclohexane Aircraft Fuel
Ethane Propanol 2 Fuel Oil
Benzene N-Butyl Alcohol N-Hexane
IIA Methanol N-Butane Heptane
Toluene Kerosene
Propane
Acetic Acid
Ammonia
IIB Coal Gas Ethylene Glycol Ethyl Methyl Ether
Ethylene Oxide Hydrogen Sulphide
Propanol 1 Tetrahydrofuran
Methyl Ethyl Ketone
IIC Hydrogen Acetylene
Temperature Class Rating for Group II Electrical Apparatus
Group II Temperature Class
T Code Maximum Surface Temperature Ignition Temperature
T1 450ºC > 450ºC
T2 300ºC > 300ºC ≤ 450ºC
T3 200ºC > 200ºC ≤ 300ºC
T4 130ºC > 130ºC ≤ 200ºC
T5 100ºC > 100ºC ≤ 135ºC
T6 85ºC > 85ºC ≤ 100ºC
If a hazard is present the equipment used within the installation must be given an appropriate “T”
classification in order to maintain the integrity. If that hazardous gas is, say, hydrogen, then all
equipment used must meet the “T6” rating. This means that all hazardous area equipment used
must not have a surface temperature of greater than 85°C. Any hazardous area equipment used that can
generate a hotter surface temperature of greater than 85°C must not be used as this will then increase
the likelihood of an explosion by igniting the hydrogen in the atmosphere.
Apparatus Groups and Temperature Classes for Common Flammable Dusts and Fibres – Group III
When considering installations that are at risk of a potential explosion due to dust ignition, the
equipment used is classified in much the same way as with gases. No equipment should be installed
where the surface temperature of the equipment is greater than the ignition temperature of the given
hazard. Below are some common dust hazardous and their minimum ignition temperature.
Ignition Temperatures for Common Flammable Dusts and Fibers
Ignition Temperature
Material
Cloud Layer
Coal Dust 380°C 225°C
Polythene 420°C (melts)
Methyl Cellulose 420°C 320°C
Starch 460°C 435°C
Flour 490°C 340°C
Sugar 490°C 460°C
Grain Dust 510°C 300°C
Phenolic Resin 530°C > 450°C
Aluminium 590°C > 450°C
PVC 700°C > 450°C
Soot 810°C 570°C
The Likelihood of the Hazard
The likelihood of the hazard being present in a concentration high enough to cause an ignition will vary
from location to location. For most installations this risk is dependant upon how long the hazard (gas,
vapour, dust or fibre) is present. In order to classify this danger an installation is divided into areas of
risk depending upon the amount of time the hazardous is present. These areas are referred to as
Zones. For gases and vapours and dusts and fibres there are three zones.
ZONE 0 | ZONE 1 | ZONE 2
Gas Dust Hazardous Area Zone Characteristics
Zone Zone
A hazardous atmosphere is highly likely to be present and may be present for long periods of time (>
0 20
Zone Zone
A hazardous atmosphere is possible but unlikely to be present for long periods of time (>10 <1000 ho
1 21
Zone Zone
A hazardous atmosphere is not likely to be present in normal operation or infrequently and for short
2 22
EXPLOSION PROTECTION CONCEPTS
There are varying types of equipment that can be used within these hazardous area zones to ensure that
the potential for an explosion is removed or greatly reduced. This equipment must be designed and
manufactured in accordance with particular construction parameters known as protection concepts.
Essentially these concepts fall under four main methods. These methods are detailed below along with a
brief description of some of the concepts:
Equipment
Type of Explosion Protection Method Description
Code
Ex e Increased safety
Intended to prevent a potential ignition arising
Ex nA Type -n protection
Ex ia Intrinsic safety ‘ia’
Ex ib Intrinsic safety ‘ib’
Intended to limit the ignition energy of the equipment
Ex ic Intrinsic Safety ‘ic’
Ex nL Type -n protection
Ex p Purge/pressurized protecti
Purge/pressurized protectio
Ex px
‘px’
Purge/pressurized protectio
Ex py
‘py’
Intended to prevent the explosive atmosphere contacting the Purge/pressurized protectio
Ex pz
ignition source ‘pz’
Ex m Encapsulation
Ex ma Encapsulation
Ex mb Encapsulation
Ex o Oil immersion
Ex nR Type -n protection
Intended to prevent an ignition from escaping outside the equipment Ex d Flameproof protection
Ex q Sand / powder (quartz) fi lli
Ex nC Type -n protection
Special Ex s Special protection
Ex i Intrinsic Safety
Ex i is an explosion protection concept in which the electrical energy within the equipment is restricted
to a level which is below that what may cause an ignition or to limit the heating of the surface of the
hazardous area equipment. There are two main sub types to Ex i protection, these being “ia” and
“ib”. Type “ia” protection allows for the occurrence of two faults during operation Type “ib” explosion
protection allows for the occurrence of one fault during operation.
Ex d Flameproof
The equipment that may cause an explosion is contained within an enclosure which can withstand the
force of an explosion and prevent transmission to the outside hazardous atmosphere. The Ex d
flameproof method of explosion protection also prevents the hazardous atmosphere from entering
the enclosure and coming into contact with equipment.
Ex m Encapsulation
Ex m is an explosion protection concept where by equipment that could potentially cause an ignition is
encapsulated within a compound or resin so as to prevent contact with the explosive atmosphere. The
concept also limits the surface temperature of the equipment under normal operating conditions.
Ex e Increased Safety
Ex e is an explosion protection concept applied to the installation to ensure increased security against
the possibility of excessive temperatures and sparks from hazardous area electrical equipment.
Equipment that normally causes sparks is excluded from use within this method of protection.
Ex p Pressurised
One process ensures that the pressure inside an Ex p enclosure is sufficient to prevent the entrance of a
flammable gas, vapour, dust, or fibre and prevent a possible ignition. Another process maintains a
constant flow of air (or an inert gas) to dilute to take away any potentially explosive atmosphere.
Ex o Oil Immersion
All equipment that has the potential to arc and potentially cause an ignition is immersed in a protective
liquid or oil. The oil provides an insulating method to prevent ignition.
Ex q Powder Filling
All equipment that has the potential to arc is contained within an enclosure filled with quartz or glass
powder particles. The powder filling prevents the possibility of an ignition.
Ex n Non-Sparking
A type of explosion protection where precautions are taken so that hazardous area electrical equipment
that has the potential to arc is not capable of igniting a surrounding explosive atmosphere. This can be
further categorised as follows:
Ex nA -Where components used in construction are non-sparking
Ex nC -Where components used in construction are non-incendive
Ex nR – Where components used are tightly enclosed to restrict the breathing and prevent ignition
Ex nL -Where components used in construction do not contain enough energy to cause an ignition
Ex s Special
This method of explosion protection, as its name indicates, has no specific parameters or construction
rules. In essence it is any method of explosion protection which can provide a pre-determined level of
safety to ensure that there is no potential for an ignition. As such it does not fall under any specific
protection method and may in fact be a combination of more than one.
Ingress Protection
Another consideration in the protection of equipment in hazardous areas is the safeguarding against the
ingress of solid foreign objects and water. This is known as the degree of ingress protection and
is commonly referred to as the IP Code. The relevant standard for the degree of ingress protection is IEC
60529. An overview of the IP code as defined in the standard is detailed below:
1st Numeral Degree of Protection 2nd Numeral
0 No protection at all against solid objects 0
1 Protection against solid objects greater than 50 mm in diameter 1
2 Protection against solid objects greater than 12.5 mm in diameter 2
3 Protection against solid objects greater than 2.5 mm in diameter 3
4 Protection against solid objects greater than 1.0 mm in diameter 4
Protected against the ingress of dust in such an amount that it
5 5
will not interfere with the operation of the equipment
6 Total protection against the ingress of any dust 6
8
Operational Temperatures
All equipment used within hazardous areas has an operational temperature band or limit. This is often
referred to as the “Tamb” and defines the upper and lower ambient temperatures of which
the equipment is approved for use in. As defi ned in IEC 60079-0 the standard limits are – 20°C to +40°C.
Where the operation temperatures of the equipment fall between these parameters no additional
marking is required. However, if they are outside these parameters than the specific temperatures need
to be identified.
Marking of Hazardous Area Equipment
All equipment for use in hazardous areas should be marked as prescribed in 60079-0. As a general rule
this includes, where appropriate, such information as:
– Company/Manufacturers name and address
– Hazardous area certificate number(s)
– Protection concept – Gas group(s)
– Temperature class
– Ambient temperature range
– Product identification
– Serial number and year of manufacture
– Electrical parameters
– CE marking and ATEX notified Body ID number
– ATEX coding – IP code
HAZARDOUS AREA CLASSIFICATION
NORTH AMERICAN STANDARDS
In North American installations, hazardous areas are defined by classes, divisions, and groups to classify
the level of safety required for equipment installed in these locations.
Classes define the type of hazard in terms of whether it is a gas or vapour, a combustible or conductive
dust or an ignitable fibre or flying. Divisions define the probability of the presence of the hazard
being present during normal or abnormal conditions. Groups classify the exact type and nature of the
hazardous substance.
An overview of this classification system can be defined as follows:
CLASSES
Class Definition
I A location in which a flammable gas or vapour is or may be present in sufficient
A location in which a conductive or combustible dust is or may be present in suffi
II
an explosive hazard
III A location in which easily ignitable fibres or flyings are present in sufficient quan
CLASSES
Class Definition
1 The defined hazard is present during normal operational conditions
2 The defined hazard is present only during abnormal conditions such as equipment fail
GROUPS
Class Representative Hazard
A Acetylene
B Hydrogen
Ethylene
D Propane
E Metal Dust
F Coal Dust
G Grain Dust
Marking of Hazardous Location Equipment
The marking of hazardous location equipment varies in accordance with the relevant Electrical Code. As
a general rule equipment should be marked as follows:
– Company/Manufacturers name
– Class I, II and/or III
– Division 1 and/or 2
– Group A, B, C, D, E, F and/or G
– Approving NRTL (Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory) logo
– Product identification
– Serial number
– Other relevant safety information
– Enclosure Type Rating
BASIC UL / CSA / NEMA ENCLOSURE TYPES
Type 3
An enclosure which is intended for outdoor use primarily to provide a degree of protection against
windblown dust, rain, sleet and damage from external ice formation
Type 3R
An enclosure which is intended for outdoor use primarily to provide a degree of protection against
falling rain and damage from external ice formation
Type 3S
An enclosure which is intended for outdoor use primarily to provide a degree of protection against rain,
sleet, windblown dust, and to provide for operation of external mechanisms when ice laden
Type 4
An enclosure which is intended for indoor or outdoor use primarily to provide a degree of protection
against windblown rain and dust, splashing water, hose directed water and damage from external
ice formation
Type 4X
An enclosure which is intended for indoor or outdoor use primarily to provide a degree of protection
against corrosion, windblown rain and dust, splashing water, hose directed water and damage from
external ice formation
Type 6
An enclosure which is intended for indoor or outdoor use primarily to provide a degree of protection
against falling dirt, hose directed water, the entry of water during occasional temporary submersion at
a specified depth and damage from external ice formation
Type 6P
An enclosure which is intended for indoor or outdoor use to primarily to provide a degree of protection
against falling dirt, hose directed water and the entry of water during prolonged submersion at a
specified depth and damage from external ice formation.
