Understanding Hazardous Locations

An eBook By: Pepperl+Fuchs, the Intrinsic Safety Experts

 Hazardous Locations

This eBook deals with the physical principles and fundamentals of hazardous locations.
Regardless of geographic location, the physical principles of explosion protection are identical. What
differentiates one country from another are national deviations and varying requirements associated with
the explosion protection methods.

Hazardous location markings certainly seem complicated!

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By definition, a hazardous (classified) location is
an area in an industrial complex where the
atmosphere contains flammable concentrations of
gases or vapors by leakage, or ignitable
concentrations of dust or fibers by suspension or
dispersion.

The treatment of dangerous substances, where the

risk of explosion or fire exists that can be caused
by an electrical spark, arc, or hot temperatures,
requires specifically defined instrumentation
located in a hazardous location. It also requires that
interfacing signals coming from a hazardous
location be unable to create the necessary
conditions to ignite and propagate an explosion.

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 Intrinsic Safety

The introduction of semiconductor devices, such as transistors and integrated circuits, along with
the reduction in working voltages and energy levels, made the energy-limitation protection
technique called intrinsic safety.

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 How it all began…

In 1913, there was a disastrous methane gas

explosion at a coal mine in England. The
commission in charge of the investigation
debated whether or not the explosion was
caused by the low-voltage signaling system
used to advise the surface crew when coal cars
were ready to be brought to the surface.

The signaling system was composed of a set of

batteries and a bell, which was activated by
shorting two bare conductors routed along the
mine’s galleries. The system was considered
safe because the low voltage and current level
in the circuit were within recognized safety
parameters.

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Research, however, revealed that the most important factor
in determining the safety of an electrical circuit is the energy
stored in the circuit. Without the use of limitation methods,
the inductive energy stored in the bell and wiring produced
energy levels sufficient enough to generate an electric arc
that was able to ignite the dangerous air/gas mixture.

This research lead to new circuit designs in which the stored

energy was reduced to a level that would prevent the
generation of arcs, sparks, or other thermal effects that could
ignite a potentially hazardous atmosphere.

The first regulation for testing and certification of signaling

systems for mines was issued. Shortly thereafter, the
intrinsic safety concept was applied to other industries where
explosive atmospheres were easier to ignite than methane.

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 Explosion Protection Fundamentals

From a chemical point of view, oxidation,

combustion, and explosion are all exothermic
reactions with different reaction speeds.
For such reactions to take place, it is essential that
three components be present simultaneously in
suitable proportions.

These components are:

 Ignition energy (electrical or thermal)
 Oxidizer (generally air or oxygen)
 Fuel (flammable vapors, liquids or gases,
or combustible dusts or fibers)

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 Once the reaction is ignited, and depending on how
the exothermic energy is released, the results can be a
controlled combustion, flame wave or explosion.

All protection methods used today are based on

eliminating one or more of the triangle components in
order to reduce the risk of explosion to an acceptable
level.

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 Explosive Characteristics

Explosion characteristics of an energy source are evaluated to determine

the minimum energy required to ignite the air/gas mixture. The following
definitions will help you gain a better understanding of commonly-used
words when discussing hazardous locations:

 Minimum Ignition Energy (MIE)

There is a MIE for every fuel, which represents the ideal
ratio of fuel to air where the mixture is most easily
ignited.

 Lower Explosive Limit (LEL)

When the concentration value is below the MIE, it has
the smallest fraction of combustible gas/fuel and,
therefore, cannot be ignited.

 Upper Explosive Limit (UEL)

When the concentration value is above the MIE, it has
the smallest fraction of air/oxidizer and, therefore, cannot
be ignited.

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 Evaluating the Potential

In any situation involving an explosive material, the risk of ignition must be taken into
account and an evaluation should involve industry specialists, safety and mechanical
engineers, chemists, and other critical personnel.

Some of the most important factors to consider when making an evaluation are:

 Knowing the nominal rating of materials under consideration

 Knowing the parameters related to the process, such as the risk of an

explosion caused by the evaporation of a liquid

 Knowing the atmospheric conditions that are present, normally and

abnormally

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 Understanding Hazardous areas

Hazardous areas are most frequently found in places

where there is a possibility of an emission of
flammable gas or dust. The hazardous area can
occur in normal operation, in the event of a fault
(mechanical defect), or due to wear and tear of seals
or other components.

A hazardous area ranges from the area of release to

areas in which the affected substance is so diluted
with air that ignition is no longer possible (LEL).

The extent of the area is dependent on the type and

quantity of released gases or dispersed dust, the
degree of ventilation, or other similar conditions.

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 Classifying Hazardous Areas

The categorization of hazardous areas are carried out in North America in accordance with the
National Electrical Code® (NEC) NFPA 70, article 500. The NFPA establishes area classification
using three factors: classes, division and groups. Hazardous areas are dependent on the type of
flammable material present and are first divided into one of the following classes:

 Class I
Locations containing flammable gases or liquid mixtures,
liquid-produced vapors, or combustible liquid-produced vapors.
 Class II
Locations containing combustible dust. Hazards associated with
dust are equally important to that of flammable gases since
dispersed dust can also lead to explosions. Such explosion
hazards can occur in various sectors of industry, such as rubber,
plastics, timber, and in food products (flour and sugar).
 Class III
Locations containing fibers and flyings. Examples of industries
belonging in this class usually include parts of textile mills,
clothing manufacturing plants, cotton gins, and woodworking
plants. Fibers and flyings that are easily ignitable include
rayon, cotton, hemp, Spanish moss, etc.

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 Two Division Model

Classes are further categorized into Division 1 and Division 2 according to the probability of occurrence
of these materials being present in a potentially hazardous quantity. The table below illustrates how
hazardous areas are broken down.

Class I Class II Class III

(Gases and Vapors) (Flammable dust or powder) (Flammable fibers or
In accordance with NEC In accordance with NEC 500.6 suspended particles)
500.5 and CEC J18-004 and CEC 18-008 In accordance with NEC 500.7
and CEC 18-010
Areas containing dangerous Areas containing dangerous Areas where dangerous
concentrations of flammable concentrations of flammable concentrations of easily ignitable
gases, vapors or mist dusts continuously or fibers or flyings are continuously
Division 1 continuously or occasionally occasionally under normal or occasionally used, such as the
under normal operating operating conditions. handling and use in the
conditions manufacturing process.

Areas probably not containing Areas probably not containing Areas probably not containing
dangerous concentrations of dangerous concentrations of dangerous concentrations of
flammable gases, vapors or flammable dusts under normal ignitable or suspended particles
Division 2 mist under normal operating operating conditions. of fibers and flyings, such as
conditions storage.

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 Class Subgroups

Class I and Class II hazardous areas are divided into subgroups based on the type of flammable gas or vapor
present. The chart below illustrates this subdivision. Class III is the exception – it does not get divided into
subgroups.

Group A Atmospheres containing acetylene.

Group B Atmospheres containing hydrogen and flammable process gasses with more than 30%
hydrogen by volume, or gasses or vapors posing a similar risk level such as butadiene and
ethylene oxide.
Class I Group C Atmospheres such as ether, ethylene or gasses or vapors posting a similar risk level.

Group D Atmospheres such as acetone, ammonia, benzene, butane, cyclopropane, ethanol, gasoline,
hexane methanol, methane, natural gas, naphtha, propane, or gasses or vapors posting a
similar risk level.
Group E Atmosphere containing combustible metal dusts, including aluminum, magnesium and their
commercial alloys, or other combustible dusts whose particle size, abrasiveness and
conductivity present similar hazards in the use of electronic equipment.

Group F Atmospheres containing combustible carbonaceous dusts including carbon black, charcoal,
Class II coal, or coke dusts that have more than 8 percent total entrapped volatiles, or dusts that have
been sensitized by other materials so that they present an explosion hazard.

Group G Atmospheres containing combustible dusts not included in Groups E or F, including flour, grain,
wood, plastic, and chemicals.

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 Classification Example

An example of a typical classification of a fuel storage tank

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 Division vs. Zone

To have an understanding of the differences between the North American and European practices
regarding the classification of hazardous locations, refer to the table below. From a practical point of
view, the two systems have some minor differences but, for the most part, they are equivalent.

Classification Constant Risk Occasional Risk Risk only in the case of

Method a fault

Divisions Division 1 Division 2

(North America)

Zones (IEC/Europe) Zone 0/20 Zone 1/21 Zone 2/22

The Pepperl+Fuchs Engineer’s Guide has complete coverage on the European Zone procedures

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While Division 2 and Zone 2/22 are comparable, the North American Division Method has no direct
equivalent to the European Zone 0. Instrumentation designed for a Division 1 location has measures built
in that usually allow them to be used in either Zone 0/20 or Zone 1/21.

However, instrumentation designed for Zone 1/21 cannot necessarily be directly used in a Division 1
location due to the inability to quantify the expressions, “long period of time” for Zone 0/20, “can be
present” for Zone 1/21 and Division 1, and “not normally present” for Zone 2/22 as defined in the cited
standards. Zone 0 is the most dangerous and any instrumentation designed for that zone must be
incapable of generating or accumulating sufficient energy to ignite the fuel mixture.

Classification Constant Risk Occasional Risk Risk only in the case of

Method a fault

Divisions Division 1 Division 2

(North America)

Zones (IEC/Europe) Zone 0/20 Zone 1/21 Zone 2/22

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 Want to Learn More?

This ebook provides an overview from one chapter of our Interface

Technology Engineer’s Guide, Edition 3.1.

The entire engineer’s guide will teach you about:

 Basic principles of field signals

 Functional safety (SIL)
 Applications and practical solutions
 Isolated barriers
 Zener barriers
 Surge protection
 HART interface solutions
 Signal conditioning

Free copy of the

Pepperl+Fuchs Engi
neer’s Guide

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 www.pepperl-fuchs.us

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