What Is Hazardous Location Lighting
What Is Hazardous Location Lighting
What Is Hazardous Location Lighting?
Hazardous location light fixtures are engineered to withstand harsh environmental conditions in manufacturing and industrial facilities. These locations may include chemical plants, laboratories, oil and gas refineries, mining operations, and other industrial sites that contain extreme temperatures, combustible materials, and corrosive liquids or vapors.
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Because light fixtures are electrical devices, they present potential danger in locations where sparks may ignite flammable gasses and other materials. Explosion-proof lighting is an important component for safety where these conditions exist. Installed luminaires that are not suited for these hazardous locations create violations with OSHA, NEC, and NFPA code, but more importantly, may contribute to a catastrophic situation.
Categories of classes, divisions, and groups are used to inform the light fixtures standards. One of the common category&#;s for hazardous environment lighting is Class I, Division II, where the faulty operation of an electrical device can pose a risk of fire or explosion due to the presence of gases and vapors.
Classes, divisions, and groups for hazardous lighting applications
Various categories are outlined based on the levels of hazardous materials and the frequency at which they are present.
Classes
- Class I: flammable gas or vapors are present in sufficient enough quantities that they may ignite if they come into contact with open flames or electrical sparks
- Class II: combustible dusts are present
- Class III: ignitable fibers are present
Divisions
Within the classifications, two divisions are recognized based on the amount of hazardous material.
- Div 1: ignitable elements regularly or periodically present during normal operations
- Div 2: ignitable elements are contained or controlled with ventilation and other routine systems
Groups
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) furthers the requirements for light fixtures installed in hazardous locations by defining seven groups based on the characteristics of the elements present.
- Class I groups include gases in designations A through D. Group A gases identify the highest explosive pressures, and group D gases generate the lowest pressure
- Class II groups include various types of dusts designated with the letters E through G.
- Group E contains conductive or metal dusts,
- Group F contains carbonaceous dusts
- Group G contains non-conductive dusts
Designing hazardous location fixtures
Explosion-proof fixtures and hazardous environment luminaires are designed and installed to contain any sparks or fire that may occur inside the device. They are also often engineered to operate at lower than standard temperatures as not to be the source of a flammable event. Class 1 and 2 fixtures are sealed to keep the vapors, dust, or gases from penetrating the housing where electrical current or a spark may cause ignition.
Light fixtures are either certified as explosion-proof or intrinsically safe. Explosion-proof lights are not only designed to prevent the penetration of combustible material, but they are also engineered to contain any ignition that may occur inside the fixture housing. The fixture is comprised of durable construction materials, high-grade gaskets, and thick, shatterproof lens material. For a fixture to be considered intrinsically safe, it must conduct a small electrical current level that precludes the chance of a sparking event.
KURTZON&#; offers a variety of LED and fluorescent troffers, wraps, and corner mount fixtures that will meet your hazardous location needs.
How does explosion proof lighting Work
Do you need explosion proof lighting at work?
For a business that operates in hazardous environments, equipment and employees consistently experience the threat of potential explosions occurring if safety precaution implementation is inaccurate. For this reason, lighting is an integral part of any business, and understanding how Ex-proof lighting will work in hazardous environments is crucial. Additionally, for any company that operates in hazardous areas, it&#;s imperative to use Explosion-Proof lighting. By utilizing Ex-Proof lighting, you lower the risk of explosion because caused by dangerous gases like Propane and Methane.
For more explosion proof lighting ledinformation, please contact us. We will provide professional answers.
You&#;ll find that several sectors such as oil refineries, chemical plants, food processing industries, and mines utilize Ex-Proof lighting. And, Standard lighting falls short of overcoming the unique challenges when operating in hazardous areas.
Explosion-Proof Lighting Defined
The designation &#;explosion proof&#; doesn&#;t mean that the lighting fixture will survive explosions or fires fully intact. Instead, it means the light&#;s design contains sparks that would otherwise cause fire or explosion in confined spaces.
The lighting fixture encases inside a thick frame with extremely robust lenses. Additionally, the case creates a blockage between sparks and other ignition sources like flammable dust, fibers, or vapors that might exist in the environment upon the installed light fixture. Thicker lenses and frames with complex blockages contribute to a more durable and stronger lighting fixture.
Due to the robust design of , the risk of explosions and ignitions occurring are extremely low. As a result, the lighting significantly improves the safety of employees working in hazardous locations as well.
The Benefits
The primary benefit of using Explosion-Proof LED lights over traditional lighting is the energy-efficiency. Specifically, Explosion-Proof LED lights typically consume 90 percent less energy than standard fixtures. The durability of these lights means that they&#;ll continue to work at their original level of illumination for about 50,000 hours. In some cases, they even last 100,000 hours despite continuous use. Durability and better efficiency reduce maintenance and operating costs.
Installing Explosion-Proof lighting reduces explosive risks by preventing the ignition of flammable gases and vapors in enclosed environments. More importantly, the National Electric Code or the NEC, published by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), mandates all lighting equipment used in hazardous locations to be explosion-proof.
Classifications
Below are Explosion-Proof classifications specifying the environmental and safety hazard requirements.
Class I, Division 1 area encompasses the combination of Zone 0 and Zone 1 areas.
Zone 0 locations of high concentrations of combustible gases, vapors, dust, or liquids always present for long periods during operations.
Zone 1 locations might have combustible gases, vapors, dust, or liquids present at any time during normal operations.
Class I, Division 2, or Zone 2 are locations that do not have combustible by-products during normal operations. However, concentrations might be present under abnormal conditions, such as sudden leaks. As a general guide, those abnormal conditions should not exceed 10 hours a year.
Non-hazardous or Unclassified locations are classified as neither Class I, Division 1 or Division 2, Zone 0, Zone 1 or Zone 2, or any combination. For instance, aerosol sprays used in commercial or residential areas might have flammable gases, but they are still considered low risk to cause an explosion.
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