You are on page 1of 4

Hazardous Areas Classification - North America http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/hazardous-areas-classification-d_345...

Resources, Tools and Basic Information for Engineering and Design of Technical Applications!
Engineering News

Home Search The Engineering ToolBox PrinterFriendly


Acoustics Web ToolBox ShortList
Air Psychrometrics Add this Page!
Basics
Combustion Hazardous Areas Classification - North America Link to this Page!
Dynamics North American hazardous locations classification in classes, divisions
Economics and groups Free Industry
Electrical Resources
Environment Sponsored Links
Fluid Mechanics Hazardous Area Training EEx'e' Enclosures & JB's Oracle Magazine
Switchboard Matting
Gas and Compressed Personnel Competency Installation, ATEX EEx'e' and D rated enclosures Complete range of Electrical
Air Design & Maintenance junction boxes IP67 all materials Switchboard Matting
HVAC Systems www.baseefa.com www.ce-tek.co.uk www.reecesafety.co.uk
Hydraulics and
Pneumatics
Insulation Electrical devices used in hazardous areas need to be certified for use according the requirements
Material Properties specified for the area.
Mathematics In North America certification is provided by Five reasons why
Mechanics you need Citrix
Miscellaneous Factory Mutual - An approval agency primarily concerned with insurance underwriting. Essentials for
Physiology Underwriters Laboratories - An independent, not-for-profit product safety testing and certification Hyper-V now
Piping Systems organization.
Process Control Canadian Standards Association - A not-for-profit membership-based association serving
Pumps business, industry, government and consumers in Canada developing standards addressing
Standards public safety and health.
Organizations
Steam and The types of protection required depends on the risk involved in the area.
Condensate In general hazardous locations in North America are separated by classes, divisions, and groups to
Thermodynamics define the level of safety required for equipment installed in these locations.
Water Systems Web Application
Classes Security How to
Minimize Prevalent
The classes defines the general nature of hazardous material in the surrounding atmosphere. Risk of Attacks

Hazardous Material in Surrounding


Class
Atmosphere
Hazardous because flammable gases or
vapors are present in the air in quantities
ToolBox ShortList Class I
sufficient to produce explosive or ignitable
Add this Page! mixtures.
Hazardous because combustible or
Class II
conductive dusts are present.
Search this Site!
Hazardous because ignitable fibers or
Translate this Page! flying's are present, but not likely to be in
About Us! Class III suspension in sufficient quantities to
produce ignitable mixtures. (Group
Temperature classifications are not applied to this class.)

Free Industry
o
C Divisions Resources
o
F The division defines the probability of hazardous material being present in an ignitable concentration Eliminating
in the surrounding atmosphere. Paperwork and
Manual Data Entry is
Length Division Presence of Hazardous Material More than Just
Efficient
The substance referred to by class is
m
Division 1
present during normal conditions.
km The substance referred to by class is
in Division 2 present only in abnormal conditions, such as
ft a container failure or system breakdown.
yards
miles Groups
nautical miles The group defines the hazardous material in the surrounding atmosphere. Maintenance
Management
Software Buyer's

1 of 4 12/20/2009 8:57 PM
Hazardous Areas Classification - North America http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/hazardous-areas-classification-d_345...

3
in
3 Hydrogen, fuel and combustible process
ft
gases containing more than 30% hydrogen
us gal Group B by volume or gases of equivalent hazard
Convert ! such as butadiene, ethylene, oxide,
propylene oxide and acrolein.
Velocity Ethyl and ethylene or gases of equivalent
1 Group C Turning Leads into
hazard.
Sales for
m/s Gasoline, acetone, ammonia, benzene, Salesforce.com
km/h butane, cyclopropane, ethanol, hexane, users with Integrated
Group D
ft/min methanol, methane, natural gas, naphtha, Voice, Messaging in
propane or gases of equivalent hazard. Salesforce.com
ft/s
Combustible metal dusts, including CRM
mph
aluminum, magnesium and their commercial
knots alloys or other combustible dusts whose
Group E
Convert ! particle size, abrasiveness and conductivity
present similar hazards in connection with
Pressure electrical equipment.
1 Carbonaceous dusts, coal black, charcoal,
Pa (N/m 2) coal or coke dusts that have more than 8%
Group F total entrapped volatiles or dusts that have
bar Advertise on this
been sesitized by other material so they
mm H2O present an explosion hazard. site
2
kg/cm Flour dust, grain, wood, plastic and
Group G
psi chemicals.
inches H 2O
The specific hazardous materials within each group and their automatic ignition temperatures can be
Convert !
found in Article 500 of the National Electrical Code and in NFPA 497.
Flow Group A, B, C and D apply to class I locations. Group E, F and G apply to class II locations.
1 Temperature Code
m 3/s
A mixture of hazardous gases and air may ignite in contact with a hot surface. The condition for ignition
m 3/h depends on several factors as surface area, temperature and concentration of gas.
US gpm Equipment approved receives a temperature code indicating the maximum surface temperature of the
cfm equipment.
Convert !
Temperature Maximum Surface Temperature
Unit Converter o o
Code F C
Scientific T1 842 450
T2 572 300
T2A 536 280
T2B 500 260

Calculator T2C 446 230


T2D 419 215
T3 392 200
Free Industry
Resources T3A 356 180
T3B 329 165
Oracle Magazine
T3C 320 160
T4 275 135
T4A 248 120
T5 212 100
T6 185 85

Equipment that not exceed a maximum surface temperature of 212 oF (104 oF ambient temperature)
Five reasons why is not required to be marked with a temperature code (NEC).
you need Citrix
Recommended reading for this topic:
Essentials for
Hyper-V now
National Electrical Code, NFPA 70, Chapter 5, Article 500
29 CFR 1910 Subpart S, Electrical 1910.307
NFPA 497, "Classification of Gases, Vapors, and Dusts for Electrical Equipment in Hazardous
Classified Locations"
NFPA Handbook "Electrical Installations in Hazardous Locations " by P J Schram and M W

2 of 4 12/20/2009 8:57 PM
Hazardous Areas Classification - North America http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/hazardous-areas-classification-d_345...

Web Application Locations."


Security How to
Minimize Prevalent Sponsored Links
Risk of Attacks
NEW ATEX Ex GSM Explosion Proof Svs & Pdt Electrical Safety
For use in Ex zone 1&2 Explosion Reliable vendor for Singapore based Portable Earthing and Grounding
proof mobile phone projects in oil & Gas / Marine Powerline Installation Equipment
www.hqc.info www.inertgassystem.com www.thew.com.au

Related Topics

Miscellaneous Miscellaneous engineering related topics like Beaufort Wind Scale, CE-marking,
drawing standards and more
Process Control Instrumentation and process control systems - engineering and documentation
Risk, Reliability and Safety Risk, Reliability and Safety in Process Control Systems

Related Documents
.
Fuels and Chemicals - Auto Ignition Temperatures The ignition point for some common fuels and
chemicals - butane, coke, hydrogen, petroleum and more
Safety Signals - recommended Colors American National Standards Institutes schedule of safety
colors marking physical hazards
Dust Explosions - Critical Temperatures and Concentrations Critical temperatures and
concentration parameters for some common substances as coal, zinc, uranium and more
Hazardous Areas Classification - Europe European hazardous areas classifications in zones,
protection types, temperature codes and codes
ASTM Standard - Volume 05.06 Gaseous Fuels, Coal and Coke An overview of the standards
within ASTM Section 5 - Petroleum Products, Lubricants, and Fossil Fuels, - Volume 05.06
Gaseous Fuels, Coal and Coke
North American Hazardous Area Protection Dust-ignition proof, explosion proof, instrinsically safe
and nonincendive protection of hazardous areas
Classification of Gases Oxidizers, Inert and Flammable gases
Hazardous Areas Protection Techniques Instrinsically safe systems, purged and pressurized
systems, explosion-proof equipment, nonicendive circuits and components, oil immersed
equipment, hermetically sealed equipment, dust-ignitionproof equipment
Flash Point The flash point indicates how easy a chemical may ignite and burn

Sponsored Links
Switchboard Matting NEW ATEX Ex GSM Explosion Proof Svs & Pdt
Complete range of Electrical For use in Ex zone 1&2 Explosion Reliable vendor for Singapore based
Switchboard Matting proof mobile phone projects in oil & Gas / Marine
www.reecesafety.co.uk www.hqc.info www.inertgassystem.com

ToolBox Short List


Difficult to find your favorite ToolBox page? Add links to your favorite pages in your own personal
Short List!
Add this Page! Delete the ShortList!

Engineering ToolBox - SketchUp Edition - Online 3D modeling!

Engineering ToolBox - SketchUp Edition - enabled for use with the amazing, fun and free Google
SketchUp.

3 of 4 12/20/2009 8:57 PM
Hazardous Areas Classification - North America http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/hazardous-areas-classification-d_345...

Web The Engineering ToolBox

Translate the ToolBox


Arabic - Chinese (Simplified) - Chinese (Traditional) - Dutch - French - German - Italian - Japanese -
Korean - Portuguese - Russian - Spanish

About the ToolBox


We appreciate any comments and tips on how to make The Engineering ToolBox a better information
source. Please contact us by email

thorfot@yahoo.com

if You find any faults, inaccuracies, or otherwise unacceptable information.


The content in The Engineering ToolBox is copyrighted but can be used with NO WARRANTY or
LIABILITY. Important information should always be double checked with alternative sources. All
applicable national and local regulations and practices concerning this aspects must be strictly
followed and adhered to.

Advertise in the ToolBox


If you want to promote your products or services in this site - please follow this link.

The Engineering ToolBox 2005


9 12 8

4 of 4 12/20/2009 8:57 PM

You might also like