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Electrical (Hazardous Area) Classification
Establish a Basis of Safety with an Electrical Classification Assessment
By identifying the areas susceptible to fire or explosion, electrical classification (also known as hazardous area classification (HAC)) assists in reducing their chances of experiencing an incident resulting in damage to property and potential injury or loss of life. Though HAC was originally used primarily for choosing electrical equipment to prevent ignition in hazardous atmospheres, now HAC is being applied in risk assessments to areas that can contain flammable vapors, gases, combustible dust, or fibers. For this reason, HAC is needed not only in chemical plants but in a variety of other industries from food processing to power generation. Both OSHA and the NFPA reference HAC in their safety regulations / model consensus standards, as do the ATEX/DSEAR directives in Europe.
DEKRA can help you with new and existing regulations and in identifying those areas in a plant where flammable atmospheres and combustible dusts can be found. We are uniquely suited to provide HAC support and our international experts have the know-how and experience to guide you through the complexities of the classification process.
A Comprehensive Approach to Hazardous Area Classification
Implementing a hazardous area classification exercise requires a thorough knowledge of the relevant industrial processes and equipment. The DEKRA approach uses a disciplined eight step process from assembling the right team, through testing and data gathering, scenario evaluation, and documenting the area class and division (or zone) rating.
Along the way, DEKRA can support the process with specialized laboratory services and testing that might include: explosibility (dust deflagration constant (Kst)) and ignitability (minimum ignition energy of a dust cloud (MIE)), minimum ignition temperature of both a dust cloud and layer (MITc and MITl), minimum explosible concentration (MEC) tests, and conductivity properties, flammability limits (LFL and UFL), flashpoints (liquids), gas or vapor density, auto ignition temperature (AIT), minimum igniting current (MIC) and maximum experimental safe gap (MESG).
