There are many challenges when it comes to electrical installations in hazardous areasand you need to have proper planning to ensure the safety of equipment andpersonnel. Some examples of potentially dangerous environments are oil refineries and chemical processing plants.
Hazardous areas are also called explosive atmospheres.
These are environments where you can find combustible ducts, flammable gasses, liquids and vapours. There is a higher potential for explosion or ignition in these areas. There are classification standards that define the criteria in classifying these hazardous areas. These classifications will be based on the likelihood of the presence of hazardous substances and the type of substances present at the site. You need to adhere to these standards to determine which electrical equipment and components are appropriate for the environment. There are companies specialising in hazardous area electrical installation and they will have professionals to choose the right electrical equipment for these areas. The equipment used should be designed to be used in the classified zone. Some examples of such equipment are explosion proof enclosures, flameproof devices and safe instrumentation. This can lower the risks of ignition. The design of the equipment should be matched with the identified hazardous classification.
The hazardous areas will be separated
Into zones depending on the duration and frequency of hazardous substance presence. There are specific electrical installation requirements for each zone and you need to understand this in order to select the right equipment. IP or ingress protection ratings indicate the level of protection provided by the electrical enclosures against liquids and solid objects intruding into the equipment. There can be combustible liquids or dust in the workplace that can enter these electrical enclosures. To prevent this, IP rated equipment is required. You need to choose the correct IP rating so that the equipment can withstand the environmental conditions of the particular area. There are temperature considerations when it comes to electrical installation as well. For example, you need to select electrical devices like switches, motors and lighting fixtures by taking their temperature classification into account. This is especially important when it comes to environments that have potentially explosive atmospheres. This way, the equipment will not exceed the temperature limits of the environment so that the risk of ignition is reduced.
Another aspect of electrical installations
In a hazardous area is selecting the right cables and installing them correctly. There has to be sufficient insulation for the cables so that propagation of flames is prevented. The cables should be routed and separated to minimise the risk of damage. You need to make sure that the cables used in the electrical installation don’t contribute to the ignition of hazardous substances. You need to use conduits and cable glands that are designed for these hazardous areas to further strengthen protection. To prevent static electricity from building up, you need to have proper grounding and bonding. With grounding, you can connect the electrical equipment to each and the potential differences of conductive materials can be eliminated with bonding. This is done by connecting these conductive materials. The risk of sparks can be reduced due to this.
