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ATEX / CSA / Baseefa - what
to consider!
    
Areas where there is the possibility of the presence of an explosive
mixture of flammable gas or vapour and air are known as 'hazardous' and
other areas as 'safe' or 'non-hazardous'. Any electrical equipment used in
hazardous areas, must be specially tested and approved to ensure that, in
use even under a fault condition, it cannot initiate an explosion.
In Europe, hazardous areas are generally defined as follows:
| Zone
0 |
An area where an explosive
mixture is likely to be present at all times under normal operating
conditions.
|
| Zone
1 |
An area where an explosive,
mixture is likely to occur in normal operation |
| Zone
2 |
In the United States,
hazardous areas are classified by two Divisions. Division 1
equates to Zone 0 and Zone 1 and Division 2 equates to Zone 2. |
in Europe equipment, certified for use in hazardous areas, normally
falls into one of the following categories.
Intrinsically
Safe |
Denoted as EEx ia
or EEx ib
| Zones 0, 1, 2
Zones 1 or 2
|
Flame
Proof |
Denoted as EEx d |
Zones 1 or 2 |
Increased
Safety |
Denoted as EEx e |
Zones 1 or 2 |
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