Hi Chris, Classified area = hazardous location = an area where the atmosphere may be easily ignitable
Class = type of hazard; Class 1 = gas vapours; 2 = combustible dust, 3 = ignitable fibers Zone = Frequency of the hazard; Zone 1 means hazard present frequently or for long periods; Zone 2 means hazard present only during maintenance or mishap (leaky valve); Zone 0 means hazard present continuously in normal use (the headspace above the flammable liquid in the holding tank, and the lid of the tank) EEx = Approved to the European version of the Ex standards d = a protection method = 'flameproof enclosure' - "contain the explosion" n = a protection method = 'non-incendive' - "no hot surfaces" Gas Group IIB = Ethylene family of gases T3 = maximum product surface temperature of 200 C, under fault conditions Relevant authority for Europe = Notified Body (Notified to the ATEX Directive 94/9/EC) You scratched the surface on a really big topic; here are some links for your education: http://europa.eu.int/comm/enterprise/atex/index.htm - ATEX (94/9/EC) home page, with links to harmonized standards and notified bodies http://europa.eu.int/comm/enterprise/atex/guide/guide_en.pdf - ATEX guideline http://www.iecex.com/home.htm - IEC-EX home (like the CB Scheme for Ex) http://www.ul.com/hazloc/ - UL's hazloc page http://www.epsilon-ltd.com/ - Epsilon Ltd., home page - lots of hazloc info http://www.extronics.com/Ex_Info/protection_concepts.html - EXTronics has a good protection concepts table here. You could impress the questioner by pointing out that 'EEx n' devices are not allowed in Zone 1 areas... I'm guessing you have a European customer who needs a Zone 2 rating - I don't really see network diagnostic equipment being needed in a Zone 1 or 0 location. The full product rating would then likely be: ATEX Group 2 Category IIB, EEx n IIB T3. By the way, the ATEX Directive, mandatory July 1, 2003,requires notification (certification by an ATEX Notified Body) of your quality system per prEN13890, which is essentially ISO9000:2000 + specific ATEX requirements. Periodic factory surviellence is mandated by the Directive (is this a first?). Also note that the Class/Division system of defining HAZLOCS is widely used in North America; although the Class/Zone system has been allowed since 1999 (re 1999NEC Articles 505-510), only one facility has adopted the Class/Zone system to date. There are three, largely separate, approvals efforts for HAZLOC equipment; the USA, Europe, and ROW. The USA requires listing by an OSHA-approved NRTL. Europe requires an ATEX Notification. ROW - Australia, Brazil, Japan, among others - issue a national cert based on IEC standards. Have fun. Doug Massey Lead Regulatory Engineer LXE, Inc. -----Original Message----- From: Chris Maxwell [mailto:chris.maxw...@nettest.com] Sent: Monday, July 29, 2002 10:52 AM To: EMC-PSTC Internet Forum Subject: Hazardous Area Designations/Certifications Hi all, I have been asked a question regarding the following: "use in a Zone 1 and Zone 2 classified area. This equipment shall be certified EEX d and EEx n by a relevant authority (e.g. BASEEFA, CENELEC etc.) and shall be suitable for Gas Group IIB and Temperature Class T3." Can anyone elaborate on the above information? What standard defines "Zone 1" or "Zone 2"? What standard defines "EEX d" and "EEX n"? What about "Gas Group IIB" and "Temperature Class T3?" Any clarification, elaboration, elucidation and/or explanation that the group members could provide would certainly be appreciated. Thanks, Chris Maxwell | Design Engineer - Optical Division email chris.maxw...@nettest.com | dir +1 315 266 5128 | fax +1 315 797 8024 NetTest | 6 Rhoads Drive, Utica, NY 13502 | USA web www.nettest.com | tel +1 315 797 4449 | ------------------------------------------- This message is from the IEEE EMC Society Product Safety Technical Committee emc-pstc discussion list. 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