Ex Zone?

[Joet1110]

Hi there Ive got project to wire up some lights, a heater and a dist board in a garage which has got oil and grease stored in.

Ive been trawling the internet and I cant find anywhere if grease and oil make the area classed as EX rated.

What do you think?

 

[Technician]

However this goes, it is the flashpoint of the stored chemicals

that will determine whether or not the area is to be EX rated.

The flash point is the temperature at which the chemical will

begin to produce a flammable vapour.

There are two;  open and closed.  The closed flashpoint is

the lower of the two.

You need to establish this and consider if you HAVE to install

the kit in this area.

DSEAR regulations apply to areas like these.  If you look at

appendix 2 in BS7671 you will see it named.

 

[Technician]

You could start by gathering all the information you

can, and/or take the UN numbers of all the proposed

chemicals to be stored.   Look at the UN number data

base because this is one of the documents used in the

transport of hazardous goods.  (ADR).

All of the physical properties and other bits should be

found in there.

Should have put this in my last post.

 

[Evans Electric]

Some top advice from Technician there . :Salute

 

[benji]

halfords got a lot of oil / grease / paint ect.

 

[Technician]

Thanks Evans;  very grateful.

 

[Sidewinder]

"YOU" cannot zone the area in any way.

Your client MUST advise you of the zoning under DSEAR, following their DSEAR assessment and provide you with this in writing.

That is unless, you are competent to undertake the DSEAR, & FRA's & insured to do the zoning & consultancy yourself to the client as a separate service.

Following your assessment under the RRFSO, DSEAR, PUWER & any other applicable regulations then you can then provide the zoning to the client, following suitable payment for your consultancy.

Once this is done then you can go ahead & design the installation in the light of the RA's, be aware also that it could be that the designer & installer are required to have COMPEX qualifications to illustrate competence in explosive atmospheres.

Please also be aware, that, yes certain areas in even simple garages are, or at least should be, zoned under DSEAR, but most often are not.

This is a difficult area, and outside the remit of almost all normal electricians, most are not even covered to work in DSEAR zoned areas by their insurance company.

HTH