Safety in the workplace is of paramount importance. Whether it’s a retail space or a large oil refinery, workplaces need to ensure the health and safety of all staff. Safety protocols are varied depending on requirements. However, one common factor across industries is the potential incidence of fires and explosions.
Workplaces such as offices buildings, restaurants, and public buildings, may rely on fire extinguishers, smoke detectors and require their employees to participate in yearly or semi-annual fire drills to prepare for potential fire hazards.
Naturally, industrial facilities involve more complex protocols and procedures due to hazardous area protection requirements, especially when those facilities are used by businesses that operate in explosive (Ex) atmospheres with a constant danger of fire and explosion. Ex-sector facilities are equipped with specialist explosion-proof equipment, and its personnel are prepared and equipped with the right skills to operate in these highly specialised conditions that require hazardous area protection.
Hazardous Area Protection in Ex Environments
The Ex industry is huge. Obvious industries include oil refineries, drilling rigs, and processing plants, gas pipelines and distribution centres, and underground coalmines.
Also included in the ambit of Ex industries are chemical processing plants, food processing, sugar refineries, printing and paper industries, textiles, grain handling and storage, woodworking areas, wastewater treatment plants, aircraft refuelling and hangars, and hospital operating theatres.
Many of these aren’t directly included or understood to be in the Ex industry but their facilities may contain flammable liquids, vapours, fumes, or dusts in sufficient amounts to induce a fire or explosion. Therefore, certain areas may be classified as hazardous, needing area protections for posing a genuine risk of fires and explosions.
Protection of hazardous areas first starts with classification of zones. Hazardous areas are classified into zones depending on their frequency of occurrence and how long an explosive gas environment persists. These zones are:
Zone 0: locations in which an explosive gas environment exists constantly, for an extended length of time, or on a regular basis
Zone 1: locations where explosive gas atmospheres are expected to develop on a periodic or sporadic basis during regular operation
Zone 2: locations where an explosive gas environment is unlikely to occur during normal operation, but will remain briefly if it occurs.
International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) sets global standards for classification of hazardous areas, offers recommendations for hazardous area protections, design and control parameters and assessments.
While the ICE standard is primarily designed to assist in the selection and installation of devices to prevent ignition sources in regions at danger of explosion, it is also a valuable for addressing other safety concerns at various facilities, factories and plants.
It establishes the fundamental principles for hazardous area classification and protection. It also recognises a variety of national or local industry regulations that may contain additional information or particular instances of hazardous area classification. Additionally, it contains a variety of simplified evaluation instruments for use in situations when their usage is deemed permissible.
The standard is intended for engineers working in a variety of sectors, including oil and gas, mining, petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, wastewater treatment, adhesives and paint manufacture, cement manufacturing, shipbuilding, the wood industry, and food production. Additionally, it serves as a reference standard for several government entities concerned with worker safety and the safe administration of these sectors.
