Hazardous Location (HazLoc) Testing

With more than 20 years’ experience, F2 Labs can assist you with your hazardous location testing needs. We can perform the HazLoc product testing required to ensure that your product won’t cause a fire or explosion in an area where flammable or combustible materials (such as dusts, gases, fibers, or vapors) are present. The product must be designed using various methods of protection.

Intrinsic Safety (IS) Certification Evaluation – IS Design is a suitable approach to minimize the risk of ignition. The product as a whole must be evaluated. It is not enough to just have intrinsically safe components.

Hazardous Location Classes/Divisions for the US and Canada. They are categorized as follows:

Divisions

The division defines the probability of hazardous material being present in an ignitable concentration in the surrounding atmosphere.

Division	Presence of Hazardous Material
Division I	The substance referred to by class is present during normal conditions.
Division II	The substance referred to by class is present only in abnormal conditions, such as a container failure or system breakdown.

Classes

The classes define the general nature of hazardous material in the surrounding atmosphere.

Class	Hazardous Material in Surrounding Atmosphere
Class I	Hazardous because flammable gases or vapors are present in the air in quantities sufficient to produce explosive or ignitable mixtures.
Class II	Hazardous because conductive or combustible dusts are present.
Class III	Hazardous because ignitable fibers or flyings are present, but not likely to be in suspension in sufficient quantities to produce ignitable mixtures. Typical wood chips, cotton, flax, and nylon. Group classifications are not applied to this class.

Groups

The groups define the properties of the material in the surrounding atmosphere

A – Acetylene
B – Hydrogen
C – Ethylene
D – Propane
E – Metal Dusts (Div. 1 only)
F – Carbonaceous Dusts
G – Non-Conductive Dusts (flour, grain, wood, plastic, etc.)

Zones

Zones are classified by the frequency and likeliness of ignitable concentrations of flammable gases, mist, vapor, or dust, fibers/flyings being present during normal operation of the product.

Zone Definitions
Gases, Mists, & Vapors	Dust & Fibers/Flyings
Zone 0 – Ignitable concentrations of flammable gases, mist, vapors are present continuously or for long periods of time under normal operating conditions. Zone 1 – Ignitable concentrations of flammable gases, flammable liquid-produced vapors, or combustible liquid-produced vapors are likely to exist under normal operating conditions. Zone 2 – Ignitable concentrations of flammable gases, flammable liquid-produced vapors, or combustible liquid-produced vapors are not likely to exist under normal operating conditions.	Zone 20 – Ignitable concentrations of combustible dust or ignitable fibers/flyings are present continuously or for long periods of time under normal operating conditions. Zone 21 – Ignitable concentrations of combustible dust or ignitable fibers/flyings are likely to exist occasionally under normal operating conditions. Zone 22 – Ignitable concentrations of combustible dust or ignitable fibers/flyings are not likely to occur under normal operating conditions.

Zone Definitions

Gases, Mists, & Vapors

Dust & Fibers/Flyings

Zone 0 – Ignitable concentrations of flammable gases, mist, vapors are present continuously or for long periods of time under normal operating conditions.
Zone 1 – Ignitable concentrations of flammable gases, flammable liquid-produced vapors, or combustible liquid-produced vapors are likely to exist under normal operating conditions.
Zone 2 – Ignitable concentrations of flammable gases, flammable liquid-produced vapors, or combustible liquid-produced vapors are not likely to exist under normal operating conditions.

Zone 20 – Ignitable concentrations of combustible dust or ignitable fibers/flyings are present continuously or for long periods of time under normal operating conditions.
Zone 21 – Ignitable concentrations of combustible dust or ignitable fibers/flyings are likely to exist occasionally under normal operating conditions.
Zone 22 – Ignitable concentrations of combustible dust or ignitable fibers/flyings are not likely to occur under normal operating conditions.

F2 Labs makes HazLoc testing simple. Experience the Difference.

Below is a sample marking of a HazLoc label:

Hazloc Division Markings

HazLoc standards:

IEC 60079
Series Explosive Atmosphere Standards
IEC 60079-0
Explosive atmospheres – Part 0: Equipment – General requirements
UL 913
Standard for Intrinsically Safe Apparatus and Associated Apparatus for Use in Class I, II, and III, Division 1, Hazardous (Classified) Locations
IEC 60079-11
Explosive atmospheres – Part 11: Equipment by intrinsic safety.