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 |
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F2 Labs makes HazLoc testing simple. Experience the Difference.
Below is a sample marking of a HazLoc label:
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.
