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Hazardous Area Installations - How to make 92% of sites safer without increasing the costs of compliance - From our valued sponsor Abhisam Software
How to Manage Hazardous Areas effectively by using Gas Monitors - Electrical equipment installed in hazardous areas, necessarily has to conform to the area classification for that area. However, frequently, practical problems arise, where the specified equipment may not be easily available. For example, an area classified as Zone 1 under the IEC system, theoretically can accept only Zone 1 equipment. However sometimes, especially in case of specialized equipment, Zone 1 certified equipment of that type may not be available. In such cases what could be done? This paper presents the background of such situations, possible solutions and current international practices regarding this issue - Thanks to our valued sponsor Abhisam Software.
Hazardous Areas Technical Guide- This excellent 70 page technical guide from ICEweb sponsor Weidmuller is a large pdf download at 5 Megs, however it is worth the wait!
Intrinsic Safety, Barriers and Isolators - A full page of great links.
4.11
A
Common Regulatory Framework for Equipment Used in Environments with an Explosive
Atmosphere - This is a publication that helps address the
hazards in environments with a high risk of explosion such as mines, refineries,
chemical plants and mills. The booklet can be used by countries that lack
regulation in this sector as a blueprint for their legislation, and also for
aligning existing national regulations with internationally harmonized best
practice.
Australian Standards for Electrical Apparatus in Hazardous Areas -From ICEweb
Australian Standards for Gas Detection/Ex- Equipment -From ICEweb
Basics of Explosion Protection - from Stahl (http://www.rstahl.com)
Basics of Dust Explosion Protection - This is a document of 32 pages packed with good information- From electromach.
Exd
Immersion heaters - From our
valued sponsor
Grimwood Heating Pty Ltd
Over the years it has been
difficult to source Exd Certified immersion heaters and often this has led to a
certification nightmare for those engineers responsible for the associated
equipment packages. These IEC certified heaters may provide the solution.
The following technical articles are
provided thanks to our valued sponsor Inlec
Engineering
Exd
Weatherproofing Alert- Including the Use of Denso tape -
thanks to Alan Wallace of Inlec Engineering
Atex
Markings
Continuous
Supervision of HA equipment
EEHA
Competency
Periodic
Inspection of HA equipment
Process
Fluid Migration along cables
The
following papers and presentations are from the IDC Technologies "Hazardous
Areas: Classifications and Equipment Conference 2007", these papers are
recommended reading.
Electrical
Equipment in Hazardous Areas - Field Inspections - Bill Rankin - This
paper focuses on the problems which are directly related to the inspection
process. It has been written from the perspective of the
Ex inspection team who usually have no control over the
design and installation process. It is acknowledged that the competency of the
design and installation personnel will affect the quality of the installation
that is to be inspected. The failure of Ex inspection campaigns can be
attributed to four main areas:
- Poor planning of the Ex inspection activities
- Lack of competence of the Ex inspectors
- Lack of clarity of the inspectors’ roles
- Lack of clarity of the inspection scope
Ex
Inspections—Potential Pitfalls
- Alan Wallace- Inlec Engineering - Many, if not most, Ex
inspection campaigns are grossly inefficient, and their
effectiveness is often questionable. This presentation discusses the four main
reasons why Ex inspection campaigns fail to meet the clients’ expectations. It
also offers recommendations to improve the quality and efficiency of Ex
inspections.
The
Application of Intrinsic Safety to Fieldbus Systems -
Chris Towle Chairman: MTL Instruments Ltd - This excellent paper covers the
technical aspects of FISCO, FNICO, Exe and Exi combination, Maintenance and
Inspection along with Intrinsically Safe Ethernet.
Myths
and Actual Practice with Industrial Data Communications and Hazardous Areas
- Steve Mackay - IDC Technologies - This presentation covers
Practical examination of data communications systems in hazardous areas for
Ethernet, Foundation Fieldbus, Profibus or RS-485 along with Practical
guidelines for best practice in designing your next industrial data
communications system in a hazardous area.
The
Current State of the IEC Intrinsically Safe Standards -
Chris Towle - Chairman: MTL Instruments Ltd - A candid discussion on the IEC IS
standards which includes IEC Organisation, Intrinsic Safety Standards, An
Analysis of the Change from ‘nL’ to ‘ic’ and advice to the First-time
Designer.
Changes
to Certification and its Impact on Manufacturers - Des
McDonell CSE-Ex Pty Ltd - This presentation covers product certification in
Australia.
The
following papers and presentations are from the IDC Technologies "Hazardous
Areas: Classifications and Equipment Conference 2009", these papers are
recommended reading.
It’s
Not Rocket Science Unless You Do It Wrong - Dave Adams -
Technical Advisor - Hazardous Locations Equipment: Canadian Standards
Association International - The certification of hazardous locations
electrical equipment is changing, and will continue to change, for some time.
There has never been a more confusing time for manufacturers, end-users, and
certification agencies alike. This paper does not really have a point, or maybe
it has several. While it provides answers, it will also raise new questions. It
is really just a strung-together collection of miscellaneous observations,
ramblings, and rants, garnered from 18 years in the business of certifying
hazardous locations equipment.
Proper
Grounding of Instrument and Control Systems in
Hazardous Locations - Joe Zullo - Regional Sales
Manager: MTL Americas - Grounding is defined as electrical equipment connected
directly to mother earth, or to some conducting body that serves in place of the
earth, such as the steel frame of a plant and its earth mat or the hull of a
ship or oil drilling platform. Proper grounding is an essential component for
safely and reliably operating electrical systems. Improper grounding methodology
has the potential to bring disastrous results from both an operational as well
as a safety standpoint. There are many different categories and types of
grounding principles. This paper’s primary focus is to demonstrate proper
grounding techniques for low voltage Instrument and Control Systems (IACS) that
have been proven safe and reliable when employed in process control facilities.
The
New Dimension of Intrinsic Safety - Rick Ogrodzinski -
Project Leader - Global Projects Team, Process Automation Division: Pepperl +
Fuchs, Inc - intrinsic safety type of protection is
currently achieved by limiting the available power. This
limitation of power – usually to less than 2 W – provides intrinsic safety
(Ex i) and is therefore mainly employed in the area of
control and instrumentation in the power supply to actuators
and sensors with low connected load. A significantly
higher direct power with the simultaneous safeguarding of all the positive
characteristics of intrinsic safety offers the user a new and
essentially wider scope of application. These aims are
achieved through DART technology (DART: Dynamic Arc Recognition
and Termination). DART is a means of instantaneous tripping, which dynamically
detects an undesired condition or a fault in the electrical system precisely as
it occurs and instigates an immediate transition to a safe
condition before any safety-critical parameters are
exceeded. DART is based on the detection of fault conditions and their characteristic
rate of rise of current.
Fire
and Explosion Protection of Electrical Installations with New Advanced
Suppression Systems - Andrew Kim -
Senior Research Officer - Fire Research Program, Institute for Research in
Construction - National Research Council of Canada The National Research Council
of Canada (NRC) has carried out projects to evaluate the fire and explosion
protection effectiveness of new technologies technologies which will be examined
and discussed. There is a potential for a very large
fire or explosion when using electrical equipment in areas where flammable gases
could accumulate or in room containing power transformers. Recently, several new
fire suppression technologies have been developed to provide protection in an
environment with an explosive atmosphere or to provide suppression of a large
fire involving electrical equipment, such as power transformers. In one project,
the explosion suppression effectiveness of hybrid gas generators in providing
safety to occupants in a compartment against a deflagration type explosion was
evaluated. Hybrid gas generator systems combine gas generator technology with a
liquid fire suppression agent. In another project, the effectiveness of a newly
developed compressed-air-foam (CAF) system was evaluated to provide fire
protection in power transformers. Thanks to the National
Research Council Canada.
The following links to basic information plus links to a series of incidents on video are from EPEE Consulting
Gases
and Vapours
Combustible
Dust
Flammable
/ Combustible Liquids
Extronics Wall Chart - Some Useful Ex Information here.
MTL Luton UK Technical Information - You will have to register to get access- it is quick, easy and worth it!
FISCO Intrinsically Safe Fieldbus Systems - This application note is a practical guide to the selection, installation and maintenance of equipment complying with the Fieldbus Intrinsically Safe Concept (FISCO). The document begins with a discussion of the origins of FISCO and an introduction to the main elements that should be considered when assembling FISCO systems. Later sections then develop each subject in more detail, with the intention of providing clear guidance to new and experienced Fieldbus users. From MTL.
Fieldbus
Non-Incendive Concept (FNICO)-Phil Saward (MTL)
Comprehensive
global guide to hazardous locations -And boy is this
comprehensive! It is an excellent technical resource from Cooper Crouse Hinds
which includes virtually everything including: Basics of
Explosion Protection, Area Classification, Methods of Explosion Protection,
Equipment Selection, Installation & Wiring Practice.
Ex poster (inc
ATEX) -thanks to Endress + Hauser (http://www.endress.com/)
Flammable
Risk- from Crowcon (http://www.crowcon.com)
Flammable Material
Characteristics - From hazareas.com (http://www.hazareas.com/hac_en.asp)
Hazardous
Area Classification/ Flameproofing- From the UK Health
and Safety Executive (http://www.hse.gov.uk)
Hazardous Area
Classification & Selection of Electrical Equipment For Flammable Atmospheres
for India- A power point presentation from author P.G. Sreejith
Hazardous
Area reference - Classifications detailing ignition
temperatures, materials and enclosure data - from
pauluhn
Hazardous
Area Reference Chart -
From Crouse-Hinds ( http://www.crouse-hinds.com)
Installation
of Electrical Equipment in Hazardous Areas - from Bentley
Nevada
EXia
Intrinsically Safe Mobile Phone-At last a mobile phone
that can be used in Australian Hazardous Areas, from dca intrinsically safe
products (http://www.dcaexpro.com/index.html)
Certification
of Diesel Engines in Hazardous Areas - A useful
technical information sheet from SIRA
The
Safest Way to Calibrate - An introduction to intrinsically safe calibrators -
There are industrial environments where calibrations should not only be made
accurately and efficiently, but also safely. When safety becomes a top priority
issue in calibration, intrinsically safe calibrators enter into the picture.
Frictional
Ignition of Powders - Geoff Lunn - This is a comprehensive
review - Surveys of industrial incidents in powder and dust handling plant
show that in a substantial percentage, friction and mechanical failure and
flames and flaming material are known ignition sources - from www.safetynet.de
.
4.11
Reducing
Ex Risk in Hospitals- When asked to name hazardous or explosive areas, most
people will mention the oil and gas industry, mining and fuelling
stations as obvious cases of high explosion risks. There are many more. Sugar
refineries, flour mills, grain silos and the paper and textile sectors also
belong in this category…as do hospitals. IECEx
complements health-care certification programmes When asked to name hazardous or
explosive areas, most people will mention the oil and gas industry,
mining and fuelling stations as obvious cases of high explosion risks. There are
many more. Sugar refineries, flour mills, grain silos and the paper and textile
sectors also belong in this category…as do hospitals. High-risk areas in
hospitals include storage rooms that contain flammable gas tanks and operating
rooms and anterooms. Risks of fire and explosion are high in these areas because
flammable gases are in abundant supply due to anaesthesia requirements.
Operating rooms also have flammable materials that can fuel a fire, such as
drapes, sponges and packaging. The main ignition sources are electrosurgical or
laser equipment. Ignition of anaesthetic vapours can occur as a result of a
spark due to unsuspected static electrification of the equipment. The use of
oxygen, while a non-flammable gas, is an accelerant in fires and at high
pressure poses similar risks.
1.12
Making
Safe Waves in Hazardous Areas! - John Hartley - As wireless
devices such as mobile phones and laptop computers become more reliable and cost
effective, there is growing interest amongst the process industry as to the
benefits to be found from enabling such devices to be used in hazardous areas.
However, unlike most industries this is not a simple task. Installing wireless
networks in hazardous areas requires careful, expert planning and execution.
John Hartley, Managing Director of Extronics, explains the hazards posed by
radio frequency sources and the issues involved when installing wireless
networks in hazardous areas, and how to minimise the potential risk.
ATEX is the name commonly given to the framework for controlling explosive atmospheres and the standards of equipment and protective systems used in them. It is based on the requirements of two European Directives.
The ATEX Directive- Its affect on Instrumentation in Hazardous areas-From MTL Instruments
ABB’s ATEX jargon buster - Explains the terminology users are likely to encounter when purchasing equipment for hazardous areas.
12.10
ATEX
and Explosive Atmospheres - Explosive atmospheres in the workplace can be
caused by flammable gases, mists or vapours or by combustible dusts. Explosions
can cause loss of life and serious injuries as well as significant damage. These
pages from the UK HSE will tell you more about explosive atmospheres and ATEX:
Some useful links can be found here
- from the Institution of Chemical Engineers in the UK.
ATEX 137- The
use directive from SIRA
The
European ATEX Directive - Ray
Cardinal and BarryNurcombe- from Bentley Nevada
The
Full Version of the ATEX Directive - from Extronics
The objective of the IECEx Scheme is to facilitate international trade in electrical equipment intended for use in explosive atmospheres (Ex equipment). The IECEx Scheme provides the means for manufacturers of Ex equipment to obtain certificates of conformity that will be accepted at national level in all participating countries.
| IECEx 01 | IEC Scheme for Certification to Standards relating to Equipment for use in Explosive Atmospheres (IECEx Scheme) – Basic Rules |
| IECEx 02 | IEC Scheme for Certification to Standards for Electrical Equipment for Explosive Atmospheres (IECEx Scheme)- Rules of Procedure |
Equipment Protection Levels (EPLs], which are the IEC equivalent of the ATEX categories, a discussion by MTL
IECEx Standards -
The IECEx Scheme is based on the use of specific
international IEC Standards for type of protection of Ex equipment.
The ExTR Database- This
database provides an official listing of IECEx Ex Test Reports issued in
accordance with the scheme rules, IECEx
02
The IECEx Scheme
- Description from the National Electrical Manufacturers
Association
Explosive
atmospheres- A useful bulletin from IECex
Resilient Wireless Ethernet on an FPSO - The need to provide Ethernet connectivity to locations round production plant or other facilities is becoming more common place due to the fact that most modern control and instrumentation equipment is now supplied with an Ethernet interface as the primary means of communicating with the device. In many cases it is simply a matter of running an Ethernet cable from the switch to the device as this more often than not provides power as well using the 802.3af POE standard. From Extronics.
Making Safe Waves in Hazardous Areas White Paper - As wireless devices such as mobile phones and laptop computers become more reliable and cost effective, there is growing interest amongst the process industry as to the benefits to be found from enabling such devices to be used in hazardous areas. However, unlike most industries this is not a simple task. Installing wireless networks in hazardous areas requires careful, expert planning and execution. From Extronics.
 |
E-learning course on Hazardous
Area Instrumentation - From our valued sponsor Abhisam
Software - Hazardous areas comprise a large
portion of most petrochemical plants, refineries, oil tank farms and many
chemical plants. The instrumentation, control systems and electrical
systems used in these hazardous or classified locations is designed
specially to prevent dangerous incidents. However, unfortunately, many
people are unaware of the methods of area classification, methods of
protection, maintenance & installation of this kind of equipment- this
course addresses and covers;
|
HazardEx:
The Journal -
A bi-monthly publication
distributed to 8,500 readers in the months of January, March, May, July,
September and November.
HazardEx
& Hazardous Areas International (HAI): The eNewsletters
- Hazard Ex is emailed to safety & hazardous area engineering
specialists throughout the UK. HAI is distributed across EU & the Middle
East; Includes legislation updates, comment, products & services
round-up editorial.
12.10
The Following are from Newson Gale
Achieving
Safe Tanker Truck Loading / Unloading - The loading and
unloading of tank trucks containing flammable or combustible products, has long
been recognized as one of the most serious fire and explosion risks for
hazardous industry operations. A study conducted by the American Petroleum
Institute in 1967, for example, identified static discharges as being
responsible for more than 60 incidents in tank truck loading operations. Since
then more stringent preventive standards have been developed and significant
advancements have been made in the technology of static electric discharge
prevention. Yet accidents traced to static electric discharges still occur with
sometimes tragic results.
Static
Grounding Clamps & Cables, Key Factors Too Often Overlooked -Michael
O’Brien - According to reports from NFPA in the Unites States and from HSE in
the UK and continental Europe, reports of static electricity incidents are much
more common that one would expect, given that simple and reliable means of
prevention is readily at hand.
You
Don’t have to be a Rocket Scientist… To Guard against Static Electricity
Hazards - For the person who is responsible for the safety of
employees, colleagues, plant equipment and plant property, one of the most
potentially confusing aspects of providing a safe operating environment is
determining if the manufacturing or handling processes have the potential to
discharge static sparks into flammable or combustible atmospheres.
Controlling
Static Hazards is Key to Preventing Combustible Cloud Explosions -
Michael O’Brien - Recent studies
covering plants in the U.S., UK and Germany show that controlling static
electricity build-up is the key to preventing combustible cloud explosions. In
the U.S. alone during the period 1980 to 2005 The Chemical Safety Board reported
281 explosions caused by ignitable combustible dust atmospheres. They resulted
in 199 fatalities and 718 injuries. Similar data was compiled in the UK, where
the Health and Safety Executive reported 303 explosions over a nine year period.
And German records show 426 similar incidents over a 20 year period.
Static
Electricity: The Hidden Danger in Hazardous Area - National
Fire Protection Association (NFPA) codes and guidelines highlight safe working
practices in hazardous areas, and specifically how to control static
electricity, which in many cases is capable of providing the ignition source for
a fire or explosion.
Road
Tanker Earthing - The loading and unloading of road tankers
with flammable and combustible products, presents one of the most serious fire
and explosion risks for site operations within the hazardous process industries.
A study conducted by the API in 1967 identified static discharges as being
responsible for over 60 incidents in road tanker loading operations and
demonstrates just how long this potential threat has been acknowledged. The
natural presence of static electricity in product transfer operations, combined
with its associated ignition hazards, ensures that regulators take static
control precautions for road tankers very seriously - from Newson Gale.
Technical
Articles on Static Control - This link from Newson Gale
contains in-depth technical information that enables you to research static
control hazards that may pose an ignition risk for your manufacturing and
distribution processes.