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UNDERSTANDING INTRINSICALLY SAFE RATINGS
The Underwriters Laboratories Hazardous Locations Services defines various environments that can support an explosion. To define those environments UL employs a hierarchical coding nomenclature of three Classes, two Divisions and seven Groups.
At facilities where there are flammable or explosive materials, certified intrinsically safe electrical devices can prevent the device from creating arcs, sparks, or heat, during normal or fault conditions that could ignite the explosive substance.
Classes
Class I pertains to flammable gases or vapors, Class II pertains to combustible dusts, Class III pertains to ignitable fibers and flyings.
Divisions of Class I and II
Division 1 pertains to areas where ignitable concentrations of flammable gases, vapors, liquids, and combustible dusts can exist all of the time or some of the time under normal operating conditions.
Division 2 pertains to areas where ignitable concentrations of flammable gases, vapors, liquids and combustible dusts are not likely to exist under normal operating conditions.
Divisions of Class III
Division 1 pertains to areas where easily ignitable fibers or materials producing combustible flyings are handled, manufactured or used.
Division 2 pertains to areas where easily ignitable fibers are stored or handled.
Groups
A (acetylene), B (hydrogen), C (ethylene), D (propane), E (metals - Div. 1 only), F (coal), G (grain)
Example
The Bayco XLR-9850 dual mode flash and floodlight is certified by UL to be intrinsically safe under the designation of Class I, Division 1 and 2, Groups C & D. This is a potentially very hazardous environment representing a range of explosive chemicals.
That certification specifically means the light will safely operate in a hazardous environment consisting of ignitable concentrations of ethylene and propane gases, vapors or liquids that are present all of the time under normal operating conditions or unexpectedly.
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designed specifically for task lighting in hazardous work environments. The XPR-9850 is marketed specifically in the public safety channel and the XLR-9850 in the industrial and international channels.
