Must-Know for Using Appropriately Hazardous Locations Lighting

The lighting systems that you use for your location not only can put the company and the people at risk, but they can also reduce productivity. Hazardous locations lighting must adhere to compliance and safety standards to avoid threads and losses.

Sometimes the different terminologies about the fixtures and classifications, depending on the agency that approves the fixtures, might seem complicated and overwhelming; however, these classifications are necessary points and must be addressed, researched and understand to opt for suitable lighting solutions.

To follow the manufacturers’ instructions before you use safety lighting is mandatory. If considering the particularities of the location and using the required precautions the fixtures can prove to be effective and enhance workplace safety.

Some of the main aspects to take into account for illuminating hazardous locations are:

• Determined the adequate lighting; calculate the lighting parameters and the design
• Evaluate the locations’ energy consumption (amount of fixtures and usage)
• Select your luminaries accordingly (class, division and group for UL and zones and groups for ATEX/IECEx)
• Make sure that the fixtures have been approved and comply with the recognized standards (information can be verified in the agencies websites databases UL, ATEX/IECEx)
• Always look for the Mark on the products: Only those products bearing the agencies’ Mark should be considered certified
• Double-check the control system of the lighting (flameproof, explosion-proof, restricted breathing)
• Inspect the installation upon completion
• Stablish the frequency and accessibility for maintenance and replacement if needed.
• Use the luminaries in the locations that they were intended to use only (different locations might require different standards).
• Use portable lights with extreme caution and double-check that the lights are safe to be used in all the locations.
• Determine temperature relations. When fixtures are rated (temperature produced by the fixture and) they also need to be within the maximum allowed temperature for the hazardous materials in the working environment. Only the ones of the proper rating for the fixture should be used; Use the “T” rating without no indication or using a different wattage luminaire will cancel the fixture’s guarantee and put the facilities and workers at risk.
• Use only certified retrofit kits and install according to the instructions (need to be verified in databases too)

Lighting for hazardous locations is key to obtain the desired performance of the facilities and the workers, but it has also been a cause of many accidents. Knowing the facilities' environment, the combustible compositions and the applications enable a proper lighting for a safe and productive working environment. The standards used for the lighting systems have been built and tested with specific materials and components. Also, they set specific guidelines to ensure the safe use of the fixtures. Using the appropriate luminaire also contributes to fixture durability and heat build-up.